Bullet cartridges are designed to be (relatively) safe until the moment when you fire them. When you pull the trigger of a gun, a spring mechanism hammers a metal firing pin into the back end of the cartridge, igniting the small explosive charge in the primer.

As the propellant chemicals burn, they generate lots of gas very quickly. The sudden, high pressure of the gas splits the bullet from the end of the cartridge, forcing it down the gun barrel at extremely high speed (300 m/s or 1000 ft/s is typical in a handgun).

the rest of the cartridge stays where it is. It has to be ejected after firing (sometimes manually, sometimes automatically) to make way for the next cartridge—and the next shot.

Photo: Launch of a Peacekeeper missile. The backbone of the US nuclear deterrent from 1986 to 2005, the Peacekeeper was effectively a four-stage rocket, had a top speed of 24,000 kph (15,000 mph), and a range of almost 10,000 km (6000 miles).

The propellant chemicals in a handgun cartridge are not designed to explode suddenly, all at once: that would blow the whole gun open and very likely kill the person firing it. Instead, they are supposed to start burning relatively slowly, through a process called deflagration, so the cartridge moves off smoothly down the gun.

As the cartridge emerges, the whole gun recoils (leaps backward) because of a basic law of physics called “action and reaction” (or Newton’s third law of motion). When the gas from the explosion shoots the bullet forwards with force, the whole gun jolts backwards with an equal force in the opposite direction.

As the bullet flies out of the gun, the pressure of the explosion is suddenly released. That’s what makes a gun go BANG.

Some bullets also make noise because they go so quickly. The fastest bullets travel at around 3000 km/h (over 1800 mph) —about three times the speed of sound.

Photo: Unlike a conventional weapon, this recoilless weapon doesn’t jerk back when fired. It’s open at the back so the explosive blast escapes from the rear of the gun, eliminating the usual recoil.

The gunner barely moves at all. Photo By Christopher Johnson, courtesy of US Army.

A spinning bullet is like a gyroscope: a sort of “stubborn” spinning wheel that always tries to keep turning the same way. If you try to tilt a gyroscope while it’s spinning, it will try to resist whatever force you apply and, if you let go, it will soon tilt back the other way.

We call this idea gyroscopic inertia or stability. A bullet behaves in exactly the same way: once it’s spinning, it follows a straighter path as it goes through the air, so it’s harder to deflect and much more likely to reach its target.

Photo: Do bullets really travel in straight lines. A bullet firing from a handgun looks almost like a rocket launch—and works in very much the same way.

Larry E. Reid Jr.

We think of bullets flying in perfectly straight lines—but nothing could be further from the truth. Several different forces act on a bullet as it goes through the air.

Over longer distances, they follow a slight downward curve because gravity tugs them toward the ground as they go along. Air resistance and the spinning, gyroscopic motion of a bullet complicate things too.

When all these factors—the bullet’s motion, gravity, air resistance, recoil, and spinning—add together, they make a bullet follow a very complicated corkscrew path as it flies through the air.

Photo: Close-up of a bullet hole in the fuselage of a US Air Force plane, fired on while delivering relief supplies in Somalia. Picture by TSgt.

A moving object has momentum, which is the product of its mass and its velocity. The faster something moves and the heavier it is, the more momentum it has.

Even though bullets are tiny, they have lots of momentum because they go so fast. And because they go fast, they also have huge amounts of kinetic energy, which they get from the chemical energy of the burning propellant.

Bullets do damage when they transfer their energy to the things they hit. The faster something loses its momentum, the more force it produces.

Imagine being hit by a truck—and you’ll have some idea why bullets do so much damage.

Photo: Now that’s what I call kinetic energy. This is what happens when you fire a 7g (0.25 oz) projectile at a velocity of 25,000 km/h (16,000 mph) into a cast aluminum block.

Even if something is that tiny, if it’s traveling at very high speed it will have enough kinetic energy to do a lot of damage. Photo by R.D.

It’s easy to conclude from this that a bullet needs to have as much energy as possible to do the maximum amount of damage but, unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. A rifle bullet has many times the velocity and kinetic energy of a handgun bullet, so much so that it will typically enter one side of a target, whiz straight through, and fly out the other side.

So what we really want from a bullet is that it deposits as much energy as possible inside the target, either stopping entirely without exiting or leaving with the minimum possible velocity. There are various ways to achieve this.

A bullet that expands has a bigger cross-sectional area, so it creates a bigger hole (or wound) in the target. It takes more energy to make a bigger hole in something: we need to use more force over the same distance, so we say the the bullet “does more work” and uses more energy in the process.

that’s why deforming bullets are called hollow-point or mushrooming bullets (Dum-Dum bullets is another common name for them, taken from the place in India where they were invented in the late 19th century). International law has restricted the use of expanding bullets like this in wartime since 1899, but some police forces do still use them.

Soft-point bullets work in a similar way, only using a soft lead tip instead of a hollow point, but expand more slowly and typically penetrate deeper.

With small bullets and relatively modest muzzle velocities, handguns are the least energetic weapons. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a Browning Machine Gun (BMG).50 cartridge weighing about 50g (1.7oz) and traveling at about 900m/s (2000mph) carries almost 20,000 joules of energy—about 50–100 times more than a small handgun bullet.

Christopher DiGiacomo and James F. Reilly in The Trauma Manual by Andrew B.

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2002.

Aside from the perplexing question of why such a reckless, potentially lethal practice remains so popular, you may also be wondering, what actually happens to a bullet that’s fired straight up into the sky. How high does it go.

And when it descends, when and where does it land.

Ballistics researchers have spent a lot of time studying the performance of bullets fired horizontally because that’s useful information for improving the accuracy and range of shooters. But when it comes to firing straight up in the air, which isn’t something that soldiers, police officers, hunters or target shooters normally would do, there’s not nearly as much data.

Army Maj. Gen.

As he noted in his 1947 volume “Hatcher’s Notebook,” he calculated that a standard.30 caliber bullet fired from a rifle pointed straight up would rise to an altitude of 9,000 feet (2,743.2 meters) in 18 seconds, and then would return to Earth in another 31 seconds, and during the last few thousand feet would attain a “nearly constant” speed of 300 feet (91.4 meters) per second.

A handgun, which has a shorter barrel than a rifle and fires ammunition with a smaller cartridge that doesn’t contain as much powder, isn’t going to send a bullet soaring as high as a rifle will. Different types of rifles and ammunition vary as well.

“It doesn’t have that much powder, and that bullet doesn’t go fast. Rifles like the.30-06 have a much larger cartridge, which will go faster because there is more powder to burn.”.

“If you choose to shoot it up, it will slow down faster because of gravity, not a whole lot.”. For altitude estimates, Walker pointed to this chart on the website of Close Focus Research, a ballistics testing company, which shows that a.25 caliber ACP handgun bullet might reach a maximum height of 2,287 feet (697 meters), while a.30-06 rifle bullet would rise to 10,105 feet (3,080 meters).

Each different firearm and bullet will have a different range, with tons of other variables including weather, windspeed, the trajectory, and so on. For the sake of consistency, we’re going to assume that you are aiming for max distance with whatever gun and bullet you choose, and that you’ve chosen a fairly standard shooting apparatus.

The NRA says that for a 9 mm handgun, the most popular handgun according to Guns.com, a bullet will travel up to 2,130 yards, or about 1.2 miles. For a Colt.45, the next most popular handgun, you’re looking at about 1,850 yards, which is just about 1 mile.

