does a bullet travel in a straight line

[Pete Denison]

does a bullet travel in a straight line

[ianess]

It's affected by the laws of gravity and physics, so it must hit the ground sometime.

[KebabMeister]

No.

When you zero your guns sights on a target it means that the bullet will fall on the target you've set your sights on.  The bullet during flight, and before the target, will be flying above the line of sight (line of sight being a straight line) so that it falls onto the target (bullet path would be like a shallow curve).  If the target was moved away the bullet would fall lower on the target.  If the target was moved nearer (without any sight adjustment) then the bullet would fall high on the target.

Does that make sense?  Sorry I can't explain it easier.

[sddsddean]

Just like any other projectile, it describes a parabola before hitting the ground (assuming nothing else gets in the way first!)

[wideboy]

Left to itself, the bullet will travel in a parabola because of gravity as was said. However, if the target is near enough and the speed is fast enough, surely there will be a straight line path? (ie. it is 'overcoming' gravity?)

[Clanad]

In addition to these answers, the projectile will be affected by the wind if it is a cross-wind.  The windage, that is the allowance for the wind caused drift, is a special talent of good marksmen (and women)... Keep in mind as well, to reinforce the parabolic flight concept, that a bullet dropped from the heighth of the gun's barrel at the same instant as one fired from the gun will strike the ground (assuming level) at the same time...