Also known as: range firing, proving-ground testing.
| Purpose | Measure the range of a gun, charge, and projectile |
|---|---|
| Where | At proving grounds under controlled conditions |
| Result | The range tables carried by the batteries |
Learning the range
To know how a gun would shoot, it was fired at a proving ground under measured conditions, recording the range reached at each elevation with a given charge and projectile. Repeated over the calibers and ammunition, these trials produced the data of gunnery.
From the range testing came the range tables that told a gunner in the field what elevation to set for a given distance, translating the results of careful firing into practical fire.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: manuals, reports, and historical references.