Of course, handguns aren’t long-distance firearms. Rifles are built to be more accurate from greater distances.

Bear in mind, those of you with dreams of long-distance hunting, that maximum range is far from effective range, so the odds of hitting a target at that distance are slim.

A Canadian special forces sniper made the shot in Iraq in 2017, killing an Islamic State militant. So there you have it.

Please remember that guns should be handled with extreme care and proper training, and that gun ownership and use should be taken very seriously.

How far can a bullet travel. How you answer that question depends on the bullet in question.

Some bullets, such as a 9 mm may travel up to three miles. Shot travels a shorter distance between 200 and 600 yards.

There are so many types of bullets, and the shape of the bullet is a major factor in how effective the bullet is and how far, fast, and hard it travels. Bullet shape ranges from round muzzleloader balls to conical rounds of modern weapons to the shot fired from a shotgun.

If the humidity is high, there is more drag on the bullet. If the wind is blowing towards you or you fire into a crosswind, bullet performance is impacted.

Bullet design and weight or grain – Heavier bullets vs. lightweight bullets.

Options include round-nosed, pointed, hollow point, modified hollow point, flat-nosed and other options. The shape of the bullet – tapered, boattail, etc.

These refer to the ballistic coefficient – the ability of a bullet to overcome air resistance. Round compilation – total grain, type of powder, casing length, etc.

Even the type of rounds – rimfire bullet vs. centerfire bullet can impact bullet performance and how far a bullet can travel.

One of the most important factors that impacts how well or how far a bullet travels is “shooter technique”. We talk about this a lot.

If you are a shooter with excellent shooting techniques, then you eliminate many of the shooter-related issues that drop bullet performance. As we said, there is a lot that goes into how a bullet performs.

How you choose your rounds and bullets are critical to how well the bullet matches your needs.

Effective range or maximum effective range is the farthest distance that you expect to hit your target with a bullet. While some bullets may travel upwards of two miles, can you expect to pick off a six-point buck from two miles away.

Even if you managed to hit the buck two miles away, how much damage would the bullet do. It is probably not traveling very fast and has lost most of its energy.

When we think about the effective maximum range, we must also consider the effect the bullet will or can have at that range. Whether you are talking about a close quarter, self-defense situation where a longer barrel length is not possible or a hunting opportunity where the game animals are distant, or a qualifying shot at a competition the outcome of the shot matters.

As you begin to understand the environment where you will shoot and the natural forces – wind, humidity, rain, etc., – you may experience you can begin to reach for ammo that helps to counter those forces, and doing so begins to improve the maximum range and the effective range of each shot.

Its effective range varies based on barrel length, but you can expect a spread of 7-10 yards for its effective range.5.56/.223 -.85 miles – not quite a full mile – The effective range is 400-500 yards or 1,500 feet. 308 – around 3.5 miles maybe longer under more favorable conditions.

A.22 caliber bullet can travel 1.13 miles or about 2,000 yards. It has an effective range, though, of only 300 yards.

The weather has a big impact on a.22 bullet. The size of the bullet makes it light, and lighter objects are more greatly impacted by wind.

What you fire the bullet from is another issue. A.22 rifle will have a greater effective range than a.22 pistol.

An important lesson here though is shooting safety. A.22 bullet can travel 1.3 miles under ideal conditions.

Even with a lower muzzle velocity a missed shot can be dangerous. Celebratory gunfire is an example of a shooting activity that can have unexpected consequences.

Berry’s Manufacturing has been an honest producer of quality bullets since 1961. As a family-owned business, Berry’s remains small enough to keep honesty and exacting standards at the core of every bullet they manufacture.

In addition, Berry’s remains committed to home manufacturing so that access to rounds is never dependent upon supply chains and logistics. Berry’s stocks a wide range of products that are designed to fit into the lifestyle of anyone who wants to load their own rounds.

With the wide array of components available at Berry’s, you can create the type of rounds that meet your shooting needs. From the bullet that flies the farthest to the bullet that has a flat trajectory and amazing impact, there is a perfect round for your needs.

It is the knowledge of shooting and bullet design that allows Berry’s to manufacture bullets that meet the exacting specification of world organizations and the demands of people who love shooting. Knowledge is a differentiator, and it means quality parts and components for those who like to build their own ammo.

That knowledge not only extends to the products that Berry’s manufactures, but also to each of the products that we stock on our shelves. Every day, the professionals at we are faced with questions about bullet performance, accuracy, and reloading.

Our customers are shooters, those who love target practice as a hobby and a sport, hunters, law enforcement, and those who are concerned about self-defense. Berry’s offers a wide selection of bullets and reloading supplies.

Why do we need to know how to identify the caliber/gauge of a firearm.

Using correct ammunition is important so the gun works, and does so safely. You do not want to put the wrong ammunition into a firearm and risk damaging it.

Whatever firearm you own, the ammunition it uses needs to fit the chamber and bore of the gun. In simple terms, the caliber is a function of bore diameter and size and shape of chamber the brass case holding the powder fits into.

Chamber: The chamber is the receiver or back end of the barrel where the round fits into place.

Bore: The bore is hole down your barrel and its diameter determines the size of bullet your firearm will shoot.

If a projectile was too large or small, or the cartridge too small or big, it could change the pressure and cause a dangerous situation. Other reasons to ensure you use the correct ammo relate to things like the burning rate of the powder inside the round.

It can lead to serious pressure concerns. Ensuring that you use the correct ammunition is non-negotiable when it comes to shooting a firearm.

So how do you determine what ammunition is the right ammo. You have to look carefully at the firearm and make informed observations.

Where to look: Usually the caliber of your firearm is stamped into the barrel or receiver.

(see the lead picture above) It’s almost like a little visual reminder of what caliber you are working with as you manipulate the slide of the pistol and load ammunition into the chamber.

(see photo above) Others have serial numbers in one location and caliber in another, so understanding what you are looking at and for is important. Pistols:

Look for the caliber stamped on the barrel, or the side of the frame. You could also look at the magazine that comes with your gun.

There are multiple places where you should see the caliber. If you cannot find the caliber, try searching your serial number on the manufacturer’s web site.

(see the Glock image above). Rifles:

On your typical hunting rifle, like a bolt action rifle, look for the caliber on the barrel. Often the manufacturer will stamp the caliber on the barrel, and sometimes the twist rate of the barrel.

If the model number is all the info that you have, search the model # and serial # on the manufacturer’s web site. (see 30-06 picture above).

An AR platform rifle will usually have the model stamped on the receiver. (see CMMG Model MK4 above) AR’s come in other calibers, besides 223 and 5.56.

You can buy AR platform guns that shoot 9mm pistol rounds – a pistol caliber carbine or PCC. So, always look at the barrel for information on the caliber.

If your receiver looks like it takes regular AR magazines, you know it’s most likely chambered in a rifle caliber. Shotguns:

Shotguns usually have the make, model, and gauge stamped on the receiver end of the barrel, often on the left side. The pictured Winchester SXP is a good example.

Shotguns are a little simpler than other firearms when it comes to determining what ammo to use because shotguns are sized by gauge instead of caliber, and there are fewer gauges than calibers. 12 gauge is the most popular.

Then, other gauges or slug-only guns are going to be other common variations on a shotgun. Slug guns are usually used for deer or predator hunting, and have a rifled barrel instead of a smooth bore like other shotguns.

They will generally have the caliber listed on the firearm as well.

