4 ms·
Let's take a common 9 mm round with muzzle velocity of 1,100 fps. When fired at 87 degrees, horizontal velocity component is 1,100 fps * cos 87 deg = 57 fps. I
by sobriquet9 4y ago
Let's take a common 9 mm round with muzzle velocity of 1,100 fps. When fired at 87 degrees, horizontal velocity component is 1,100 fps * cos 87 deg = 57 fps.
It will be much less than that on the way down due to air resistance throughout the flight, and negligible compared to terminal velocity (around 200 fps).
- Mathnerd314 4y agoPer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebratory_gunfire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebratory_gunfire, a bullet traveling at 200 feet per second can penetrate human skin. So even terminal velocity is significant and can injure or kill. The reason perfectly vertical bullets are less dangerous is that they tumble and this tumbling reduces the terminal velocity below dangerous levels. Presumably tumbling could also happen at lower angles due to wind or other factors, it just is less likely.
- sobriquet9 4y agoIt takes considerably more to kill someone than to break the skin. Maybe if you are laying on your back and the falling bullet hits the carotid artery, but this is a really contrived example.