Posted on 01/31/2012 5:51:44 AM PST by marktwain
A new design for a self-guiding bullet could allow sharpshooters to accurately fire at targets a full mile away.
The bullet, which is still in a prototype phase, is the brainchild of Sandia National Laboratories researchers Red Jones and Brian Kast. It is designed with built-in actuators and tiny fins that should allow it to rapidly adjust its path in flight.
Designed with the military, law enforcement, and recreational shooters as potential customers, the bullet is four inches long and has an optical sensor embedded in its nose for the detection of a laser on its target, Sandia said in a release today. The bullet also has built-in guidance and control electronics that receive data from the optical sensor and then manipulate the electromagnetic actuators. And the actuators use that data to steer small fins in order to direct the bullet directly to its target.
In the release, Sandia's Jones explained that the design of the self-guiding bullet required abandoning the traditional way rifle ammunition works. With conventional rifles, a fired bullet has to spin like a spiraling football pass in order to fly straight. But Sandia's bullet "flies straight due to its aerodynamically stable design," Sandia says, "which consists of a center of gravity that sits forward in the projectile and tiny fins that enable it to fly without spin, just as a dart does."
Although Sandia predicts that its self-guiding bullet could dramatically improve accuracy over long distances compared to traditional bullets, it doesn't promise perfect targeting. But according to a patent application Sandia filed, the new bullet could hit within eight inches of its target at a firing distance of a mile. That compares to a standard rifle-fired bullet, which tends to miss a target by about 29 feet after traveling a mile.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Wonder if zero has given the technology to the Chinese yet?
Most donut shops are about a mile from most peoples homes
Now if only I could see ground hogs a mile away.
Cost of gun to fire smart bullet: $19.95
Cost of anti-smart bullet targeting laser scattering system:
$2.95 Strobelights
$.98 road reflectors at Walmart
This smart bullet could have been used by FBI to kill genius Ted Kaczynski.
It will probably cost $1000 per bullet.
I notice that there wasn’t a projected price per round. Considering the average price of conventional ammo, I doubt that this round will find much of a market with recreational shooters.
Doesn’t sound very recreational to me. Who has access to a range where you could shoot something a mile away?
A bullet that can hit a target a mile away? I thought that was what air support or artillery was for.
Can I get these at Walmart?
.
It’s not a bullet, it’s a dart.
It might be really helpful for shorter range Navy vs. Pirates, helicopter sniper, etc.
I guess the next step is just hand held portable lethal laser. No wind effect, no gravity effect, just put the dot on it (him, her, or fuel tank /ammo dump).
An added benefit of a laser like that might be lower cost per kill... after a few thousand bad guys get cooked.
FMCDH(BITS)
A skilled sniper with modern sniper weapons can deliver a kill shot at ranges over a mile. The record is held by Cpl. Rob Furlong of the Canadian Forces whose record shot in Afghanistan was 2,657 yd or 1.51 miles.
Oh, now that would be interesting in close quarters.
“. Take this Dakota Longbow chambered in .338 Lapua, plus Leopold Mark 4 scope, factor in exact range, temp, humidity, wind, mirage, earth rotation, incline, altitude, and put a good shooter behind it and you can expect a good first hit and a 2’ group”
The biggest factor is the wind. A change in velocity of only a couple miles an hour in a crosswind can change the point of impact a foot at 1000 yds. Maybe you have a handle on what the wind is doing where your shooting from, but it can be entirely different down range. When shooters shoot those kind of groups at long range they have the wind gods on their side.
I know from experience when I was shooting an antelope at 970 yds with a 5 mph 30 degree crosswind which I had dialed the correction for into my scope. My spotter was monitoring the wind and reported it completely died as I squeezed the shot off and I hit him in the rear leg instead of the heart/lung.
Fortunately he was unable to run, the wind came back and my second shoot was right through the heart lung area. He dropped his head but was still standing so I followed with a third though the heart lung. He was dead with the second shot, but just didn’t know it yet.
This problem has been around as long a man has organized himself into societies.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
I am just retiring from the Military-Industrial complex, and we need those high tech items to protect us from the barbarians.
Let us hope that we can use the ballot box to reduce the threat to us from our own government.
Just the dogs.
I have had one of the Dakota Longbows for many years in .338 lapua Mag. Also have one of Malcomb Coopers Accuracy International .338 Lapua Mags......awesome rigs....... :o)
Great Rifles !
I shoot leg matches up at NRA Whittington a few times each year using a TRW M1A that a USAF gunsmith at Lackland AFB Texas built for me while active duty. My receiver, parts etc , Uncle Sugars time tools and training. Even with Mexican Match or federal match 168gr HPBT the M1A is a tack driver in proper hands.
The point I see here is this new and improved “GUIDED” Projectile is going to have to make course corrections on it’s own. If the round is “propelled” in flight versus just “launched” from the barrel then said corrections are or should be based along the reverse kentucky windage not unlike a Sino Soviet RPG-7 series pill.
The fins on back of bullet under power will catch wind at the back of the projectile thus it will “point” into the wind. Thus a left to right crosswind shot would be have to leading to the right, downwind side of the target to bring it back to the left point of impact......aka minute of torso.
Did I splain that right ???........;o)
Interesting thread ......
“Did I splain that right ???........;o)”
Sounds about right to me. Full disclosure here, my dad and mom started Dakota Arms. Dad, Don Allen, designed the Longbow. I didn’t want to get to deep into it all, but one thing I would be concerned with also is the end game energy. The reason why .50 cal is so popular is when it impacts a mile away it’s still around 3800fpe (foot pounds of energy). I seriously doubt these “smart” bullets are even close to that.
And don’t get me started on shooting an antelope from 1000 yards away with a .270. Might as well shoot it’s rear leg off with a 9mm....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.