If you are in doubt after looking over the firearm, don’t take chances or guess. Call a friend or family member who is experienced with firearms and ask for help.

If you have a firearm and don’t know what ammunition it uses, do not take chances with your safety. Take time to find out what you need to know before you shoot your firearms so you have a safe and enjoyable experience.

You’ll find everything from videos on how to find a place to shoot, to ammo storage, and so much more.

If you’re a new gun owner, you probably don’t really know what bullet grain means. You may look at a box of ammo, see “115-grain” written on the side, shrug, and flip it over to look at what you really care about: the price tag.

Why think about bullet grain, you may ask. Well, actually, the size, shape, and material your ammo is made out of affects factors such as accuracy, recoil, and terminal ballistics.

Editor’s note: this is an article for a new gun owner to explain the basic concepts of bullet grain and how weight may or may not impact the shooting experience. It does not imply there is a direct relationship between bullet grain and a shooter’s ability.

One grain is equal to 1/7,000 of a pound or 1/437.5 of an ounce. If you’re like me and have a hard time imagining realistically how much things weigh, here are some common household items I use as a guide to put things in perspective:

For example, the most common 9mm Luger cartridges have bullet weights of 115 grains, 124 grains, or 147 grains. The range of bullet weights is actually much wider than what you might think, with the lightest being 17 grains such as in a.17 HMR round and the heaviest being upward of 700 grains such as the.50 BMG cartridges.

One example is the classic AR-15.223 cartridge, which ranges from 40–77+ grains with the standard being 55 grains. If you’re more of a 9mm Luger type, those usually come in options ranging between 60–160 grains.

The label, however, is strictly speaking about the weight of the bullet (projectile that exits the barrel). Now that we’ve covered the basics of what “grain” refers to, let’s take a look at how you can use that knowledge to improve your shooting.

When choosing which type of cartridge to use, you’ll want to consider several factors such as the type of shooting you’ll be doing (hunting, plinking, self-defense, etc.) and which rounds feed better through your firearm. We’ll take those factors into account when comparing lighter-weight bullets to heavier weights, and also discuss how the grain of the bullet affects accuracy, recoil, and terminal ballistics.

This makes lighter rounds excellent for long-distance shooting. The lower-grain cartridges are also great for hunting if you plan on making longer shots at smaller game animals such as coyotes or prairie dogs.

Because of the lighter weight, these bullets can be blown off course more easily. You may equate lighter bullets to lighter recoil, which may or may not be true based on the type of recoil management your gun has.

We already talked about lighter rounds having more energy and that energy must go somewhere…. So, instead of arguing the differences in recoil between light and heavy bullets, let’s leave it at this: firing lighter bullets usually feels “snappier,” while firing heavy bullets feels more like a “roll” or “pull.”.

Less mass means your shot generally won’t carry as far into the target as a heavier round would, so you’ll want to be shooting at non-living targets or smaller game animals in order to keep things more humane. To recap, lighter grain bullets will give you the advantage of speed and distance, making them perfect for competition or long-range shooting, but have snappier recoil and less penetrating energy when they hit the target.

Here’s how our heavier contenders stack up in terms of accuracy, recoil, and terminal ballistics. A heavier bullet is not going to go as far.

But, on the flip side, the extra weight gives the bullet more stabilization against wind gusts. So, if you get within 100 yards of the pig, you’ll probably have a nice trophy to mount.

It will really just depend on what you can afford, and what your weapon likes best. Since recoil is calculated based on several factors including bullet weight, velocity, type of propellant, and design of the weapon, the bullet grain you choose will affect how much your shots will kick.

One thing about heavier rounds that definitely reduces heavier recoil, is using subsonic rounds with a good suppressor. Subsonics are basically all heavier in weight and, with the aid of a suppressor, generate a small enough amount of energy to be absorbed very effectively.

If you want effectiveness for defensive situations, larger game, or combat, then higher-grain cartridges will get the job done. The heavier the bullet, the better expansion and penetration you’ll get on impact.

Many law-enforcement agencies are starting to choose rounds on the heavier side. The FBI, who landed on the Hornady Critical Duty 175-grain.40 S&W as its go-to.

No matter what ammo you choose, remember to experiment a bit to see what weights work best in your gun and don’t forget to have fun as you get to shooting. Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August of 2020.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›.

But when answering the question of how fast does a bullet travel, it’s best to think of speed in feet per second (fps). (Some European ammunition manufacturers list bullet velocities in meters per second.) The speed at which most bullets are fired from sporting firearms ranges from as slow as around 500 fps to a little more than 4,000 fps.

How fast a bullet travels is calculated with a tool called a chronograph. A chronograph is a timing device that utilizes two light sensors.

It then calculates how fast the bullet was traveling. A good chronograph can be had for less than $200, and this makes it possible for any shooter to see exactly how fast their bullets are traveling.

Rimfire ammunition was generally considered to be low-velocity ammunition, but that changed with the introduction of hyper-velocity 22 Long Rifle, 22 Magnum, and 17 HMR ammunition. The now almost never used 22 Long rimfire cartridge had a muzzle velocity of about 1,000 to 1,200 fps, which is right at the speed of sound.

But what’s commonly referred to as a 22 CB Cap—which is a 22 rimfire cartridge powered by only the primer—will generally have a muzzle velocity of only about 500 fps. Hyper Velocity 22 Long Rifle ammunition, the 22 Magnum, and 17 HMR pushed rimfire ammunition to supersonic speeds.

The 17 HMR is, by rimfire standards, blistering fast with some loads exceeding 2,600 fps. That’s faster than Mach II and more than twice the speed of sound.

Though there are some exceptions, most of the centerfire pistol and revolver ammunition has a muzzle velocity from about 700 fps to around twice that much. This is not really all that fast.

So, surprisingly, people have flown faster than a 9mm pistol will shoot. With centerfire rifle cartridges, speeds vary a great deal.

The 30-30 Winchester will break Mach II with muzzle velocities as fast as 2,400 fps, and some 243 Winchester loads can exceed Mach III (3,260 fps). The fastest centerfire rifle ammunition is typically used for varmint hunting.

As mentioned, bullets have two speeds. The first, which is expressed in feet per second, is the linear speed—the speed at which the bullet moves down range.

A bullet’s velocity decreases as it goes down range until it slows to the point it’s overcome by gravity and hits the ground. The further a bullet travels, the slower it will be moving.

But the other speed of a bullet is how fast it’s spinning. The rifling in a barrel spins a bullet to stabilize it as it travels down range, and the twist rate of the rifling determines how many times the bullet will rotate over a given distance.

The bullet’s rotational speed is determined by the rifling twist rate and velocity. A bullet rotating one full turn for every 12 inches that exits a barrel at 3000 fps will have a rotational velocity of 180,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

Think Again. Bullets can be fired fast or slow, but for sporting arms and ammunition, none will reach the speeds of hypersonic flight, which starts at 3,806 mph or 5,582 fps.

That equates to more than 6,000 fps, which is way faster than any bullet you’ll shoot out of any gun. So, yeah, bullets can be fast, but humans can go faster.

A bullet can travel between 600 and 2,000 miles per hour. Factors affecting a bullet’s speed include caliber, the weight of the bullet, the length of the gun barrel, and the amount and type of gunpowder in the cartridge.

I am an engineer and a competitive shooter, and I reload my own ammunition. From working on the physics used in ballistic calculations to measuring the speed of my own ammunition, I have real-world experience with the speed of bullets.

