Schusslinien

Schusslinien is a term used in ballistics, military terminology, and shooting sports to denote the straight line along which a projectile travels from the weapon’s muzzle to its target. It represents the line of fire that a shooter aims to align with the sights.

In practice, the Schusslinie is not identical to the actual ballistic trajectory. While the line of fire is a straight reference from muzzle to target, the real path of a bullet is curved due to gravity, air resistance, wind, spin, and ballistic design. The concept is therefore used as a planning and safety tool as well as a targeting reference.

Safety and range design rely on clear Schusslinien to prevent accidental injury. On firing ranges, the Schusslinien define the permissible directions for shots, with backstops, barriers, and controlled zones arranged to ensure that all potential lines of fire stay within designated, safe areas. Bystanders and non-participants are kept outside these lines to minimize risk.

In shooting sports and field use, shooters align their sights with the Schusslinie to achieve the intended point of impact at a given distance. Competitions may require compensations for elevation and windage to account for differences between the straight line of fire and the actual trajectory.

In forensics and investigations, the term can appear when describing directions of fire or reconstructing incident paths, sometimes expressed as multiple Schusslinien from a shooting position to various impact points.

Etymology: from Schuss (shot) and Linie (line). See also line of fire, firing line, Schussfeld.