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Public service announcement for New Year's Eve

hopnpop

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If you're like me and like to empty a magazine or two at midnight on New Year's Eve, just remember that what goes up must come down.This is a reminder that you areultimately responsible for your bullet(s), wherever they may fall. So if you fire into the sky, might I recommend using a shotgun and some type of shot load. Little pellets of shot are much safer when returning to earth and they also don't have the range that single bullets do. Just a note.
 
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Bikenut

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Unasked for advice for the OP.......

Please invest in a membership with an indoor (because it is cold outside) range with 24/7 access.

Then, while abstaining from intoxicating libations, be at that range at 12 midnight on New Years Eve and indulge your desire to "empty a magazine or two" straight into the backstop designed to catch those bullets.

After returning home feel free to break open a few of those libations.

As a side note not directed at anyone in particular:

What in the pluperfect hell is it with people bringing in the new year with gunfire? When I lived in Saginaw New Years Eve sounded like world war 10 with gunfire from all sides in all sorts of calibers....... including someone with a full auto. And I have no doubt the greater majority of those shots were into the air... and most of those doing the shooting were far from sober!

Ok.. Ok... I'll readily admit that folks shooting indiscriminately on New Years Eve is one, yes just one!, of my very pet peeves.
 

superdemon

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hopnpop wrote:
If you're like me and like to empty a magazine or two at midnight on New Year's Eve, just remember that what goes up must come down.This is a reminder that you areultimately responsible for your bullet(s), wherever they may fall. So if you fire into the sky, might I recommend using a shotgun and some type of shot load. Little pellets of shot are much safer when returning to earth and they also don't have the range that single bullets do. Just a note.
You know this whole thing is kind of an urban myth, right?

I mean, the whole being killed by a bullet shot into the air?

Right?
 

buster81

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superdemon wrote:
hopnpop wrote:
If you're like me and like to empty a magazine or two at midnight on New Year's Eve, just remember that what goes up must come down.This is a reminder that you areultimately responsible for your bullet(s), wherever they may fall. So if you fire into the sky, might I recommend using a shotgun and some type of shot load. Little pellets of shot are much safer when returning to earth and they also don't have the range that single bullets do. Just a note.
You know this whole thing is kind of an urban myth, right?

I mean, the whole being killed by a bullet shot into the air?

Right?
It all depends on the angle.

As to the OP, New Years Eve is amateur hour. Pretend it doesn't happen, stay homeand please do not fire your gun into the air. Someone may have toauthor a postulate about this.
 

hopnpop

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I don't know of any deaths resulting from "falling bullets" but Ihave heardreports of injuries caused from them. I think that was in the South Bend area.

And before anyone else points fingers my way, I am in a very rural area and I DO only shoot into a solid backstop. ...And not being a drinker, I do so sober. What brought this to mind was the recollection of some acquaintences from Chicago coming to their property in Michigan for New Years' and firing into the air from their patio.

I believe that the majority who frequent this site are responsible shooters and don't need to be reminded of the laws of physics. However, there will inevitably be those who are under the influence of whatever and planning on firing something. This is only a note to those who do a celebratory shoot, to possibly do so in a more responsible manner. Shooting in the middle of the night may not be a very responsible act, I agree, but can still be done safely.

I, too, don't know how shooting came to be equated with New Years' celebrating, but Irather enjoy it. I like hearing the sounds of various firearms being fired in a celebratory manner. I like adding my own to it. To each their own. If I were in an urban area I'm positive I wouldn't celebrate in the same manner. I'm neither promoting nor bashing, just hopefully giving someone something to think about.
 

ODA 226

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superdemon wrote:
hopnpop wrote:
If you're like me and like to empty a magazine or two at midnight on New Year's Eve, just remember that what goes up must come down.This is a reminder that you areultimately responsible for your bullet(s), wherever they may fall. So if you fire into the sky, might I recommend using a shotgun and some type of shot load. Little pellets of shot are much safer when returning to earth and they also don't have the range that single bullets do. Just a note.
You know this whole thing is kind of an urban myth, right?

I mean, the whole being killed by a bullet shot into the air?

Right?
No it's not! I have a friend of mine in Croatia that was celebrating New Years in the center of Zagreb, Croatia and took an AK round to the top of his head that partially paralized him and nearly killed him!

