Re: [Phys-l] Final velocity of bullets

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@csupomona.edu>]

On Jan 24, 2007, at 9:56 AM, David Willey wrote:

> according to Jim Carmichael, the firearms expert for the "Outdoor  
> Life"
> magazine ( a much respected gun authority) a bullet fired vertically
> upward from either a large caliber handgun (not a .22) or a typical  
> deer
> rifle (i.e. about 30 cal) will be traveling at about 200 mph when it
> returns to earth. Considering that we are talking about a chunk of  
> lead
> that weighs about a quarter of an ounce or so, that's not something  
> I'd
> care to be hit by anywhere; directly on the top of the skull sounds
> about as much fun as in the temple,

Been lurking 'til now, but you can count me as one who is skeptical  
of the claims of lethality.  Unless it is pretty long and thin and  
maintains streamlined, non-tumbling motion, I don't really see how 10  
grams of lead could achieve a terminal velocity much in excess of 100  
mph and I have a very hard time imagining that being lethal in all  
but the most unusual of circumstances.