Keep reading to learn some unique examples and when a slower bullet is actually better. Speed can be measured in various ways, but in the US, bullet speed is usually measured in feet per second (fps).

A bullet achieves its highest speed just as it exits the barrel of a gun. After this, gravity and the drag from the air immediately start to slow it down until it falls to the ground or hits something.

Humidity, ballistic coefficient, and wind all come into play. So that I won’t bore you with the physics of ballistic calculations, we will just concentrate on muzzle velocity – or the speed of the bullet as it exits the barrel.

This is measured with a chronograph. A chronograph has two light sensors set at a known distance apart.

A chronograph is an important instrument for people like myself who reload their own ammo. I measure the speed of my bullets at about 4-6 feet from my gun.

While there is a slight drop in speed, for my purposes of checking the speed of my ammo, it works well. For the speeds in this guide, I used my Lyman Reloading Handbook as a reference.

This is mainly because the cartridges are smaller and the barrels are shorter. Below is a table showing the most common handgun and pistol bullets and the average speed for each in both fps and mph.

The most common 22 bullet is the.22 LR rimfire cartridge. These bullets travel at about 1070 fps or 730 mph.

The.17 HMR bullet, for example, travels at around 2375 fps, or 1619 mph. These are mainly used for long-range small-game hunting.

9mm bullets have a fairly wide range of speeds and can be purchased or loaded for subsonic speeds. You can also purchase various bullet weights and high-power +P and +P+ rounds.

On the fast end, a 90 grain +P+ bullet travels at 1550 fps or 1056 mph. On the slow end, a 150 grain subsonic bullet travels at 1000 fps or 682 mph.

Smaller concealed carry guns will have a slower speed than larger competition guns. 9mm is also the most popular concealed carry caliber.

The average 45 bullet travels at around 886 fps or 604 mph. The most common 45 bullet is the.45 Auto or 45 ACP.

While not as common, higher power +P rounds are available. On the fast end, a 185 grain +P bullet travels at 1000 fps or 681 mph.

Rifle bullets are the fastest bullets since they have a larger cartridge that can hold more gunpowder. More gunpowder also means more recoil, and rifles are easier than handguns for the shooter to control.

A 5.56 bullet travels around 3180 fps or 2168 mph. The most common AR15 round and the military standard is the 5.56 M193.

The 5.56 is essentially a higher-power version of the.223 Remington round. A 5.7 x 28 bullet travels around 2034 fps or 1387 mph.

Fabrique Nationale (FNH) developed their P90 rifle and the Five Seven Handgun around this cartridge for NATO. The speed of this bullet from the P90 rifle can be as high as 2800 fps or 1909 mph.

Many different bullet weights and types are available for the.223 Remington cartridge. My reloading handbook lists over 15 bullets with speeds from 3400 fps (2318 mph) down to 2240 fps (1527 mph).

A 243 bullet travels around 3100 fps or 2114 mph. Similar to the 223, this bullet has many different bullet types.

A 270 bullet travels around 2990 fps or 2038 mph. Mainly considered a hunting rifle round for thin-skinned game, it is commonly compared to the 30-06.

A 30-06 bullet travels around 2800 fps or 1909 mph. The 30-06 Springfield was the most popular rifle in America before the AR15.

My reloading handbook lists speeds from 3350 fps (2284 mph) to 2500 fps (1705 mph). A 7.62 bullet travels around 2250 fps or 1534 mph.

My reloading handbook lists speeds from 1800 fps (1227 mph) to 2400 fps (1636 mph). A 50-cal bullet travels at around 2850 fps or 1943 mph.

It is used in the famous Barrett 50 caliber sniper rifle and is one of the most powerful commercial rifle rounds available. As you can see, the speed of this bullet is just as fast as most smaller bullets, but it weighs substantially more, up to 750 grains.

Below we will review the factors that affect a bullet’s speed. Some have a greater effect than others.

All of these are interrelated with a lot of overlap. To boil it down into one simple statement, a smaller bullet with more gunpowder in the cartridge will travel faster than a larger bullet with less gunpowder.

In general, smaller calibers with long cartridges will travel faster than larger calibers with short cartridges. There are two reasons for this.

Since they weigh less, it takes less force to make them move. So, they travel faster.

This allows more gunpowder to be loaded. More powder means more power to make the bullet travel faster.

Bullet weight is measured in grains. Grains is a very old unit of measure and one of the smallest.

For years I experimented with my handgun competition ammo to find what worked best for me. For 9mm, there are 90, 115, 125, 135, and 147 grain bullets available.

If I simply change to a 135 or 147 grain bullet, the resulting speed will be slower. It is obvious that the more gunpowder there is in a cartridge, the faster a bullet will go.

While the speed gunpowder burns is a complicated subject, we can say that in most cases, a slower burning powder in a rifle will make the same bullet go faster than a faster burning powder. This is because as the bullet travels down the barrel, the gunpowder continues to burn and continues to accelerate the bullet.

Handgun shooters and anyone who buys their ammo really don’t need to worry about the type of gunpowder. Often, ammo manufacturers don’t disclose the type of gunpowder they use.

As we mentioned earlier, as soon as a bullet leaves the gun barrel, it begins to slow down. As the bullet travels down the gun barrel, it continues to accelerate as the combustion gasses from the burning gunpowder expand.

Some cartridges, like 9mm and 5.7mm, have guns made for them in handgun and rifle configurations. The same bullets shot from the rifle will be faster than the bullets from the handgun.

For example, common rifle barrels range from 16” to 20”, while handguns usually range from 3” to 6”. While not as much of a factor inside the barrel as it is after the bullet leaves the barrel, bullet type and shape affect the speed of a bullet.

In the unfortunate event of an armed burglar or active shooter situation, it is important to know which objects and materials can protect you from harm. Wrongfully hiding behind something could be fatal.

sometimes you have no option but to utilize what cover is available at that moment. This article explores a vital question — can brick stop a bullet.

We’ll talk about the properties of different materials and how they stack up against one another in this context. Just know that you could continue to fire at a brick wall and eventually the bullet will penetrate.

It depends on the type of bullet and the material used to build the brick wall. Most bullets cannot penetrate a brick wall unless it is fired from a high-powered weapon such as an assault rifle or sniper rifle.

Brick walls are highly effective when it comes to keeping bullets from passing through. This holds true for all calibers ranging from.22 to a 12 gauge slug.

The answer is pretty much the same for a bullet vs a brick wall. A brick house will stop most bullets from passing through, but this depends on the thickness of the wall and the caliber of the bullet.

Generally speaking, a standard brick wall is sufficient to stop any round under 50 caliber from something like a Barrett 50 Cal. Heavier rounds such as a 7.62x39mm or.308 rifle may penetrate the walls of a brick-veneered house, but it is not likely.

For example, soft-fired clay bricks are more prone to damage than harder varieties like granite or marble. Additionally, a single-brick wall will be less effective at stopping bullets than a double-brick wall.

In short, as long as the bullets are impacting real bricks on the front of a house, they will more than likely be stopped. If the same place is shot multiple times, that is when the brick will start to crumble and bullets would go through and into the house.

The penetration varies drastically on red brick vs bullet calibers. From small birdshot pellets to immense 50-caliber BMG AP rounds designed to break through up to an inch-thick steel plate that is 600 feet away.

Brick can stop sustained rifle and pistol fire for several minutes, but will eventually fall apart. With the majority of modern homes and office construction, brick walls are durable enough to bear the brunt of most handgun calibers like 9mm,.380,.40, and.22.

