Buzz
It's probably not what you expect. In action films, police dramas, and even on the evening news, the term point blank is typically used to describe a gunshot from an extremely close range, but not quite at the point where the muzzle is in direct contact with the body (known as a contact shot).
However, among ballistics professionals and gun enthusiasts, the term has a different meaning.
Point blank refers to the distance at which a specific weapon and ammunition combination can be aimed at the target's vital area and hit it, without needing to adjust the weapon's elevation to compensate for gravity’s effect on the projectile's trajectory.
When a projectile weapon, whether it's a gun, bow and arrow, or cannon, is fired, gravity immediately starts to pull the projectile (such as a bullet, arrow, or cannonball) downward. Within point blank range, this drop is minimal and unnoticeable. However, if the shooter is farther from the target, the drop becomes significant and must be compensated for, typically by aiming higher. The exact point blank range varies depending on the weapon, the type of ammunition, and the target being aimed at.
The phrase’s origin is somewhat unclear, but two common theories emerge: One is that it was first used in France during the Late Middle Ages and comes from the French words point and blanc, which mean “white.” This referred to the distance at which a French archer could aim directly at the center of a white practice target and hit it without factoring in the arrow’s drop. The other theory suggests that the phrase originates not from archers but from cannoneers, referring to the position of the plumb-line on a gunner’s quadrant (a tool used for aiming) when the cannon was horizontal, marking the unadjusted zero position or “point blank.”
