What goes up, must come down
- Thread starter roofsc
- Start date
- Status
KevinB
Member
I found more than a couple of fired bullets just lying on the streets and sidewalks of downtown Memphis when I used to live there. All the ones I came across appeared to be of small caliber, 9mm, .38, .380 sized.
If you swage your bullets out of tin,replace the lead core of jhp's or ball bullets with epoxy, or cast them or machine them out of copper, zinc, or aluminum, you can do all sorts of neat things that can't be replicated with factory ammo.
General Hatcher was tasked to find out what happens when bullets fall straight down. He had belt fed pits set up in a lagoon, and tracers/ball fired up until the bullets fell on the firing pits. The 3006 ball just put dents in the boards covering the men, but the 750 gr .50 bmg bullets came thru, indicating that they were still lethal. Bullets fall base first.
General Hatcher was tasked to find out what happens when bullets fall straight down. He had belt fed pits set up in a lagoon, and tracers/ball fired up until the bullets fell on the firing pits. The 3006 ball just put dents in the boards covering the men, but the 750 gr .50 bmg bullets came thru, indicating that they were still lethal. Bullets fall base first.
Archie
Member
Even though the physics of the matter and the statistics (dumb luck) are such that the likelihood of serious injury is small, it is still a really stupid idea. I mean playing on the freeway stupid, except the injury will be to someone else.
GlowinPontiac
Member
The bullet I found was pretty small. FMJ round nose. Maybe a .380 or 9mm? I dont remember what I did with the bullet and it was a long time ago.
I would imagine if it was a 230gr .45 or a large rifle bullet it would have gone right through the tarp.
The tarp awning was also partially under some overhanging trees which probably slowed the bullet down. It may have even bounced off a branch and then landed on the tarp awning.
Falling bullets has always made me wonder how many civilians have died in wars due to antiaircraft gunfire. A .50cal or larger bullet coming back down is going to do damage no matter what.
Last edited:
I don't know if this applies, at all, when free falling as I have no idea hwo they orient themselves in that condition, but since shots are rarely straight up, maybe it does matter...but anyway...9x19 generally penetrates more than .45 ACP because it has higher sectional density.
In regards to AA bullets: I'd rather have a .50 cal bullet fall on my head than have the bomb it was meant for.
I still doubt a 230gr piece of lead would have punctured the tarp....
JohnBT
Member
" Obviously, bullets don't hit the ground at the same speed that they left the muzzle which I think some people believe."
Fired pretty much straight up, a bullet will fall BASE first.
For more on bullet behavior: How do bullets fly.
www.nennstiel-ruprecht.de/bullfly/#Contents
And from www.nennstiel-ruprecht.de/bullfly/faq.htm#Q13
"Q: If a bullet is fired vertically from a rifle, what will its terminal velocity be if it strikes the top of someones head on its way back down?
A: This question is hard to answer in general. The best I can give is a "worst-case" estimation.
When a gun is fired vertically, the bullet after some time reaches a summit where the velocity is zero, and then falls back. The bullet will fall back base first which is hard to calculate. I can estimate the velocity if it would fall nose first, that is the normal flying position for which drag is well known - so the real terminal velocity will actually be smaller than the following prediction.
For a .22 lr bullet (m=40 grain, v0 = 1150 ft/s)
the summit will be at 1164 ft, the total flight time 30 seconds and the terminal velocity 270 ft/s
For a SS109 military bullet (m= 55 grain, v0=3200 ft/s)
the summit will be at 2650 ft, the total flight time 44 seconds and the terminal velocity 404 ft/s.
For this bullet are indications that it will become unstable. This will further reduce summit height and terminal velocity considerably. "
Fired pretty much straight up, a bullet will fall BASE first.
For more on bullet behavior: How do bullets fly.
www.nennstiel-ruprecht.de/bullfly/#Contents
And from www.nennstiel-ruprecht.de/bullfly/faq.htm#Q13
"Q: If a bullet is fired vertically from a rifle, what will its terminal velocity be if it strikes the top of someones head on its way back down?
A: This question is hard to answer in general. The best I can give is a "worst-case" estimation.
When a gun is fired vertically, the bullet after some time reaches a summit where the velocity is zero, and then falls back. The bullet will fall back base first which is hard to calculate. I can estimate the velocity if it would fall nose first, that is the normal flying position for which drag is well known - so the real terminal velocity will actually be smaller than the following prediction.
For a .22 lr bullet (m=40 grain, v0 = 1150 ft/s)
the summit will be at 1164 ft, the total flight time 30 seconds and the terminal velocity 270 ft/s
For a SS109 military bullet (m= 55 grain, v0=3200 ft/s)
the summit will be at 2650 ft, the total flight time 44 seconds and the terminal velocity 404 ft/s.
For this bullet are indications that it will become unstable. This will further reduce summit height and terminal velocity considerably. "
Mike1234567
member
JohnBT... Evidently you have the math skills. What's the estimated terminal velocity of a 1.125 ounce 12ga Foster-type slug fired straight up with a muzzle velocity of 1400 FPS? Wouldn't this type of hollow-base projectile fall nose first?
GoWolfpack
Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2009
- Messages
- 522
A legislator in Virginia just introduced a bill to ban firing guns on July 4th and New Years in response to the death of a young man killed by a bullet fired in the air that came down through the roof of a church and struck him.
Local news story
Local news story
marv
Member
Don't see many Pennies like that anymore.
JRH6856
Member
They were last made in 1958. Kinda makes you wonder how old the picture is.
justice06rr
Member
I noticed none of those are deformed, even the hollow point on the bottom left.
The lesson from this, is to stay indoors lol
JRH6856
Member
Can't really tell from a photo of only one side. I've seen pix of a certain 6.5 Mannlicher-Carcano bullet that appears in better shape after supposedly going through a lot worse.
mljdeckard
Member
Weight absolutely makes a difference. You can fire 7 1/2 into the air and let it rain down over you, it won't hurt anything. Don't try the same thing with 00 buck.
JRH6856
Member
Ah! CE 399. The infamous "Magic Bullet."
chris in va
Member
Notice how the bullets hit base down. It's actually the shape of a raindrop too.
I was in a Gander Mountain a few years ago and an older gentleman came in asking if anyone knew what the object he found was. I let a few guesses fly then I ambled over with a ruler and it measured .5". Clearly a 50BMG. He said it hit the side of his truck out in the country.
I was in a Gander Mountain a few years ago and an older gentleman came in asking if anyone knew what the object he found was. I let a few guesses fly then I ambled over with a ruler and it measured .5". Clearly a 50BMG. He said it hit the side of his truck out in the country.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
