One for the clever dicks .

[Harnser]

Could be wrong, but 125mph is 183 fps, which, with a 150 gn. bullet would give 11.16 ft.lbs. of energy. A bit like being shot at point blank with a 12 ft.lb. air rifle. Not pleasant !!

Andy

 

I understand what you are saying . But wouldnt a .177 or .22 air rifle pellet be more penerative at 12 ft lbs of energy than a .308 bullet at 12 ft lbs of energy . There for the air gun pellets would be more dangerous to be hit with than a falling 30 cal bullet .

 

Harnser .

[casts_by_fly]

harnser,

 

Other way around. The heavier bullet with the same energy will penetrate further than a lighter bullet of the same energy. See my post in the 17 HMR thread below for the full explanation. Long story short, for the same energy a heavier bullet will penetrate further. Penetration is determined by momentum, and the more the momentum is derived from weight the more it will penetrate.

 

And, the termial velocity of bullets will be a bit higher than 125 mph.

 

Thanks

Rick

Edited April 3, 2009 by casts_by_fly

[TheHunter]

On the Mythbusters final revisit to this myth it was agreed that if the bullet remained on a ballistic trajectory (arc) e.g. nose first and spinning. It would return to earth with enough energy to kill. If the bullet tumbled back to earth there wasn’t.

Makes sense to me in the same way a ricochet (tumbling and non aerodynamic) slows very quickly.

[apbuild]

Once the bullet reached max height it wouuld have to start to fall from 0ft/s speed.

 

Given the bullet weight and the pull of the earths gravity, the bullets terminal velocity would not be sufficient to kill you.

 

It would certainly hurt like hell though.

 

Same as the argument about the penny dropped from the Empire State Building.