What does effective range mean in reference to firearms?

Effective range refers to the distance at which a shooter can accurately hit a target with a firearm. This concept takes into account not only the mechanical capabilities of the weapon but also the skill of the shooter, environmental factors, and the type of ammunition used. Accuracy diminishes with increasing distance due to various elements such as bullet drop, wind drift, and other ballistic factors.

While maximum power, damaging distance, and projectile travel are relevant to understanding firearms, they do not specifically address the accuracy component that defines the effective range. The emphasis is on the ability to successfully strike a target rather than simply the range a bullet can travel or the potential damage a bullet could cause at various distances. Therefore, focusing on the accurate firing capability of the weapon is key to understanding effective range.