# Can a bullet injure you if it doesn't hit you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301 "2012-10-10T12:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/21 "2012-10-12T21:42:02Z")
Assuming a 600fps bullet, and a sufficiently distant shooter, it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility to move in reaction to a muzzle flash before the bullet arrives. My question is: what would be your odds of actually avoiding the bullet as opposed to moving into it? How accurate were those rifles at that distance while being fired at an actual human in the field? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/22 "2012-10-12T21:49:08Z")
I guess that’s a bit slow for a carbine. But even at 1200fps it doesn’t seem impossible. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/23 "2012-10-12T21:53:59Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Assuming a 600fps bullet, and a sufficiently distant shooter, it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility to move in reaction to a muzzle flash before the bullet arrives. > > My question is: what would be your odds of actually avoiding the bullet as opposed to moving into it? How accurate were those rifles at that distance while being fired at an actual human in the field? [Mythbusters](http://mythbustersresults.com/dodge-a-bullet) covered this one. Result: Busted. I saw the episode, they did a pretty good job of debunking it. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/24 "2012-10-12T22:12:24Z")
Right, there’s no mention of muzzle flash from the story. He claims to have _seen the bullet in flight, at night_ . How close would the bullet have to be for that to be possible? Then he somehow reacts in time to dodge it. Nope, i’m sticking with it was a clean miss and wishful thinking. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/25 "2012-10-12T22:24:48Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > If a supersonic bullet passes close to your ears, you might intensely dislike the experience and lose some hearing. > > I think there’s a shockwave not just when a bullet passes the sound barrier but through all of its supersonic trajectory. I don’t know if that small shockwave is enough to injure something other than ears. I have experienced this, so insignificant I don’t think I mentioned it to the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/26 "2012-10-12T23:00:57Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > What about a larger projectile? I’m thinking anything between the largest held firearms and a Schwerer Gustav shell. If terminology matters, the OP was about bullets. Is a 7.1 tonne shell still a bullet? How about a Rod from God? Well, [this railgun](http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/railgun-test-fire-video/) looks like it would be pretty nasty to have its projectile pass near you. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/27 "2012-10-13T00:26:07Z")
In Iraq US snipers would shoot at concrete walls targets were hiding behind. Spalling concrete on the side of the wall opposite the hit can kill you. I imagine other kinds of fragments would too. Shock wave alone? I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/28 "2012-10-13T00:28:41Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > He claims to have _seen the bullet in flight, at night_ . How close would the bullet have to be for that to be possible? Then he somehow reacts in time to dodge it. Tracer bullet, I assume. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/29 "2012-10-13T02:05:45Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I guess that’s a bit slow for a carbine. But even at 1200fps it doesn’t seem impossible. That bullet is moving faster than nerve conduction (about 200-300fps). ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/30 "2012-10-13T02:55:56Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > That bullet is moving faster than nerve conduction (about 200-300fps). So what? The distance from your brain to your belly is much shorter than 200 yards. The key seems to be the distance from which you can see a muzzle flash. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/31 "2012-10-13T04:53:18Z")
In the mythbusters test, they essentially made two corridors of crystal glasses and fired a .50 cal bullet between them. As I recall, nothing happened to the glasses until they put them close enough together that the bullets actually inadvertently touched them. That doesn’t address the question about heat or sound, of course, but the shockwave impact is apparently negligible in terms of damage. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/32 "2012-10-13T19:46:23Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > So what? The distance from your brain to your belly is much shorter than 200 yards. > > The key seems to be the distance from which you can see a muzzle flash. Our nervous systems and musculature just don’t work that fast, which is part of why guns are so effective. People don’t evade bullets. We are talking about a flight time of \<.5 seconds assuming 1900fps (muzzle velocity from my Glock19 tests at 1050-1100fps, a rifle round like an M-1 carbine is approximately 1900-2000fps) . For comparison, reaction times for road hazards in vehicles average about 1.5 seconds between perception, processing, and acting to mitigate the problem (not counting stopping time, just the time to act. By the time even an above average human being is able to make that kind of a judgement call, the bullet hit them as long as half a second before they acted. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/33 "2012-10-13T19:58:24Z")