A simple two-inch brick was found to be an incredibly effective tool for blocking during “Bullet vs Brick” testing. A range of calibers was used in the testing including handguns, armor-piercing 5.56 NATO rounds, 9mm hollow-points, and 12 gauge shotgun slugs.

However, experiments with drywall and wood walls showed that they offered no protection whatsoever. Every round went straight through these materials.

Ultimately, all brick is not identical. If you have ever explored beyond U.S.

Consequently, if an emergency situation occurs overseas and the nearest brick wall presents itself as a shield from danger – it may not always be your safest bet for protection. Try to get behind a concrete structure if possible.

Matt Risinger of the Build Show enlisted MythBusters alum Tori Belleci to put several common building materials to the test using.22, 9mm,.223, and buckshot rounds. The only material that could stand up against these bullets was 2×4 lumber used in framing – it could stop a.22 caliber round but nothing else.

To put it to the test, they filled one area of their barrier with sand and set concrete bags behind another section before firing a round from each caliber. Both had successful results in stopping at least one shot.

Brick walls are highly effective at keeping bullets from passing through. But, the type of bullet and the material used to build the wall can play a major role in how much penetration is possible.

If you want your bullet to have more distance and power behind it, using a 50-caliber BMG round is recommended as this has been proven to do better when facing off against a brick wall than any other caliber rounds tested thus far.

Related Articles What if someone shot a gun on an airplane. Where do bullets go when guns are fired straight up into the air.

How Zero-gravity Flights WorkHow Sci-fi Doesn’t Work More Great Links Cornell University: Ask an AstronomerSETI Institute Sources Cuk, Matija. “Can You Fire a Gun on the Moon.

(April 28, 2015) Aisha. “How Would a Shootout Work in Zero Gravity.

4, 2012. (April 29, 2015) “Newton’s Third Law.” (April 29, 2015) Natalie.

” Live Science. Feb.

(April 29, 2015) Chris. “Bullets and Missiles.” Explain That Stuff.

(April 29, 2015). What if someone shot a gun on an airplane.

How Guns WorkWhat would happen if you fired a gun on a train moving as fast as a bullet. How Zero-gravity Flights WorkHow Sci-fi Doesn’t Work.

Cuk, Matija. “Can You Fire a Gun on the Moon.

(April 28, 2015) Aisha. “How Would a Shootout Work in Zero Gravity.

4, 2012. (April 29, 2015) “Newton’s Third Law.” (April 29, 2015) Natalie.

” Live Science. Feb.

(April 29, 2015) Chris. “Bullets and Missiles.” Explain That Stuff.

(April 29, 2015).

.50-caliber bullets equipped with optical sensors can follow moving targets. The “smart bullets” can help shooters compensate for high winds.

You know the phrase “dodging a bullet”. Forget about it.

The U.S. military said this week it has made great progress in its effort to develop a self-steering bullet.

In February, the “smart bullets” –.50-caliber projectiles equipped with optical sensors – passed their most successful round of live-fire tests to date, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA.

“Additionally,” the statement said, “a novice shooter using the system for the first time hit a moving target.” In other words, now you don’t even have to be a good shot to hit the mark.

“True to DARPA’s mission, EXACTO has demonstrated what was once thought impossible: the continuous guidance of a small-caliber bullet to target,” said Jerome Dunn, DARPA program manager.

Fitting EXACTO’s guidance capabilities into a small.50-caliber size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibers,” Dunn said.

It all conjures up images of a cartoon character frantically fleeing a bullet that follows him wherever he goes. Only, these bullets are traveling at hundreds of miles per hour.

DARPA says the smart bullets will also help shooters who are trying, for example, to hit targets in high winds.

Being a gun owner can lead to many questions, including how to operate and maintain a firearm. For example, people may wonder if a bullet can accidentally go off and cause significant damage if it’s dropped.

A bullet isn’t likely to go off when you drop the cartridge for various reasons, including how it lands. Most dropped bullets land tip first on a floor or the ground.

Significant impact to the primer would be needed to cause it to discharge. This is extremely unlikely to happen from it simply being dropped.

For example, if you drop your cartridge near a steel object and it lands at the perfect angle with enough force, the bullet could go off. When there’s enough force, the impact on the primer would mimic the impact of a firing pin after the trigger of a gun is pulled.

Even though discharge from being dropped is extremely unlikely, many individuals clean their guns and unload them in areas where no one else is nearby. Dropping a bullet could lead to other problems for gun owners, which include bending a cartridge, deforming the tip of the bullet, and ruining the handgun’s chamber.

Dropping bullets could also cause the round to jam in the gun, especially if you drop them in the mud, dirt, or snow. When this happens, you could transfer water, sand, mud, and other substances to the firearm’s chamber and cause damage.

You can do this by practicing and learning more about firearms by enrolling in a gun safety course. This class can give you additional information regarding laws and regulations and safety strategies when it comes to storing your handgun, shooting your firearm, changing bullets, and various maintenance tips.

Online Texas LTC is dedicated to providing the finest firearms training available. Whether you simply need to learn how to handle a gun and shoot safely or you want to take a Texas license to carry online course, Online Texas LTC has what you need.

Does ammo go bad. It’s a common question and one that is fairly simple to answer.

however, some storage conditions can cause ammo to fail, and there are some downsides to long term storage of ammo, including: · Corrosion.

If exposed to moisture or high humidity, it can corrode, and the corrosion can impact the powder which, in turn, may cause the round to behave differently. Corrosive ammunition could perform poorly, fire with lower velocity, or it may not fire at all.

· Decreased Shelf Life. Ammo that is not stored properly can fail to fire or not fire as expected.

Modern ammo is generally manufactured for longer storage life.

You can think of ammo as having a “best if used by” date rather than an expiration date. If stored properly, ammo can and will last decades.

The factors that go into the lifespan of ammo include: Environmental Conditions.

Bad ammunition can be very dangerous.

How the cartridges are stored is also important. Not only will storing your rounds properly help you to keep them organized, but it also adds greater safety to having ammo in the house.

Usually, the round fires like normal, but not always. With brass rounds, you may see the round begin to degrade.

As time passes and the rounds are exposed to moisture, the brass fades to a dull color. At this point, the round remains safe to shoot.

Corrosion weakens the casing and, when fired, the pressure inside the round can cause eruptions through the casing. In extreme cases, the corrosive damage can be severe when focused on the priming compound and the top of the casing.

Too much damage to the primer can cause the bullet to not fire at all, to fire at slower speeds, or to fire only the primer but not the powder. A bullet that fires slowly and lodges in the barrel is called a squib.

Sometimes, if the powder has lost its potency the round may fire at lower speeds and lodge in the barrel (squib round.) If that happens, the next round can cause significant damage to the barrel and the barrel may explode, injuring the shooter and potentially ruining the firearm.

When you employ an ammo storage system, whether that’s a basic ammo box or something more elaborate, it must address the following factors:. Humidity.

Temperature. Temperature fluctuations, such as seasonal highs and lows can impact the quality of the primer and powder.

A good storage solution for ammo means that the rounds stay at room temperature and are protected from extreme temperature ranges, direct sunlight, and moisture.

Just like with guns, you should have a storage solution that locks your ammo away from easy access.

Avoid extreme temperature swings. Keeping ammo at room temperature between 55°F-80°F is a good goal.

Store ammo in an environmentally controlled location. Avoid storing ammo in the garage or locations where temperature and humidity are active.

