Understanding Firearm Ballistics (Paperback)

~ Robert A. Rinker (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

One of the most useful firearms-related books published this century. (Handloader associate editor Al Miller) This book is a 'gotta have'. (Preparedness Journal senior editor Alan Sweatfield.) An extremely useful tool. (Guns & Ammo associate editor Phil Spangenberger.) This book is top drawer. An important book. (The Varmint Hunter Magazine editor in chief Ned Kalbfleish) This book is a must have. (Machine Gun News technical editor Dan Shea) I recommend it highly. -- Reviews --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

The original text of Understanding Ballistics has been edited, improved, & expanded with up-to-date information. Throughout are more formulas, detailed explainations & examples, more draawings, charts, and technical details explaining basic to advanced firearm ballistics, in a simplified and easy to follow style. This is the newest edition of the bible of the shooting sports. A must for all police officers, hunters, target shooters, handloaders, whether begineer or expert. This book is a "gotta have."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: Mulberry House Pub.; 3 Rev Exp edition (March 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964559846
• ISBN-13: 978-0964559844
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #923,796 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Another "Edition" or just another printing?, July 5, 2004

By	J. M. Nelson (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Rinker's book is well organized and documented, but a difficult read because of sentence and paragraph structure, run-on sentences, poor use of commas, nonparallel construction, illogical and vague antecedents, wordiness, and contradictory statements. It also contains several, significant mathematical errors and incomplete descriptions, and it is occasionally condescending. In addition, the intended audience seems in flux. Such a definitive work in its 4th edition deserves better focus, editing and proofing.

Structurally, the book seems to attempt to provide sufficient information for the scientifically educated while remaining understandable for the reader with less than a high school education. It fails on both fronts; the technical information is lacking, and the narrative is often poorly written. "Clear only if known" was a frequent reaction while reading. MInor sections, such as self defense, could have been better presented, redundancies and cross references could be improved, and the savings of space could be used to improve both layout and presentation.

Regarding the dual audience, the narrative could be written for the less sophisticated with complete scientific formulae and explanations set off for the more astute reader. In addition, these sections could even be labeled as to the level of mathematics required for mastery.

Mr. Rinker needs an editor. My experience in engineering and in academia leads me to believe that Mr. Rinker, for whatever reasons, resists, or is denied, collaboration with a competent editor; the book, the author, and the audience deserve better.

Notes from my reading indicated over fifty errors, including at least 9 errors in logic, 7 mathematical errors, and 37 grammatical errors. I assume that these are only representative of what a closer reading would reveal.

I doubt that the book has ever been competently edited; it has simply been reprinted. With current printing technology, this is inexcuseable.

Even so, it is the best source I have found for a comprehensive treatment of firearm ballistics. It is unfortunate that the publisher is unwilling to do better.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I wanted, but didn't expect to get, July 17, 2001

By	"trigger_books" (The best part of California) - See all my reviews

So I'm reading an article in a shooting magazine that mentions that a twist of 1 in 8 would have been better for a particular bullet, and I refer to *this* book to find out why. The index takes me to exactly the right text where the author, seemingly telepathically, refers me to two chapters I should read first to get a full understanding of the information. This book not only has all the information I need, the information is structured so well that it makes an ideal at-hand reference as well as a progressive course if you want, and have the time, to read it straight through. And, the information is layered in terms of complexity so you (I anyway) can find the section I need and read until the benefit of continuing is outweighed by the difficulty of continuing. Just right. I wish I could write like this.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad presentation, Great information, November 14, 2002

By	Mykal Banta (Boynton Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

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While not a prose stylist, the author packs an incredible wealth of information about all aspects of ballistics in one place. I found the book fascinating. It is the best thing out there for understanding firearms ballistics, and anyone interested in the complex science of ballistics must have a copy on the shelf. Having said that, the book is presented terribly. The typeface is hard to read (and for information this densely packed, an agreeable typeface is important). The charts and diagrams are simply terrible. They look hand-drawn, and badly at that. Also, the author spends too much time defending himself from a badly recieved (in some math quarters) earlier edition and only manages to make it sound too personal. On the plus side the author is very encouraging to those of us that are mathamatically challanged. all in all, I learned and understood an enormous amount of information from this book, and consider it a classic in the field. There is nothing else quite like it.