You should read the Mythbusters summary. The time to move out of the bullet path was much less. The limiting factor was vision distance. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/34 "2012-10-13T20:32:23Z")
Is a powder tattoo an “injury”? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/35 "2012-10-13T21:09:25Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > You should read the Mythbusters summary. The time to move out of the bullet path was much less. The limiting factor was vision distance. and they failed to dodge paintballs that move around 80% slower than rifle rounds. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/36 "2012-10-15T02:15:07Z")
Thanks for your replies. Looks like it’s not likely. > [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Do I understand correctly your post to the effect that the bullet going through the barrel creates high pressure? > > It’s the other way around. The high pressure from the burning powder (which turns into expanding gas) propels the bullet through the barrel like a shaken up champagne bottle propels its cork. > > Perhaps the bullet travelling through the air creates significant pressure but that’s unlikely to have much effect on barrel design. That’s true, but if a bullet re-enters a barrel, it will compress the air ahead of it as the air can’t get out of the way fast enough. The question is then how long must the barrel be before a pressure high enough to cause injuries can form. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/37 "2012-10-15T03:47:07Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > That’s true, but if a bullet re-enters a barrel, it will compress the air ahead of it as the air can’t get out of the way fast enough. The question is then how long must the barrel be before a pressure high enough to cause injuries can form. That’s a bizarre statement. You’re shooting a bullet from one gun down the barrel of a second gun? Assuming they’re the same model gun (and therefore the same strength barrel), the pressure in the second barrel wouldn’t get anywhere near the pressure generated in the one it was shot from, no matter what its length is. The second barrel would be fine, other than being plugged. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/38 "2012-10-15T04:16:23Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Well, [this railgun](http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/29/railgun-test-fire-video/) looks like it would be pretty nasty to have its projectile pass near you. I’d say we go faster, not larger. This: > **[Relativistic Baseball](https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/)** Passing nearby you would certainly ruin your day. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/39 "2012-10-15T05:00:46Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > That’s a bizarre statement. You’re shooting a bullet from one gun down the barrel of a second gun? Assuming they’re the same model gun (and therefore the same strength barrel), the pressure in the second barrel wouldn’t get anywhere near the pressure generated in the one it was shot from, no matter what its length is. The second barrel would be fine, other than being plugged. I was talking about if you fired a bullet through a barrel-shaped hole in the body, the pressures would cause injury. The question is then how long does this hole have to be, if its length is the width of the finger, would that be enough? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2012, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301/40 "2012-10-15T12:32:10Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > I was talking about if you fired a bullet through a barrel-shaped hole in the body, the pressures would cause injury. The question is then how long does this hole have to be, if its length is the width of the finger, would that be enough? Tough to say for certain without testing, but I suppose it might be possible. [Tunnel boom](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_boom) is a concern for high-speed trains: whereas in open spaces the air tends to spread laterally to make room for a passing train, in tunnels it can’t readily move laterally like that; the air gets pushed ahead of the train, and can result in shock wave emanating from the exit end of the tunnel, even though the train itself is subsonic. The tunnel entrances and exits [(and the nose of the train)](http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/03/japans-long-nosed-bullet-train-1.html) have to be carefully designed to mitigate this phenomenon. There are claims that tunnel boom has caused damage to train tunnels. Presumably the same phenomenon could come into play for a supersonic bullet passing through a hole with a diameter not much larger than that bullet, whether or not the bullet is supersonic. [A published study on tunnel boom.](http://www.springerlink.com/content/q2066182g365qwx1/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-bullet-injure-you-if-it-doesnt-hit-you/637301.md?page=3)