This is serious and should not be taken lightly!
 

hopnpop

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McX wrote:
we didn't participate in the midnight blam-blam, but heard plenty of it around here last night. maybe i should have. would have given me a chance to test out the hipoint .40. sigh, maybe next year.
Even after posting this thread, I didn't fire any off, either. I did, of course, step out to listen to it, tho. Surprisingly, I did hear a quick burst of auto-fire, maybe 7-10 rounds of it. Also heard what I can only imagine was a cannon! It didn't sound like any of my nearer "neighbors" were out banging away so I didn't want to be the one who woke up the surrounding mile. Happy New Year all, carry on.
 

bigdaddy1

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Mythbusters did a show about this a while back. If you can get your round to fire completely straight and true upward, it will loosemost of its energy on the way down. However it is nearly impossible to do this so there is an arch factor. The kinetic energy in the round in an arch is dangerous and can cause injuy.
 

aegri_mentis

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Listen folks...

A bullet fired straight up will go up, stall, then start to FALL to the Earth. The keyword there is FALL.

A bullet is no different from any other mass, and must comply with the laws of physics that apply to all other masses.

Fired straight into the air, the bullet will stall, then start to fall. It will reach the terminal velocity of that particular mass/configuration, and it can fall no faster than any other falling body. There is no additional force pushing or pulling the round DOWN.

Additionally, a round fired less than perpendicular to the Earth will go up, reach it's terminal altitude, then start to lose altitude, all while continuing on the velocity path it initially established, HOWEVER, it will be loosing velocity (read that as forward speed) the entire time.

You would have to fire the weapon at no more than about a 110 degree angle to hurt someone with the average pistol round if there were not in line of sight to the end of the rounds path.
 
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Bikenut

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aegri_mentis wrote:
Listen folks...

A bullet fired straight up will go up, stall, then start to FALL to the Earth. The keyword there is FALL.

A bullet is no different from any other mass, and must comply with the laws of physics that apply to all other masses.

Fired straight into the air, the bullet will stall, then start to fall. It will reach the terminal velocity of that particular mass/configuration, and it can fall no faster than any other falling body. There is no additional force pushing or pulling the round DOWN.

Additionally, a round fired less than perpendicular to the Earth will go up, reach it's terminal altitude, then start to lose altitude, all while continuing on the velocity path it initially established, HOWEVER, it will be loosing velocity (read that as forward speed) the entire time.

You would have to fire the weapon at no more than about a 110 degree angle to hurt someone with the average pistol round if there were not in line of sight to the end of the rounds path.
Interesting... what figures are you using to arrive at that angle of degree?

I just did a quick 'net search and just cannot find any numbers (angle/distance/degree of lethality) for any caliber or type of firearm.

Anyone had any better luck (or knew where to go... or has better google fu) than I?

I can offer a personal opinion backed up with no facts what so ever..........

I would not want to get hit with any bullet of any size even that bullet were right at the end of it's maximum range.... just because I'd rather not find out if it would hurt or not.

And it would really, really, really, annoy me to get hit by a bullet fired into the air by some drunk jerk on New Year's Eve!!!!
 

ODA 226

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Bikenut wrote:
aegri_mentis wrote:
Listen folks...

A bullet fired straight up will go up, stall, then start to FALL to the Earth. The keyword there is FALL.

A bullet is no different from any other mass, and must comply with the laws of physics that apply to all other masses.

Fired straight into the air, the bullet will stall, then start to fall. It will reach the terminal velocity of that particular mass/configuration, and it can fall no faster than any other falling body. There is no additional force pushing or pulling the round DOWN.

Additionally, a round fired less than perpendicular to the Earth will go up, reach it's terminal altitude, then start to lose altitude, all while continuing on the velocity path it initially established, HOWEVER, it will be loosing velocity (read that as forward speed) the entire time.

You would have to fire the weapon at no more than about a 110 degree angle to hurt someone with the average pistol round if there were not in line of sight to the end of the rounds path.
Interesting... what figures are you using to arrive at that angle of degree?

I just did a quick 'net search and just cannot find any numbers (angle/distance/degree of lethality) for any caliber or type of firearm.

Anyone had any better luck (or knew where to go... or has better google fu) than I?

I can offer a personal opinion backed up with no facts what so ever..........

I would not want to get hit with any bullet of any size even that bullet were right at the end of it's maximum range.... just because I'd rather not find out if it would hurt or not.

And it would really, really, really, annoy me to get hit by a bullet fired into the air by some drunk jerk on New Year's Eve!!!!
HOLY MOLY! BIKENUT AND I ACTUALLY AGREE ON SOMETHING! :p
 
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