Comments on: Episode 50: Bullets Fired Up

By: M40

M40 — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:36:41 +0000

You’re looking at velocity in terms of feet per SECOND, and at the spin in terms of revolutions per MINUTE. For true side by side comparison, figure the revolutions at about 2,800 RPS.

While the bullet may have high speed and high spin initially, it begins losing both very quickly as soon as it leaves the barrel. Fired straight up (or nearly so), both the velocity AND spin decrease until the bullet destabilizes and any remaining spin is transferred into an uncontrolled tumble which renders the bullet’s ballistic coefficient null.

By the time the bullet returns to the ground, it’s basically a ‘knuckle-ball’ and has no appreciable spin.

This same thing happens in traditional (near horizontal) ballistic trajectories. For pretty much any caliber, you have a maximum accurate range, after which destabilization (loss of spin) comes into play and the bullet will no longer maintain an accurate trajectory.

By: sylvia

sylvia — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:36:07 +0000

okay I notice that ppl keep posting that the “Mythbusters” conclusion is wrong, BUT i think if you look at the conclusion and notice there are 3 possible answers meaning with some weapons the myth is busted with some under certain circumstances its possible BUT not under every circumstance. under certain conditions the myth is confirmed. hence the three solutions given of busted, plausible, and confirmed. so what exactly is the arguement over the answer given? they mever said it wasnt a possibility…

By: Stan

Stan — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:07:32 +0000

This just happened again last week. Maybe time to update to simply confirmed.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ohio-freak-death-man-fires-gun-air-bullet-travels-a-mile-kills-15-year-old-amish-girl-article-1.994626

By: kenny

kenny — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:40:41 +0000

If you want to upgrade cheap vodka you need to distill it again, not filter it. This will remove some of the unwanted impurities. The high end vodkas are distilled 3 or 4 times, then diluted with pure water when they are manufactured cost like $3000 tho

By: home brewer

home brewer — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:04:23 +0000

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:45:21 +0000

I dont agree about the posion oak, in fact i think it would have been a more accurate experiment if they would have just beaten a lion to death. This way they could be sure that Zeus would not release the Kraken

By: Blackbelt10

Blackbelt10 — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:28:39 +0000

I agree. In fact, Michele’s is the only way to answer this question scientifically. A modified version of this study would be to do the experiment at a body farm, where human bodies are laid out for study. Fire bullets into the air until some hit bodies, then measure the tissue penetration. Short of a body farm, cover a very large field with a thick material known to approximate the density, permeability, surface tension, contractility, etc. of human tissue. Fire bullets in the air and measure their tissue penetration on falling.

By: Blackbelt10

Blackbelt10 — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:15:32 +0000

In the article you list, there’s no indication that the bullet was fired in the air. In fact, military snipers hit small targets from 1000 yds or more, but they don’t fire in the air, they aim.

By: ZEB

ZEB — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:38:45 +0000

terminal velocity deals with “free falling objects. Bullets only have t.v. if dropped from an altitude. Fired missiles carry kinetic energy and acceleration, thrust etc. Thus,gravity is not the main issue. Same reason a meteor can “fall” from the sky at thousands of miles an hour.

By: ZEB

ZEB — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:34:23 +0000

In Guam, folks love to take out their handguns and fire away at midnight New Year’s Eve. Children have been hurt by the falling projectiles.