Gunnery

Branch of the military art and science relating to the theory and practice of firing projectiles. Its principal theoretical divisions are: interior ballistics, concerning the motion of the projectile in the bore of the gun; exterior ballistics, or the circumstances of the projectile's motion from the instant it leaves the muzzle; and the determination of the projectile properties of gunpowder and explosives generally. Practically, gunnery deals with the rules for properly laying the gun, and with the effects of air pre ure and wind in causing deviations. In 1887, at Shoe burg ne , Eng., a shot was fired from a 9.2 in. wire gun, at 40° elevation, that attained a height of 17,110 ft. and a range of 20,236 yds. in 63.8 seconds.