Tracer visibility from distance

[41Sqn_Stormcrow]

Has anyone ever observed tracers from a certain distance? Me none but I think they should be there at least at medium range - I'd say the same distance as the pilot could follow them (so at least 500 m distance if not longer). Or is something wrong with my system.

[robtek]

The light - emmitting part of a tracer is within the bullet and light escapes only toward the rear quadrant.

So, if you are close to the shooting plane and looking toward the target, then there is a chance to see the tracers.

[CWMV]

I don't mean to go on, but I'm not quite sure what your asking for.

Tracers are visible from just about anywhere, that's why they are a liability for us grunts-tracers work both ways.

From the rear tracers look really kinda slow, and they wiggle a little bit.
From the side/under/above they look like lightsabers that were put in a taffy puller, very long, extremely thin lances of light. AED's tracer mod for IL2 was a very good representation in my opinion.

On the receiving end they look scary, lol.
But very much the same effect as the sending end, but the closer they get the faster they seem to move.
I cant tell you what they look like from exactly in front, as I'm still drawing breath.

As far as visibility they should be visible from all angles and varying distance depending on the situation.
At night and during foul weather you can see tracers from literally miles and miles away. During the day of course the distance is limited simply due to the brightness of daylight. They are still easily visible but they dont pop and grab your attention the way they do at night.
Other than the tracer burn out determines how long they can be seen. If I remember correctly current US issue 7.62 tracer burnout is at around 800-900 meters. Probably has nothing to do with 7.92mm lol.

Robtek the effect you describe is similar to what you see with 155mm RAP rounds. From the side/front of the piece (say a Paladin) you cant see the rocket booster, but at night from behind you can clearly see it and trace the flight of the round for some distance.

Well, there you are. Hope what your looking for is somewhere in there!