It seems like Sandia Labs may have developed the magic bullet, a bullet that doesn't miss! The bullet being developed is .50 caliber and is actually like a tiny guided missile.
The bullet doesn't spin, it yaws back and forth as it corrects its course during flight. It is not clear to me how the targeting system works. Is it fire and forget based on targeting data bounced back by laser? Or does it require the target to be continually "painted" during flight? It seems like "fire and forget" would make more sense in this type of application.
I'm guessing this would have to fired from a smooth bore to prevent it from spinning. I would also think that this might actually have application in a sniper rifle.
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/technology/sandia-labs-bullet-doesnt-missJim Jones, distinguished member of technical staff, and his team of engineers at Sandia Labs think the .50-caliber bullets would work well with military machine guns so soldiers could hit their mark faster and with precision.
The bullet doesn't spin, it yaws back and forth as it corrects its course during flight. It is not clear to me how the targeting system works. Is it fire and forget based on targeting data bounced back by laser? Or does it require the target to be continually "painted" during flight? It seems like "fire and forget" would make more sense in this type of application.
I'm guessing this would have to fired from a smooth bore to prevent it from spinning. I would also think that this might actually have application in a sniper rifle.