22. lr velocity

dearchaser

A question for you physic's majors. I'm a squirrel hunter who uses a .22 cal rifle (40 grain hp bullet). I shoot at squirrels only on the ground, believing it too dangerous to shoot up into the tree in case of a miss (not that I've ever missed!!). Am I correct? What would be the velocity of a .22 bullet returning to earth after being fired straight up or nearly straight? Would air friction be sufficient to render it non-dangerous? I suspect there is more to it than just figuring 32 feet per second per second. Thanks.

Ampersand

I have heard people argue about this for a long time. I think that if the angle of the bullet is low enough so that it is making an arc even a 22 could be dangerous when it returns to the ground. But if it is fired at a steep enough angle so that the bullet is falling instead of traveling on a trajectory then it probably is not a real danger. But then, I could be wrong. I don't think that I want to get hit by it either way.

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gregb

Every object should fall at the same terminal velocity or speed. Only thing that changes is the impact due to weight or aerodynamics. A .22 bullet is minimal in weight and should not cause much harm when falling. As stated above the lower the shot angle the the more enertia is still behind the bullet as it is dropping, therefore is more dangerous, because it is traveling much faster. I would be much more concerned if shoting a hi-power rifle load.

shotgunred

i am sorry but i use a .22 to hunt squirrel and i have always been taught never to shoot at a squirrel on the ground due to richocet now if you was going to use a shotgun then i guess it would be ok to shoot on the ground but i never shoot at a squirrel on the ground with a .22 just my 2 cents worth (shotgunred) [:D][:D][:D]

leeblackman

A 40gr soft lead opject travelling at 120 miles per hour. Don't know. But I do know that #8 bird shot won't hurt anything. Seems like every time I go dove hunting it starts raining, however, nothings getting wet. I then realize its shot comming down, hahaha. Large hunting groups forming a killing box. You get alot of dove, but you have to wait till everyones done shooting before you wanna pick anything up.

headzilla97

Definatley been rained on. It good when your killing starlings for the local farmers and you and your friends let off a volly and ya hear the ting ting of bb's on tin roofs

j1r11

The bullet will reach terminal velocity half way back down which is 86 mph/ give or take 1mph. So you decide if you want to get hit in the head with 40 grains of lead traveling that fast. Will it be fatal? Probably not a chance, just use your judgement. If you that concearned try a load by agullia, its called the colbri it's only 375fps not 1000 or so like your shooting now.
Hope this helps, e-mail me back if you have another question.

Old hickory

deerchaser, your concern for safety is admirable but I doubt if you have much to worry about hurting someone. I've never heard of an accident happening and the way the media has been for the last 35 years I'm sure we would not hear the end of it. Now in Chicago, where it is considered cool to unload your 9m/m into the air on New Year's Eve, there have been at least 2 fatalities but it was undetermined where the shots came from so they might have been leveled from 2 blocks away. You sound like a very responsible person who would put some thought into popping a .22 so I'm saying you have nada to worry about. If I couldn't shoot into a tree for squirrels I'd give it up OR use a shotgun with a light load.

270 Deer Slayer

Wouldint bb's from a shotgun shell ricochet more than a .22 shell??? because they are round.

"If it's brown, it's down"

Python

dearchaser;
Here we go. All falling objest, NO power or Thrust,
will reach terminal volocity. This is the speed at which gravitational force and friction from moving through the air, equalize, 157.255 mph. The mathmatical equation is relatively simple.
The grvitational accelaration of the falling object is 5.41 feet per sec/per sec, the accelaration is arrested when air pressure below the object reaches a displacement of 5.413 inches of water across the surface of the object. This is constant regardless of the wieght of the object. However, this does not nessesarily to living creatures, as they have the ability to change their areodynamics and dynamic drag coefient. This criteria applies however to all inaniment falling objects. Therefore, given the small mass of a .22 cal. bullet, falling at terminal volocity it would not be fatal, however it would give a person a nice goose egg if it hit them on the head. This becomes a mute point if one adheres to the first rule of target acquicition, Know your target and what is beyond it.

dearchaser

Thank you all for responding to my question. Dearchaser