JLouis wrote on Oct 29
th, 2012 at 11:40am:
"Let velocity, caliber and bullet length remain constant Bullet stability is not affected by the wind."
That is hard to grasp. I don't know how many have been headed down the highway at 70 miles an hour in a vehicle say 10ft long, 5ft. wide with a moderate to stiff wind coming out of 3 o'clock that did not experience instability. To look at it yet in another aspect, spin a top and apply a moderate to stiff wind from 3 o'clock and then watch to see if it starts to loose it's stability.
J.Louis
What effect, as applied to a bullet, causes it to be unstable ?
Is it twist ? In some cases, yes.
Is it weight ? In some cases, depending on twist, yes.
Is it diameter ? Depending on twist AND weight, yes.
Is a bullet made unstable by a wind blowing on it. No.
The wind blowing on the bullet will alter WHERE IT HITS. Blowing a bullet off the desired POA is not instability.
RE: the car, is "unstable" because, if the wind blows in a certain direction and the driver corrects but if the wind velocity drops off, (requiring another correction) means the car can travel in a serpentine fashion… as a consequence of DRIVER INPUT. That is not instability (loss of stability).
DTO, the spinning top, as long at the top maintains it's rotational speed, a 3 o'clock wind will only displace it sideways, not cause it to begin wobbling. Such wobbling is caused by a loss of it's rotational speed, e.g. it's slowing down and so becoming unstable.
Analogies… and certainly I could be wrong.