The FBI'S Legendary Sharpshooter - Jelly Bryce

K. B. Chaffin ^ | November 12, 1945 | K. B. Chaffin

[TomServo]

Great story - thanks for sharing. :-)

[Squantos]

Yep do it with a 45ACP all the time.....The light plays a major part of such. Most of the time its better to stand behind the shooter and you'll be better able to see the round going down range. I suppose any round that is doing about 700 to 850 fps is capable of being "seen" .

Stay Safe Doooood ! !!

[gaijin]

marking

[TXnMA]

Is it unusual to be able to see a .38 or larger bullet travel to its target?

If I may: It may be unusual, but it certainly is possible. Just as the flight trajectory of a lighted tracer is visible as a streak of light, so can a well-lighted, reflective bullet's path be viewed in the same fashion.

I first observed the effect when firing.22 shorts from a pair of Colt #4 Derringers held below eye level -- with the sunlight coming from almost immediately behind me. In that case, the bullet velocity was so low that the bullet (as a short streak or "dash" of light) could be discerned as it made its way toward the (dark-colored) target.

I later used the same "externally-illuminated tracer" effect to "walk" 22LRs from my Ruger 10-22 onto a target when firing rapid-fire from waist level.

Since then, I have observed the effect on .380 and 9mm (approx .38 cal) and .45 cal rounds fired from handguns -- again, when held well below eye level (AKA when "firing from the hip" -- as Bryce did). Even with high-velocity handgun rounds, persistence of vision permits the bullet's flight to be seen clearly as a streak of light.

BTW, my vision is only corrected to 20/20 with glasses...but I have trained myself to fire with both eyes open.

If anyone is interested, I can explain why the effect is not more commonly observed...

[Ruth A.]

Thanks for the post.

[Squantos]

Outstanding read Eaker !!! Thank You for sharing that......

Stay Safe !

[secretagent]

If anyone is interested, I can explain why the effect is not more commonly observed...

Please explain.

[GatekeeperBookman]

It is a more common event than many suppose. I have often 'watched the round mid-way to a fifty & one hindred yard target. .380, 22, .38 long colt, 'down loaded' .38 special & .357.

[Joe Brower]

"Y'all have any experience with this?"

I'm not certain what the question is. If you're referring to the topic of seeing a bullet travel to it's target, I can't say I've ever seen this for anything but a BB gun or centerfire tracer round. Oh, and a 9-inch mobile howitzer when it fired up into the clouds to engage a target about ten miles away. You could see the shell streak up into the sky and dissapear, and then a few minutes later the radio crackled with "target destroyed". I was surpised I could hear the call-in over the ringing in my ears...

[Tijeras_Slim]

See a round in flight? I'm having enough trouble focusing on the front sight. My left eye is always trying to hijack the thing. It's like having Saimese twins fighting in your head.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Is it unusual to be able to see a .38 or larger bullet travel to its target?"

I would have scoffed, but I recently easily observed a downloaded 44 magnum regularly arcing down the range (15-30 yards) in open daylight. Low velocity made it easy, but now I am convinced that one can easily train onesself to see the bullets with conventional loads, possibly by working up to higher velocities. The key is believeing that it is possible, and knowing where to look.

I also believe that seeing the bullet's flight can make one vastly more accurate with fast shooting, or moving targets.

[freekitty]

Great read.

[ExSoldier]

"Times have changed. Lon Horiuchi..."

Indded, the times they are a changin' the State of Idaho indicted Mr. Horiuchi for murder, but the Clintons got the trial transferred to the Federal court where it was subsequently dismissed. This gave time for the killer to ply his trade at Mount Carmel and the Branch Davidians where he was once again putting the crosshairs on the innocent. This man is one of those, who have besmirched the once proud FBI. This guy is one reason...I don't trust cops anymore. Especially those on the job for less than 15 years. Mostly because they're products of a public school and the pervasive antigun agenda.

[DEPUTYMAYTAG]

Fantastic story!

[TXnMA]

If anyone is interested, I can explain why the effect is not more commonly observed...

Please explain.

There are several reasons why the "reflective tracer" effect is not observed more commonly:

1. The light must be bright and generally behind the shooter -- or a detached observer.
2. The bullet must be fairly reflective (shiny and not sooted by dirty-burnng powder).
3. The eye must be several degrees off the bore axis to enable viewing a linear segment of the flight path.
   • Most shooting is done by sighting parallel to the bore (i.e. with sights).
   • The shooters eye is ( or should be) focused on the front sight -- not the bullet's flight path.
   • The shooter's non-sighting eye (even if open) is not far enough off-axis to see the flight path as a line.
4. As mentioned above, movement of the weapon during recoil frequently obscures the flight path from the shooter.
5. Both muzzle flash and smoke tend to block the shooter's vision.
6. Many shooters -- even those who shoot with both eyes open -- are affected by muzzle blast and recoil : they blink immediately after the shot.

IOW, "standard" shooting conditions are usually not conducive to seeing the effect.

Shooters who want to see (and use) the "tracer effect" should

• Position themselves so the sun is behind them.
• Wear safety goggles that deflect muzzle blast (good practice anytime you shoot) to reduce blinking.
• Wear hearing protection to reduce the tendency to flinch/blink (again, good practice).
• Shoot using instinctive pointer fire with the muzzle well below eye level.
• Look at or toward the target -- not the muzzle/front sight.

It should be emphasized that all safety practices (muzzle and trigger discipline, clear field-of-fire, and adequate backstop) must be rigorously observed -- especially when "shooting from the hip"...

[SevenDaysInMay]

I remember.

The federal blackrobes invoked the not in our RATIFIED Constitution "sovereign immunity" to protect the criminals' murderous acts under color of law. IMO, the surviving Marshal should also have been prosecuted for his hand in Sam Weavers' murder. Some training exercise.

We remember.

In this world of limitless power to destroy Americans lives while hiding behind a self-serving AND self-created unaccountability, we have rogues ruling this once Constitutional Republic based on the Rule of Law.

"Compelling State interests" now provides unConstitutional justification for corrupt socialists' agendas protected by "sovereign immunity".

Just before the attack at Mt. Carmel 19 April, I read a central Texas newspaper reporting that armed citizens were beginning to show up as observer/pickets around the outer perimeter that TX DPS provided the FBI/HRT as they plotted the destruction of those fellow citizens hiding in their church home after an outrageous armed assault for the video pitch and to show America the police powers of the Bill & Hillary.

(BATF and FBI guys, what was done to those kooky Davidians was NAZI class criminal, under your color of law and code of silence. Life sentences without parole is deserved for a number of those JBTs and their uebermensch. You know it or you should be fired. The ground and helicopter fire into that church home of nearly 150 men, women, and children was criminal. Defensive fire? You depend on accomplices.)

Officiously, the DOJ declared that the FBI/HRT was tired, oh, and that children might be being abused, BUT not yet crushed, burned, and blasted to putrifaction or ash. At least evidence was hidden and destroyed.

We will always remember because the Clintonazis revealed their Rules of Engagement freely used against fellow Americans.

[secretagent]

Thanks. Seems reasonable.

[LibWhacker]

BTTT for people who never saw this!

[5Madman2]

Saw the link for this on Glock talk, and thought it needed a bump.

Good story, good thread.