Keep your storage containers in a dry place. Toss a few moisture absorbers, like silica gel packets, into your ammo storage box.

Keep ammo in its original box and store it in an ammo box. Ultimately, an ammo box with a silica gel packet will help to keep humidity outside and reduce corrosion.

Store ammo in a dark place. If you keep ammo in the light, it can heat up.

A few things to avoid when storing ammo includes:. 1.

Temperatures over 100 °F and below 40 °F can affect the powder or primer quality. Cycling between hot and cold can cause the metal components of your rounds to expand and contract and ultimately loosen connections and fittings.

High Humidity. Humidity can cause metal corrosion and chemical reactions.

Humidity may appear inside the round and on the outside of the casing.

Casually Storing Ammo. Never leave ammo in your vehicle for more than a day.

Both a vehicle and a garage can become very hot or cold depending on the season. Ammo stored casually can be found by kids or may become damaged by pests.

Sunlight. When you store shells in direct sunlight, the fluctuating temperatures can damage even modern ammunition.

Ammo cans are a good place to start for the storage of rounds. Berry’s Ammo Cans are offered in 20, 30, and 40 caliber sizes and the new Berry’s Tri-Can can hold multiple calibers in one can.

Berry’s ammo cans come with a rubber gasket that helps seal the unit against air exchange and moisture. They are also made to be stackable, helping with space management.

For smaller rounds and traveling with rounds, an ammo box may be a better solution.

Small ammo boxes may hold 10 rounds whereas larger ammo boxes may hold upwards of 100 rounds. If you are looking for a secure way to carry extra rounds for concealed carry, an ammo box may be a good choice.

A utility ammo box is a good option when you need to store larger amounts of ammo. Ammo boxes are also a good solution when you need to transport ammo from home to the shooting range or target field, or on a hunting trip.

If you are like us, and you have many guns, ammo boxes allow you to sort and store ammo, so you can visually see how much ammo you have and in what calibers. Even old ammunition will store better in an ammo box.

Berry’s offers a range of ammunition storage solutions that address the care requirements of storing ammo. Shop our collection of ammo cans and ammo boxes available in different capacities and for various calibers or rounds.

Is that old box of ammo that you found safe to use. Perhaps so.

Whether it was stored correctly or not is another matter. Ammunition isn’t like the still-edible 5000-year-old honey found in Egyptian tombs.

It has a limited shelf life that depends on factors like where it’s stored, exposure to moisture, variation of temperature, exposure to light, whether it was sealed properly, and whether the casing is lead or steel. Before you fire your weapon, you must determine that you’re not using bad ammo.

This article will show you how to increase the life of your ammo by creating the perfect storage environment.

The cartridges look reasonable. Sure they’re not in mint condition, but they’re not rusty, even though you’ve had them for a long time.

Modern ammo is made to last over a decade (and possibly up to twenty years), provided you stick to proper storage practices. The usable shelf life of ammo is relative and based on several considerations.

Steel cased ammo is more prone to rust than brass-cased ammo. Additionally, a bullet with exposed lead is more likely to degrade than a bullet with a full metal jacket.

Ammo manufacturers limit their exposure to liability by being more conservative in their estimation of shelf life (not to mention they will sell more ammo boxes by encouraging more frequent purchases).

Any time you take ammunition out of storage, start the clock on the expiry of your ammo. Any ammunition you take out into the field, whether on a hunt or to the range, should be used first.

While this ammunition won’t immediately degrade to uselessness, it’s something to watch over time.

Such a gun could go years without being fired. Although most manufacturers recommend not using ammo older than ten years, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

This space should have very limited exposure to air, low variance of temperature and low extremes of humidity and moisture. Constant exposure to humidity is the number one cause of ammo degradation, particularly when it comes to corrosion.

A gun case must seal tightly to keep out elements that can damage your ammunition. UK gun cases are watertight, airtight, all-weather, and include desiccants to prevent rust.

These are water-resistant, o-ring sealed cases that can store ammo for several years.

If you have a vacuum sealer, this will do a good job of preserving your ammo. If you’re sealing it this way, include some silica gel packets to absorb any ambient moisture.

Whatever container you’re storing the ammo in, make sure the temperature is consistent and cool. Extreme heat and cold interact with moisture in the air, and if this seeps into your case or container, the invisible but inevitable chemical reaction will start to damage your ammo.

Limit your ammo’s exposure to sunlight. Direct OR reflected light can cause degradation over time, so always store your rounds in a dark place.

It’s possible that these solvents can atmospherically seep into the cartridge and compromise the powder, or cause corrosion on the casing. Avoid storing them in the same general location as your ammo to prevent mishaps.

Storing ammo in places prone to lots of movement, like the trunk of your car, is a bad plan. Cartridges knocking against each other can eventually degrade or suffer damage.

If you want the best results from your ammo, proper storage is a must. Keep your ammunition in an environment that excludes humidity, moisture, and extremes of temperature, sealed from air currents and other spoiling factors that can compromise the cartridge and alter its chemical composition.

We recommend specialist gun and ammo storage cases, which are ideal whether you store them at home or are on the move. We hope this article has helped you.

Have you been in this scenario before — you were rummaging through your attic or basement, and when rifling through your belongings, you found some old boxes of ammo. If so, you’ve probably asked yourself the question “does ammo go bad.

Not only do we have the answer to that question, but we also have answers to all your other questions related to ammunition longevity, including how it can go bad, how to extend the life of your ammo, and some other frequently asked questions. Let’s get into it.

In terms of shelf life, ammunition generally doesn’t expire or go bad. Many manufacturers will list an expiration date of ten years past the manufacturer date, but that’s more for legal reasons than it is for safety reasons.

However, that’s not to say that an old bullet is just as effective as a fresh bullet. As time goes on, the gunpowder in the ammunition tends to lose its power — it takes a long time for this to happen, but it happens nonetheless.

It can be slowed down, its flight path could be changed, or it could potentially cause errors in other ways. It’s highly recommended that if you find ammunition, you take it to a practice range and fire a few rounds to ensure safety and effectiveness before you take it out into the field.

If everything seems normal, you should be good to go. Although time itself cannot end the life of ammunition, moisture and humidity can do it.

It takes a good amount of moisture and humidity to do so, and it usually happens in the case of repeat exposure — but it is certainly possible.

A tell-tale sign of any propellant charge or primer deactivation is to find rust or discoloration on the primer or the rim of the ammunition case. When you see discoloration or rust, you can be confident that the ammunition has lost its function and is unusable.

If you implement these variables within your storage space, then you can get the most out of your ammunition no matter how long you hold onto it. In warmer temperatures, the effects of moisture and oxygen are more prevalent and the threat to your ammunition stock is greatly increased.

It doesn’t need to be cold — just cool. If you store it somewhere cold, you risk condensation forming on the ammo when you bring it out into the hot outdoors.

If you store your ammunition in a humid environment, there’s going to be more moisture in the air, which can damage your ammunition. You’ll want to store your ammo in ammo cans or sealed storage containers with an air conditioner in order to keep the moisture away.

Oxygen can be damaging to the metal found in cartridges, no matter how high of quality your ammunition is. If the ammo is placed in unfavorable storage spaces, then the lead and primer will eventually degrade.

Still have some questions about your ammunition. Here are some frequently asked questions and our answers about the lifespan of ammunition:

This leads to the primer and propellant charge of the ammunition being defused and deactivated, which renders a bullet useless. It’s recommended that you don’t store ammo in a magazine for more than six months.

