flash-to-bang

Definition

The time delay between seeing the muzzle flash of an enemy weapon and hearing the report, used to estimate distance. Physics lessons you never wanted, courtesy of people shooting at you.

Example Usage

Three-second flash-to-bang puts the sniper about a kilometer out—get the mortars ranged on that ridgeline.

Origin

Based on the fundamental principle that light travels faster than sound, applied practically by soldiers for centuries

Fun Fact

Sound travels roughly one kilometer every three seconds, making this a surprisingly accurate ranging method for anything beyond a few hundred meters.

Source: Infantry field craft training manuals

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