4 ms·

The shot can travel a significant distance and still be deadly when they come back down to Earth.

omginternets 11y ago
It's no more dangerous than shooting at ducks. Besides, nobody is really supposed to be wandering around near a forest fire. If they happen to be there, I say "fair game" -- I'll even pay $10 for an ear.
simoncion 11y ago
Hunting birds in flight is a common activity. If you -as all projectile-weapon-wielding hunters should be- are aware of what is downrange, then shooting at things in flight with a shotgun is a relatively low risk activity. A few bits of stray shot travelling at terminal velocity are unlikely to do significant lasting harm to someone on the ground. (For comparison, try to find out how many folks have had fatal encounters with pellet or BB guns. The size and weight of an average BB is in the same ballpark as a single piece of shot.)
andyl 11y ago
I've been hit by falling shot dozens of times. Still alive. Eye injury is a risk. You need eye protection, in the form of goggles or ballistic glasses.
CamperBob2 11y ago
Gonna hafta call [Citation Needed] on anyone killed by ballistic birdshot.
- omginternets 11y ago
  Seriously. Dick Cheney blasted a colleague right in the face and the guy was able to apologize for getting shot the next day. (I wish I were making this up)
brobinson 11y ago
Instead of replying to everyone, I'll reply to myself: I was thinking of regular shot (20/12/10 gauge), not bird shot. I have a skeet shooting mentality. I imagine you all are correct and bird shot would not be carrying deadly velocity when it returns to ground level.
dogma1138 11y ago
no it won't you wouldn't even feel bird shot falling on you the energy it has from it's terminal velocity is really nothing. Anyone who's been to skeet, pigeon or water bird shoot can tell you that, you only really notice it when you hear it hit your hat / jacket it sounds like rain more than anything else. A bullet needs to be fairly heavy to actually kill you, even 72grn bullets are not heavy enough to do serious damage, they will hurt tho...

It's no more dangerous than shooting at ducks. Besides, nobody is really supposed to be wandering around near a forest fire. If they happen to be there, I say "fair game" -- I'll even pay $10 for an ear.

simoncion 11y ago

Hunting birds in flight is a common activity. If you -as all projectile-weapon-wielding hunters should be- are aware of what is downrange, then shooting at things in flight with a shotgun is a relatively low risk activity. A few bits of stray shot travelling at terminal velocity are unlikely to do significant lasting harm to someone on the ground. (For comparison, try to find out how many folks have had fatal encounters with pellet or BB guns. The size and weight of an average BB is in the same ballpark as a single piece of shot.)

andyl 11y ago

I've been hit by falling shot dozens of times. Still alive. Eye injury is a risk. You need eye protection, in the form of goggles or ballistic glasses.

CamperBob2 11y ago

Gonna hafta call [Citation Needed] on anyone killed by ballistic birdshot.

omginternets 11y ago
Seriously. Dick Cheney blasted a colleague right in the face and the guy was able to apologize for getting shot the next day. (I wish I were making this up)

brobinson 11y ago

Instead of replying to everyone, I'll reply to myself: I was thinking of regular shot (20/12/10 gauge), not bird shot. I have a skeet shooting mentality. I imagine you all are correct and bird shot would not be carrying deadly velocity when it returns to ground level.

dogma1138 11y ago

no it won't you wouldn't even feel bird shot falling on you the energy it has from it's terminal velocity is really nothing. Anyone who's been to skeet, pigeon or water bird shoot can tell you that, you only really notice it when you hear it hit your hat / jacket it sounds like rain more than anything else. A bullet needs to be fairly heavy to actually kill you, even 72grn bullets are not heavy enough to do serious damage, they will hurt tho...