They can usually last in most moderate climates for 3-6 months, but it’s best not to risk anything longer than that. Yes, it can.

This could lead to debris in the barrel of your gun, which in turn can cause problems later on down the line. If you think you fired some ammunition that was bad, take some time to stick a rod down the barrel and clean the firearm.

Now that you understand what you can do to make your ammunition last, you can start to look into ways to make your ammunition count. The best way to do that is to take fewer shots when you’re out in the field, and one way you can make that happen is to use a suppressor.

Get in touch to learn more about our selection of silencers today.

Also Read: Can A Dropped Gun Go Off.

The moment you pull the trigger, a spring mechanism causes a metal firing pin to hit the back end of the bullet, which in turn ignites the small explosive charge in the primer. This ignites the propellant (this is the part that gives such high velocities to the bullet) and the chemicals in the propellant burn, rapidly producing a lot of gas.

So, where does the ‘noise part’ occur. Well, as mentioned earlier, a bullet is powered by a tremendous amount of pressure at its back, which propels it forward.

This is the reason there’s such a loud BANG when you fire. A champagne bottle also produces a popping sound when it’s uncorked.

If you have old ammo, unusable ammo, or used casings, you may be wondering how to dispose of them. Getting rid of your ammo can be tricky because you want to make sure you are doing it in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

Ammunition is made of multiple components. There is the:

Ammo is called a Dud when the cartridge doesn’t fire when you pull the trigger. This can be due to the primer not igniting.

Most metal recycling facilities will not accept live ammo so keep reading to find out where to dispose of them safely. Disposing of bullets can be a potentially dangerous process.

This charge can cause serious harm to waste facility workers if disposed of in the regular garbage. One reason is that the trash compactor can set off the ammo.

Even though the gunpowder can be used as fertilizer, the cartridge is made of lead which can seep into the soil and contaminate the water supply. Simply wetting the rounds with water or oil is also not a guarantee that the charge won’t dry out and fire later.

No matter how minuscule, these can create sparks or potentially start fires. Most facilities won’t accept your casings if they can see any powder residue on them.

Then you can turn in the casings and keep the powder to use as fertilizer. Sort your ammo by:

Shotgun shells contain the wade component and are mostly plastic, so if you turn them in with your other casings, it will diminish the value, and you will get less money in your trade-in. With ammo being so tricky it is important to dispose of it with trained professionals who know how to properly handle them.

While you can turn in your steel and brass shell casings to a recycling plant they will not accept any live ammo. As a civilian, it’s best to bring your dud rounds to a local gun range that will accept them.

Most police stations will take your ammo and duds if it is a small amount. You can call their local non-emergency number to confirm with them that they will take it.

You can recycle brass shell casings by turning them over to a scrap metal facility and save some money for the next time you buy ammo. This is something that most gun ranges already do.

You can’t recycle dud rounds so make sure you are sending them to one of the other locations mentioned above. Public and private indoor gun ranges can also look at secure transportation for high-volume shipments.

Most recyclers do not accept ammo from outdoor ranges because typically when you mine the lead they have a lot of dirt or water. Recycle your brass casings with GLE Scrap Metal by bringing them to either our Daytona or Orlando Florida facilities or our Michigan facilities in Melvindale and Warren.

Fill out our Quick Form to request a quote, or call GLE Scrap Metal today at 855-Scrap-88 to learn more.

Thankfully, the internet is full of firearm enthusiasts who have filmed themselves shooting pretty much every imaginable object. So it’s not hard to find out what works for cover and what doesn’t.

The bad news is that there isn’t much in your house that will reliably stop a random bullet. There are plenty of ways to conceal yourself, but not many ways to cover yourself.

If you hear a bump in the night, throw it on before you go stumbling about. It’s also good to understand how different materials hold up to gunfire in case you need to defend yourself near innocent bystanders.

More: Basic ways to harden your home against intruders and beginner’s guide to guns. Summary:

Generally speaking, rifles and shotgun slugs are harder to stop than pistols and buckshot. That’s why you try to wear hard armor, which can stop almost everything, instead of soft armor that only stops pistols.

When referencing pistols, it means common calibers including: Rifle includes:

It would take a thick stack of those materials to provide cover.

Matt Risinger teamed up with Mythbusters veteran Tory Belleci to shoot a few target walls made of typical building materials like drywall, OSB lumber, and cement board. Even small calibers like.22 punched straight through.

They tested filling walls with sand and stacking bags of concrete behind them, which worked, but isn’t exactly something you could whip up in a hurry. They also built a special wall that stops most bullets, which you might want to check out if you have a custom house built.

The guys at Rounds Down Range shot several rounds at brick walls, and brick is surprisingly good at stopping bullets. Brick stopped all handgun rounds plus armor-piercing 5.56 NATO rounds,.308, and even a shotgun slug.

That said, each round takes out a chunk of wall, so the wall would only hold up so long if it were sustaining heavy gunfire. The lesson here: buy brick.

YouTuber d1bottch shot a block of concrete with multiple rounds, and it held up great until it was hit by an SKS, and that was after it had already taken several shots. The guys at Eagle Builders shot their insulated concrete panels with different powerful rounds, and they all held up well.

Cinder blocks are largely hollow, so you’d expect them to be pretty poor for bullet defense. But Brayden with Langley Outdoors Academy shot cinder blocks with a 9mm, AR-15, and a shotgun with 00 buckshot, and the blocks stopped both 9mm and 5.56 rounds.

Most interior doors are hollow and made from the cheapest materials. Some interior doors are made from cardboard.

But what about sturdier exterior doors made of solid wood or metal. Unfortunately, they’re not much better.

So unless you know you’re behind an armored door, don’t hide there.

Unfortunately, it just won’t work in real life. BuzzFeed took to the gun range to shoot household objects, and a 9mm blasted straight through a solid wood table.

What about a mattress. Paul Harrell tested a movie myth where the heroes stand up a mattress on its edge for a shield.

But when Paul put the mattress down flat (as it would be if you were sleeping on it), it turned into a surprisingly effective bullet block. Most rounds got through, but the mattress stopped many smaller-caliber rounds, including.410 shotgun shells (fired from a Taurus Judge pistol).

In fact, the springs inside the mattress can fragment the bullets and make things worse. Indiana Jones survived a nuclear blast by hiding in a fridge, but could a modern refrigerator protect you from a common bullet.

They don’t make them like they used to. But that’s an AR-15.

It only went through four refrigerators. That’s not surprising given that most modern refrigerators are largely made from thin metal, plastic, and styrofoam.

Jeb Slack shot at four washing machines with a variety of calibers. The second machine stopped 9mm and.45 ACP rounds, so hiding behind a washer and dryer might save you.

Your best bet on the appliance end might be to take cover behind a full hot water heater. Here’s a guy putting several rounds of 9mm into a full hot water heater and not a single round made it through.

Don’t bother hiding behind a toilet. You’ll only die embarrassed.

Even worse, the resulting explosion sprays shards of ceramic shrapnel. We couldn’t find videos of shooting a bathtub, but given that typical bathtubs are made from thin plastic these days, we wouldn’t count on that either.

Sometimes you see people in movies deflecting bullets with a cast-iron skillet. In the video game PUBG, you can wield a cast iron skillet to bust skulls and block bullets.

After all, cast iron is pretty tough. Unfortunately, even a 9mm pistol can easily blast a hole through a cast-iron skillet.

