Switched to one of the outdoor channels last night just in time to see the shot on a big 6x5 elk in Colorado with a heavy barrel stainless rifle. Also saw the replay. Both times it looked something like a bottle rocket or a wire guided missle. I could she the entire flight of what ever it was all the way to impack on the elk. What did I see?

Dude, be careful with the shrooms.

OK, I am thinking about the upcoming Morrel crop in Montana but those are different shrooms.

Was the shot across a valley, elk facing left and dropped at the shot? I have seen the same clip. I think what we see in the video is the "trace" of the bullet. Not something you see everyday for certain.

Now, I know there must be someone here with a far better explanation.

Or, it was the shrooms.

I have seen a "vapor trail" on very rare occasions, when the air was extremely dense, one step below fog conditions. Sounds like that is what you saw, and it is pretty neat to have captured it on film.

Unless they are using tracers , what you saw was sunlight reflecting off the base of the bullet.
I have seen it many times as I have done a lot of Metalic Silhouette and High Power Rifle Shooting.

There could have been several things you were seeing; trace is probably the most common and highly likely, it could have been the "vapor" condensation type trail or glint from the bullet.

Trace is often seen on long range type shots, it most often is described as a ball of visual disturbance that moves dowrange with the bullet. A bit like looking through a glass sphere in that things seen through it are a little distorted. Long range shooters commonly use the trace for calling shots and corrections, it it non-persistent and follows the bullet.

The vapor trail is a rare around here although I've seen it up in the mountains shooting in the early morning in near fog conditions. This condition sometimes seems to be more persistant and leaves a little string like tail for a short while. (Sometimes small caliber (.223)rounds that disintegrate in flight leave a little trail also but they are generally torn to pieces by the time they get to a target.)

Glint from the sunlight reflecting off a bullet is not uncommon but I've mostly witnessed it with the sun low in the sky and somewhat behind the bullet. I see this sometimes when shooting on rifle ranges that have trees lining the side, as the bullet arcs above the shadow line into the direct sunlight the reflection causes the glint.

Vapor Trail, stand behind someone at a range & watch the shot with a spotting scope, you can see the vapor trail. That's what sniper teams watch for to correct a shot.

The "vapor trail" is actually the water being compressed from the supersonic shock wave of the bullet, it happens in high humidity, you can see this in many aviation photos, you may have even seen it along the wingtips or winglets of the airliner you were on at high angles of attack where the air is very accelerated across the top of the airfoil.

quote:

Originally posted by army aviator:
Switched to one of the outdoor channels last night just in time to see the shot on a big 6x5 elk in Colorado with a heavy barrel stainless rifle. Also saw the replay. Both times it looked something like a bottle rocket or a wire guided missle. I could she the entire flight of what ever it was all the way to impack on the elk. What did I see?

Was it a ML by chance? I've seen some shows where you could actually watch the entire bullet path to the target with a ML bullet.

I do own one video where you can see a 270 bullet in flight but the sun was just right, and the shot was some 370 yards on a mulie. Very cool to watch. Looks almost just like what you describe.

OK, saw the same segment this morning. T/C sponsor, don't remember the name of the shooter, long shot (about 350 yds.) across a valley on a nice bull elk. You can see the vapor trail of the bullet, much like the disturbed air off the wing tip of a plane mentioned above. No sun to speak of, so that is ruled out. Nice shot, and a good way to start my day, that and a cup of coffee.

I watched one like that on the Outdoor Channel one time. It was on one of Eastman's segments and the cartridge was a 300 Dakota. Very impressive shot. Jim

I ve seen it a couple of times always very interisting. the best one was a 223 bullet and a p dog at 491 yards the sun was behind me I shot saw the bullet trace called head shot then saw the p dog head explode very neat.

I've been hunting with a lot of guys that leave vapor trails....usually after eating bbq and beans.

Anyone who has shot competitively has coached his/her teammates by watching the vapor trail. Good luck trying to do it in AZ, however. I have never seen a place as difficult as this place to see mirage - the air is just too plain dry.

Yesterday I watched the Cabelas show, not sure of the name, and a guy shot a Brown Bear. He shot twice and each time, it was very easy to see the bullet trail.

Not sure of the caliber.

I have seen it while looking over someone elses shoulder in the field, with our backs to the sun.

It is not common, but it is possible.