How stupid can people be?

[broncoII]

Isn't that what they make blanks for? I take my old smoke pole with just the wad in it, makes a big boooom and lots of smoke but thats it

 

[Geno]

Myth Busters

Myth Busters did an episode on this topic. It was interesting. Trajectory is the crucial variable for deadliness.

Doc2005

 

[Cousin Mike]

Objects fall at their terminal velocity, which is considerably less than muzzle velocity. For standard rifle or handgun bullets that's about enough to raise a welt.

Amen. A pistol or rifle round fired straight into the air comes down at a terminal velocity of about 300fps... That's about as fast as a paintball gun shoots. It wouldn't be pleasant, but it wouldn't even land you in the emergency room, let alone the morgue.

Trajectory is the crucial variable for deadliness.

This is also correct. If the bullet is fired straight upwards, there's virtually no danger of it killing/seriously hurting someone when it lands. However, if it's fired at an angle, it's possible that it could retain enough velocity to kill someone.

At least this is what I've heard/read over and over again... I don't watch Mythbusters, though...

My humble opinion? If you don't like people shooting guns in the air on New Years Eve, then move out of the U.S.A. - 'cause I've never been anywhere that I didn't hear shots on New Years... YMMV

 

[tellner]

The last I heard of it killing someone was, let's see, January 1st 2006. A man fired off a revolver and killed his grandson a few houses away.

 

[jkow]

just wondering...

So, if I wanted to hit a can on the ground by shooting straight up in the air, where should I put the can relative to my shooting position?....say the bullet is a 130 grain with a muzzle velocity of 3,200 feet per second and a ballistic coefficient of 0.4....assuming a calm day with no wind aloft.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Enough.

This topic has gone from mildly interesting to irritatingly silly.

CLOSED.