A cast iron tub might do the job if it were positioned so you could hide behind it, especially if you could fill it with water. Paper does a great job of stopping bullets.

You won’t find many civilian rounds more powerful than a.50 BMG. The guys from Demolition Ranch shot boxes of printer paper at close range with a.50 BMG, and amazingly, it just took two boxes of paper to deflect the bullet.

So if a deranged gunman is chasing you, maybe the best place to hide is a brick library. (Please don’t shoot trees without a good reason.

Top Shot Dustin shot an entire litany of calibers at a pine tree to find out. As an extra nice touch, he placed a ballistics gel torso behind the tree to see how far the bullets would penetrate a body if any made it through.

Even then, he had to put the torso right up against the tree to achieve penetration. This is a good test, because pine is a softwood, so not as durable as a hardwood like oak, and the tree trunk had a fairly small diameter — just wide enough to hide behind.

He eventually gave up and used an axe. Vehicles are generally good for bullet cover — layers of metal are better than most other options — but it matters which part of the car you duck behind, and you don’t want to be behind a car if you have better choices.

In a DEA training tape made several years ago, members of that agency take a four-door sedan out to a secluded range and, after placing two cardboard targets under the front dashboard area of the driver’s side and another simulating a crouched suspect in the backseat floor area, commenced shooting the car full of holes.

The vehicle was shot from the passenger side as well as straight on from the front. Although the tires are flattened and virtually every square inch of the car has a hole in it, the vehicle starts and the instructor can drive away (limp away is probably a better way to describe it).

Impressive, but not all cars are made equal. Many people have performed ballistics tests on cars, with mixed results.

Kentucky Ballistics shot a sedan multiple times with handguns and saw similar results. Some say that.

By Sanjay Soni. In continuation to the earlier article where we discussed the lethality of different firearms, we will now delve into the stopping power of different bullet weights.

If you’re a new gun owner, you probably don’t know what “bullet grain” means. You may look at a box of ammo, see “115-grain” written on the side, shrug, and flip it over to look at what you really care about: the price tag.

A grain (“gr” for short) is a basic unit of weight measurement. One grain is equal to 1/7,000 of a pound or 1/437.5 of an ounce.

For example, the most common 9mm Luger cartridges have bullet weights of 115 grains, 124 grains, 147 or 158 grains. A common misconception of the term “grain” on the ammo box is that it is a reference to the amount of gunpowder in the cartridge.

The label, however, is strictly speaking about the weight of the bullet–the projectile that exits the barrel. Now that we’ve covered the basics of what “grain” refers to, take a look at how you can use that knowledge to improve your shooting.

A light bullet has less energy and is more vulnerable to wind. It may be blown off target far more readily than a heavier bullet.

It all depends on your shooting style and what you value most in a bullet. The relationship between bullet weight and velocity is complex but generally agrees with the following equation: V = k x w Where V is velocity, k is a constant for each particular cartridge, w is weight in grams, and V is measured in meters per second (m/s).

This is because there’s more mass attached to the end of the bullet, so it will take longer. to stop when it hits something.

Finally, heavy bullets tend to have more surface area, which inflicts more damage as the bullet enters the body. As for light bullets, they’re not suitable for use with every firearm, especially those that don’t have an internal mechanism for spinning the bullet as it leaves the barrel.

Lighter bullet weight often implies faster and further travel, but also greater recoil and less power at the target. For competitive and long-range shooting, lighter rounds are preferable.

Of course, the opposite is true as well – heavy bullets are preferred for close-up work and animal hunting. It’s all about trade-offs.

A heavy bullet will tend to stop more quickly than a light one, giving you time to adjust your aim before the target moves out of range. On the other hand, if you want a low-recoil bullet that doesn’t necessarily go far, then a light bullet is better.

In general, higher grain means faster velocity and therefore faster travel and reduced size on impact. However, this comes with the cost of increased recoil.

However, weapons with longer barrels and newer technology can lower the recoil significantly. Going subsonic also lowers the recoil felt by the shooter.

Subsonic cartridges are loaded to operate at speeds less than the speed of sound, which prevents the bullet from making a supersonic shockwave or “crack” as it travels through the air. When used in conjunction with suppressors, the subsonic bullet significantly reduces the total sound signature of the firearm, as the majority of the muzzle blast is suppressed by the silencer, while the lower velocity projectile removes the supersonic crack.

The downside is that subsonic ammo reduces the effective range and stopping power of the firearm, while also incurring a much steeper trajectory. For this reason, subsonic ammunition usually uses heavier bullets that retain more energy and momentum.

Let’s deep dive a bit into how you can calculate the ballistics of a bullet: The external ballistics of a bullet’s path can be determined by several formulae, the simplest of which is:

Velocity (V) is usually given in feet per second (fps) and mass (M) is given in pounds, derived from the weight (W) of the bullet in grains, divided by 7000 grains per pound times the acceleration of gravity (32 ft/sec) so that: Kinetic Energy (KE) = W(V)2 / (450,435) ft/lb.

Forward motion of the bullet is also affected by drag (D), which is calculated as: Drag (D) = f(v/a)k&pd2v2.

k is a constant for the shape of the bullet and & is a constant for yaw (deviation from linear flight). p is the density of the medium (tissue density is >800 times that of air), d is the diameter (caliber) of the bullet, and v the velocity.

The degree to which a bullet is slowed by drag is called retardation (r) given by the formula: r = D / M.

BC = SD / I. SD is the sectional density of the bullet, and I is a form factor for the bullet shape.

The form factor value I decreases with increasing pointedness of the bullet (a sphere would have the highest I value). Since drag (D) is a function of velocity, it can be seen that for a bullet of a given mass (M), the greater the velocity, the greater the retardation.

The faster the spin, the less likely a bullet will “yaw” or turn sideways and tumble in its flight path through the air. Thus, increasing the twist of the rifling from 1 in 7 will impart greater spin than the typical 1 in 12 spiral (one turn in 12 inches of barrel).

Rotational forces are in effect that keep the bullet off a straight axis of flight. These rotational effects are diagrammed below:

Precession refers to rotation of the bullet around the center of mass. Nutation refers to small circular movement at the bullet tip.

Well, given that a cartridge can be only so large to fit in a chamber, and the steel of the chamber can handle only so much pressure from increasing the amount of gunpowder, the kinetic energy for any given weapon can be increased more easily by increasing bullet mass. Though the square of the velocity would increase KE much more, it is practically very difficult to increase velocity, which is dependent upon the amount of gunpowder burned.

Thus, cartridges designed for hunting big game animals use very large bullets. To reduce air resistance, the ideal bullet would be a long, heavy needle, but such a projectile would go right through the target without dispersing much of its energy.

A good aerodynamic compromise bullet shape is a parabolic curve with low frontal area and wind-splitting shape. As we have seen earlier, the two major variables in handgun ballistics are diameter of the bullet and volume of gunpowder in the cartridge case.

Many different cartridges are available using different loads and bullet designs. Some of these are outlined in the table below to compare and contrast the ballistics.

The larger area of the 44 magnum creates more force with the same pressure, allowing the 44 magnum to produce more energy at the muzzle. The effect of case capacity can be demonstrated.

These cartridges have similar diameters and pressures, but the 357 magnum is much longer, yielding more case volume (more powder), and delivering more energy. Finally, despite the Colt 45 having the largest bore diameter and one of the longest cases, it does not deliver the maximum energy because the outdated 1873 design of this cartridge case severely handicaps its pressure handling capabil.