# Falling Bullets **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 25, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109 "2006-09-25T19:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![orangephrogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f9ae1b/32.png) [@orangephrogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orangephrogg)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/1 "2006-09-25T19:01:15Z")
In reference to: [Falling Bullets](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a950414b.html) So. . .I was browsing through some of the classic columns and it surprised me to see that Cecil neglected to address some key points about how lethal falling bullets can be. It’s been my understanding that if a bullet is indeed fired perpendicular to the pull of gravity that it will go straight up (not figuring in wind here. . .) and come straight back down reaching terminal velocity due to wind resistance. However, what was not covered in the column was that the VAST majority of bullets fired into the air do not meet these narrow criteria. In most cases they’re fired slightly off angle and are able to maintain a ballistic trajectory. Now, I’m no physicist, but I thought that generally if an object in motion were to follow a ballistic trajectory that the object is able to maintain quite a bit of it’s speed on the return trip despite wind resistance. I always understood that it was this factor that accounted for the majority of “falling bullet” deaths. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/2 "2006-09-25T21:42:38Z")
I can’t see any reason that a bullet fired at a fairly high angle would have a significantly higher speed than a bullet fired vertically. Is that what you’re saying? ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/3 "2006-09-25T21:52:49Z")
MythBusters addressed this one, and confirmed what you are saying: a bullet fired directly up will go very high, but when it starts to fall it will “wobble” due to wind resistance, and reach a top speed that might cause a concussion but is probably not lethal. Bullets fired at angles between the horizontal and vertical, however, will follow a ballistic trajectory–due to their aerodynamic shape, they avoid the “wobble” that a bullet fired directly up (and that therefore begins to fall with its un-aerodynamic end down) experiences, and can hit the ground at lethal velocity. I think that on the actual MythBusters segment they were not able to make a bullet hit the ground at a lethal velocity, but didn’t deny that under ideal circumstances it could happen–because there are documented cases of it happening. ---
**Author:** ![orangephrogg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f9ae1b/32.png) [@orangephrogg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orangephrogg)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/4 "2006-09-26T02:14:18Z")
exactly-that’s what I meant- ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/5 "2006-09-26T03:10:49Z")
from cecil’s column: [QUOTE=Cecil] Note that we’re talking about bullets shot straight up here. If the bullet is fired more or less horizontally, it may not lose much speed before returning to earth and could easily kill someone. [/QUOTE] but that guy talks too much anyway ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/6 "2006-09-28T07:26:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua] I think that on the actual MythBusters segment they were not able to make a bullet hit the ground at a lethal velocity, but didn’t deny that under ideal circumstances it could happen–because there are documented cases of it happening. [/QUOTE] Wait, you mean _Mythbusters_ **didn’t** label something impossible just because they weren’t able to do it on the show themselves? Was this Adam and Jamie, or did they have gust hosts for that episode, because that really doesn’t sound like them. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/7 "2006-10-01T22:11:45Z")
[QUOTE=Alan Smithee] …Was this Adam and Jamie, or did they have **gust** hosts for that episode, because that really doesn’t sound like them. [/QUOTE] (bolding mine) Sometimes, the typo is more appropriate than the intended word. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mattwhittall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@mattwhittall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattwhittall)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets/374109/8 "2006-10-01T22:12:21Z")
they can rate it busted, confirmed, or plausible. and if they didnt take things to extremes it would make for some boring television, you can always count on something getting blown up in every episode. then american chopper comes on, which incidently, is the leading cause for domestic violence. boredom that is, i read it on reuters.