Thinking of pulling my .50s convergence down to 200

[Randy1]

Which is exactly why I stated you guys would.  I should have stated more clearly why P38 drivers would take exception i.e. because of the nose mounting / concentration of fire.

And those doggone Brewsters.  Their 4 50s I guess are close enough together that they have quite a punch like the 38 without much convergence issues.

[Hoplite]

And those doggone Brewsters.  Their 4 50s I guess are close enough together that they have quite a punch like the 38 without much convergence issues.

Might be true...but I fly Brews or die to them so seldom I'm not a good judge.   

[Hap]

So I'm thinking of pulling the convergence in from 275 yards to 200, maybe closer. Think it'll help?

BnZ, hope this helps.  I stagger mine at 25 yard intervals roughly 400, 375, 350.  When I fly a Jug and choose 8 50's, I'll add a 425 or a 325.

I've done this since 2002.  What I've discovered is if you get the first good bite out of a con, you can then disengage and get into a position where you can take the next good bite.  You'll get those kills though you do not put them down.

Hope that helps.

[mtnman]

.50s seem like a funny sort of gun package that'll ping some poor devil to death out to 800 but will let you down in snapshots in the knife-fight when it's really important. Twice yesterday in the Pony I had D9s fly through my fire at close range multiple times during hard fights.
So I'm thinking of pulling the convergence in from 275 yards to 200, maybe closer. Think it'll help?

Based on the testing I did a few years ago, I came to the conclusion that 300 was about optimum for wing-mounted .50's, and you're handicapping yourself to some extent if you adjust them in closer or further than that.

I set mine to 275, with the idea that as I close through 300yds the icon counter shifts to D200, I solidify my aim and fire (hopefully right around 275yards).

You methods /results may vary, but I found 275 to give me the most bang-for-my-buck at targets that were as close as 175/200yrds, or out to around 400 yards.  It's an effective setting for all ranges in that "zone", and still does fine for those occasional long shots out a bit further, or the occasional shots in close.

With literally years spent with that convergence I found myself "automatically" setting up fights so that I had shot opportunities in the 275yrd range; and I often only needed one shot opportunity to either kill my opponent or cripple him enough to leave him easy to "clean up" on.

Kind of the opposite of noting at what range I fired and then moving my convergence to match...  I did a bunch of testing and found what I believe to be the "sweet spot" of wing-mounted convergences, and taught myself to place my opponent at that range to be shot.

[BnZs]

That was my reasoning for 275 as well...but I'm having repeated instances of fighters surviving multiple shots of the sort you get in close knife-fights, which thing often decides the fight. In this case it is the situation and opponent's maneuvering rather than my choice dictating what range I fire at.

Based on the testing I did a few years ago, I came to the conclusion that 300 was about optimum for wing-mounted .50's, and you're handicapping yourself to some extent if you adjust them in closer or further than that.

I set mine to 275, with the idea that as I close through 300yds the icon counter shifts to D200, I solidify my aim and fire (hopefully right around 275yards).

You methods /results may vary, but I found 275 to give me the most bang-for-my-buck at targets that were as close as 175/200yrds, or out to around 400 yards.  It's an effective setting for all ranges in that "zone", and still does fine for those occasional long shots out a bit further, or the occasional shots in close.

With literally years spent with that convergence I found myself "automatically" setting up fights so that I had shot opportunities in the 275yrd range; and I often only needed one shot opportunity to either kill my opponent or cripple him enough to leave him easy to "clean up" on.

Kind of the opposite of noting at what range I fired and then moving my convergence to match...  I did a bunch of testing and found what I believe to be the "sweet spot" of wing-mounted convergences, and taught myself to place my opponent at that range to be shot.

[bustr]

Every time this topic is rehashed, in the face of credible game sources explaining the limitations of the AN\M2 50 cal, the search for the Holy Grail of convergence trumps on. MntMan has the single best explanation, along with his personal research, is backed up by the AAF in their fixed gunnery training from WW2. If you google for AAF Manual 200-1, the convergence charts will show you what happens to your deflection as you move from 1G up to 4G in turns or pulling up into a climb. At 1G@333yd your rounds drop about 3ft. By 4G it's 20ft.

If you believe Hitech's physics related to gunnery is even 80% correct, then read this PDF. I've included the first chapter from the 1944 AAF Fighter Gunnery Manual which explains the real limitations of the AN\M2 50 cal round. Along with the page referencing the AAF study of 701 combats where 186 panes were destroyed by 39% of the 701 pilots due to shooting inside of the AN\M2 50 cal's effective range.

These pages are from:

Fighter Gunner 1st Edition
Army Air Forces Instructors School (Fixed Gunnery)
Matagorda Peninsula, Foster Field, Texas

Download Link: http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/18433936/file.html

By 1944 the standard P51D armorers chart showed the guns set:

333, 350, 380

1200ft = 400yd