# Terminal velocity of a bullet. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183 "2003-03-30T06:36:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183/1 "2003-03-30T06:36:15Z")
I was watching t.v and saw some british soldiers giving a rifle salute. Now, I assume they load the rifles with blanks as I doubt they’d be dumb enough to fire live rounds into the air, but it got me thinking. Whats the terminal velocity of a bullet shot into the air? Would it have enough force to penetrate an average houses roof? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183/2 "2003-03-30T06:41:57Z")
Most years in the Philippines people are killed on New Year’s Eve by guns fired into the air at celebrations. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183/3 "2003-03-30T06:46:03Z")
Yea, It’s sad. People don’t seem to understand the simple concept of gravity. Still, i’d like to know if a bullet is likely to penetrate the average roof. I figure if I’m ever in the phillipines i’d stay indoors until about 10 minutes after the new years. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183/4 "2003-03-30T06:47:24Z")
Sorry, a news report is [here](http://www.khaleejtimes.co.ae/ktarchive/020103/theworld.htm) down the page. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183/5 "2003-03-30T06:58:40Z")
[Cecil says](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a950414b.html): It has been scientifically shown that firing guns into the air for entertainment is not a good idea. Please stop right away. Also knock off with the holy wars and random violence. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![mod29](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/97f17d/32.png) [@mod29](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mod29)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terminal-velocity-of-a-bullet/165183/6 "2003-03-30T07:13:02Z")
A few years ago, I was on the roof of my house, tapping the loose staples in that held the cedar shakes to the roof. I was moving along the crown, when I noticed what looked like a nail head protruding from the shake. Upon closer examination, I saw that it was a bullet! It had clearly came straight down, and sank itself about half way into the shake. No doubt from someone shooting into the air (morons). At any rate, it didn’t have the energy to penetrate the shake. Hard to know what kind if damage it might have done to someone’s head! Hurt like hell, if nothing else. Not sure if a larger caliber would penetrate a roof. Based upon what I saw with the .22, I would think that even if it did, there wouldn’t be much energy left. Who knows. Jim