Celebratory Bullet Fired Into Sky Kills 7-Year-Old on Descent

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[xrmusn]

I am saying that there is only one fire arm
= = = = = = = =
I am asking “Why would you even want to shoot a fire arm in the air”?

Even a shotgun - If someone hears the blast and looks up.

Didn’t anyone ever ‘warn’ you not to point a BB gun at anyone ‘lest you put their eye out’.

My contention etc is— It is foolish to pull the trigger on ANYTHING unless your intention is to shorten their life.

[mylife]

Who’s pointing anything at any one?

[eartrumpet]

I am asking “Why would you even want to shoot a fire arm in the air”?

Even a shotgun - If someone hears the blast and looks up.

Dove hunting as a kid, we would hide in a long row of trees where they roost. We would be spaced 1-150 yards. With most every shot, the pellets would rain down around the other guys doing zero damage. We were far enough apart that a direct fire blast wouldn't reach each other, but still didn't shoot the low ones unless they were out in front. With bigger shot, you would need to spread out farther. I doubt even a 00 buck pellet would do damage falling from height. With direct fire from 100 yards, it would do damage.

[xrmusn]

am asking “Why would you even want to shoot a fire arm in the air”?
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Trust me, I am NOT trying to prolong this
BUT

We seem to have strayed from the original point and wasn’t Biden’s ‘thought’ to fire a warning shot first THEN you would have something to protect yourself with if needed. Obviously he wasn’t talking pellets...
THEN AGAIN, who knows what trite looms in Biden’s gourd?

[mylife]

Let me say this.
Guns are not toys or party poppers.

But other than noise ordinances I have little issue with some one setting a 7 1/2 shot load skyward.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

mythbusters I believe proved that if the bullet is straight up and down that the bullet probably can not kill, but almost any angle less than 90° can.

That makes absolutely no sense.

[Ransomed]

I think they said it will tumble down if it was shot straight up, but if it’s just a little off vertical it arcs point down and keeps at least some spin?

Who knows, I know there are all kinds of guns going off around here on holidays, I hope they are pointed at something safe.

Freegards

[editor-surveyor]

Don’t bullets that are shot into the air just stay there?

[editor-surveyor]

You know, you can buy fiber wad rounds that come down as fluff.

[editor-surveyor]

Wow am I getting old!

I’ve never seen a pack of firecrackers with a UPC code.

[Fightin Whitey]

mythbusters I believe proved that if the bullet is straight up and down that the bullet probably can not kill, but almost any angle less than 90° can.

Thanks for adding that. I have always wondered how shooting straight up could be lethal...on a vertical shot, once you reach the highest point of ascent what you are going to be left with is the terminal velocity of a bullet falling a few thousand feet, right?

While that might draw blood and hurt like hell it doesn't seem like it could be deadly. 'Less you were shooting a cannonball etc....

[GeronL]

Yes, it is likely impossible that a gun held in your hand could be shot perfectly straight up though

[eartrumpet]

I thought we were having a sane, rational discussion, then you brought Biden into it. Have a good night. /s

[Fightin Whitey]

I don’t think it would have to be precisely straight up.

A scientist or ballistics expert could tell me otherwise but it would seem that firing at 80 degrees would take a whole lot of speed off that lead before it started back down.

If you’re shooting at 60 degrees you’re begging for trouble.

[Vaquero]

Straight up the round reaches apogee and stops it falls straight down and can only go as fast as terminal velocity. At an angle it arcs and still maintains the velocity of the powder charge as it hits the ground.

[Vaquero]

See 71

[Vaquero]

150 gr 30 cal round will attain 290 fps from a dead drop from altitude It left the muzzle at around 2700fps(30-06) on the way up

[cynwoody]

That makes absolutely no sense.

It makes some sense if you understand the concepts of terminal velocity and bullet shape.

Terminal velocity is the rate of fall at which the air drag on the bullet balances the bullet's weight, thus setting a limit on how fast it will fall.

If you fire a bullet upwards, it rises nose first, in an attitude designed to minimize drag (no matter which way it is fired). As it rises, it slows down. When it reaches the apex of its trajectory, it curves around and begins to pick up speed as it returns to earth.

If you fire at an angle, even a fairly high angle, the bullet maintains its nose-first attitude throughout its journey. That minimizes air drag on both the upward and downward phases of its journey and maximizes the likelihood of damage should it strike a person.

On the other hand, if you manage to fire it straight up (90°), then it comes to rest at the apex, and then tumbles chaotically on the way down, significantly increasing drag and reducing terminal velocity, paradoxically lessening the probable injury to a person it might hit.

Thus, the conclusion that 90° is least dangerous.

Of course, your typical celebratory nitwit is not likely to be all that precise on those vertical angles, especially since he is the target, should he actually achieve 90°!

www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1199/can-a-bullet-fired-into-the-air-kill-someone-when-it-comes-down

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Completely wrong. Go back to HS physics.

Shot vertically, there is no horizontal component to velocity. The velocity vector is entirely on the Y axis. Assuming no air drag, the terminal velocity on the way down will be the same as the muzzle velocity on the way up.

Shot at the same muzzle velocity at 45 degrees above vertical, half of the velocity vector is upward and half is horizontal. Again, assuming no air drag, the downward velocity component will be the same as the upward velocity component.

We're splitting hairs here, however. If the bullet is shot 5, 10, or 20 degrees off vertical, there's no appreciable horizontal component to the muzzle velocity vector and the bullet is coming at the same velocity as it went up. Of course, in real life, there's a lot of air drag and, as another poster pointed out, the bullet will tumble as its angular momentum is spent.