Can A Bullet Falling From The Sky Kill You

[crashdive123]

I've seen arguments on both sides of the issue. Mythbusters even did an episode on it. A friend gave us a picture of the hood of their car today. Sadly, lots of idiots in this area fire weapons into the air on New Years Eve and 4th of July. I snapped a picture of the one they gave us. On the left is the top of their hood. On the right is the inside. The bullet is 7.62X39. I know that folks here are responsible with firearms, please make sure that those around you are as well.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[Justin Case]

wow,, scary pic ! I think MB came to the conclusion that a bullet fired straight up and then falling back would not be fatal, BUT, if the bullet is shot at an angle then YES it could be as it would not lose all of its forward energy,, at least that how i remember that one

[Rick]

I think it has to do with terminal velocity, which is around 135 mph (if I remember correctly).

There is a documented case of a soldier in WWII that stopped to watch an aerial dog fight overhead. As luck would have it, a round from one of the aircraft hit him in the shoulder, for which he received the purple heart. Crazy stuff.

[your_comforting_company]

That is very scary.

A couple of jobs ago, I found a .22 on the roof and you could see the spot where it hit. It didn't damage the roof enough to make a leak, but if it would have been a child's skull it landed on, it could have been fatal.

Never EVER fire a gun into the air. That is very irresponsible.

I'm saving these pictures on my computer so I can show others around here.

[crimescene450]

I think it has to do with terminal velocity, which is around 135 mph (if I remember correctly).

Terminal velocity only applies when the bullet is fired directly up. If the bullet is fired even slightly at an angle, it will create an arch and still have alot of its original velocity.

[2dumb2kwit]

Too many variables, to answer that question. At the very least, it will do some damage! LOL

Even if it is shot straight up, and comes down at 135 mph, it could still kill you.....say, if it was a bullet from a 16 inch gun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJdin...eature=related

[your_comforting_company]

newton, ballistics, aerodynamics..
I love this forum!

[SARKY]

Also how big is the bullet? mass is another factor

[2dumb2kwit]

Also how big is the bullet? mass is another factor

That's kinda what I meant.

[2dumb2kwit]

Also how big is the bullet? mass is another factor

Yeah! E=M...C.....wait...pie are round.....no, no, that's not it...um...oh never mind!

[Rick]

Terminal velocity is falling straight down. It's the fastest speed an object can attain in the atmosphere and the point as which drag equals weight. Also known as Newton's first law of motion.

[your_comforting_company]

A feather falls straight down much more slowly than a marble or bb of equal mass. aerodynamics are meant to defeat terminal velocity and the shape of the bullet itself would increase it's terminal velocity.

Just like juggling, once the bullet reached it's highest point, it would stop moving for an instant, and would only be falling because gravity pulls it back to the earth. All of it's muzzle velocity has been expended at this point, even if fired in a steep arc (It will continue forward in the arc until the pull of gravity overcomes the force of direction, Newton's third law). It will fall at a rate of 9.8 meters per second, per second, meaning speed increases until it reaches terminal velocity. That drag depending largely on the object falling.

A bullet fired horizontally has the same behavior. It travels in an arc affected by gravity.

[JPGreco]

wow,, scary pic ! I think MB came to the conclusion that a bullet fired straight up and then falling back would not be fatal, BUT, if the bullet is shot at an angle then YES it could be as it would not lose all of its forward energy,, at least that how i remember that one

close, but not quite correct.

A bullet fired straight up loses its spin when it reaches its apex and falls to the ground however it wants.

A bullet fired at an angle maintains the spin, which allows the bullet to fall faster because it comes down nose first with less wind resistance.

However, its near impossible to fire a bullet perfectly straight up, so assume any round fired up is coming back down with lethal momentum.

[hunter63]

One also must take into account the McGuggal wiggle.
( I missed a duck because of this)
The earths tectonic plates shifting around, along with the earths rotation would make it impossible to fire a bullet straight up, and have it come straight down, as the spot has moved.
Actually, it's wonder we can even stand upright at all?

[Justin Case]

A feather falls straight down much more slowly than a marble or bb of equal mass. aerodynamics are meant to defeat terminal velocity and the shape of the bullet itself would increase it's terminal velocity.

Just like juggling, once the bullet reached it's highest point, it would stop moving for an instant, and would only be falling because gravity pulls it back to the earth. All of it's muzzle velocity has been expended at this point, even if fired in a steep arc (It will continue forward in the arc until the pull of gravity overcomes the force of direction, Newton's third law). It will fall at a rate of 9.8 meters per second, per second, meaning speed increases until it reaches terminal velocity. That drag depending largely on the object falling.

A bullet fired horizontally has the same behavior. It travels in an arc affected by gravity.

Dang YCC,, You could be a Mythbuster !

[hunter63]

Firing guns in the air is a waste of ammo anyway.
Firing at anything that you are not intending to hit is just a stupid no-no, big time.

[LFM]

Its happened in Atlanta two years in a row on New Years.

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/fam...an-793953.html

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

Its happened in Atlanta two years in a row on New Years.

http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/fam...an-793953.html

Looks like "Terminal Velocity" in this case was in fact Terminal. The bullet penetrated roof, ceiling, and man. Who cares what MythBusters or anyone says about physics when presented with this kind of story. Bullets shot into the air...man dies. 'Nuff said.

[Justin Case]

Looks like "Terminal Velocity" in this case was in fact Terminal. The bullet penetrated roof, ceiling, and man. Who cares what MythBusters or anyone says about physics when presented with this kind of story. Bullets shot into the air...man dies. 'Nuff said.

Maybe the bullet that came through the window killed him,,, but i doubt a bullet "falling" from the sky can get through shingles, 1/2 inch plywood, insulation and drywall at all,, much less with the energy left to kill someone,,,, just my opinion of course......

[Pocomoonskyeyes3]

Maybe the bullet that came through the window killed him,,, but i doubt a bullet "falling" from the sky can get through shingles, 1/2 inch plywood, insulation and drywall at all,, much less with the energy left to kill someone,,,, just my opinion of course......

from the news report.........

Marlen Martinez, 24, points toward the hole in the ceiling where a stray bullet from celebratory gunfire on New Year's Eve entered her family's home in Norcross. Her uncle, Sergio Martinez, was struck in the head and killed.

OK so maybe I am making an assumption that the bullet hole she is pointing to is the hole that was caused by the lethal bullet.