22/hight/fps/ good question post

[KingFisher85]

Ok, heres a question for you guys.

If you shot a standard 22 long rifle up into the air, strait up into the air, how high would it go before it stopped and came back down? How fast would it be going by the time it hit ground? How many pounds of energy would it have?

Now this is to say that we have perfect weather, wind, and vacuum. Standard 40 gr 22lr with 1180FPS.

Now lets see what you can come up with. I kinda know this but I wanna see what you people can come up with.

Now we don't need anyone going out and start shooting up into the air now!

Good luck

[ 04-04-2003, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: KingFisher85 ]

[24 on/ 48 off]

Total Guess: 860 feet.

--spud-- :smile:

[GutshotApe]

Don't know how high it would go...but if you're in a vacuum the slug would come back down at the same speed it went up.

[KingFisher85]

ok, lose the vacuum and then tell me how fast its gonna be comeing down.

[BuKuBass]

Freefall acceleration is 32 feet per second/persecond. From a great enough height, would it again go faster than the speed of sound? damnifIknow

[sinker]

hhhhmmm, the only thing effecting the speed back down is the shape of the bullet and how it effects wind resistance. Gravity pulls all things the same.

But I don't remember how fast that is.

I do remember hearing that the fastest a human body can fall is 146mph. But I've heard guys have beat that with custom helmets and bodysuits to lower wind drag.

[Dr Strangelove]

1.) If you shot a standard 22 long rifle up into the air, strait up into the air, how high would it go before it stopped and came back down?

The exact answer is determined by multiplying the muzzle velocity by frictional and gravitational coefficients and calculus is needed. Given my ignorance of higher math, My guess is 5 seconds to apex. At declining speeds near the top, I'd say around 3500ft. (a 22 will go 1000 yds at highest artillery angle, so add to 3000ft). This is not an excuse to shoot your 22 at passing planes. You need a much larger rifle to do that.

2.) How fast would it be going by the time it hit ground?

Terminal velocity for any falling object is about 120mph or 176fps. It would hurt. Depending on the thickness of your skull it might kill you.

3.) How many pounds of energy would it have?

At muzzle velocity a 22 has about 20ft/lbs energy. Therefore it is the fractional difference between the muzzle and terminal velocities, or 176\1180 x 20ft lbs = 2.98 ft lbs. Imagine a three pound brick impacting your skull; see above #2.

If you fail your physics quiz, it's not my fault. I usually only deal in snotty noses. Doc.

[ 04-06-2003, 10:36 PM: Message edited by: Dr Strangelove ]

[KingFisher85]

Very nice Dr. Strangelove, I think you might be the winner.

[Dr Strangelove]

Nice to win something. I haven't even nailed my 2003 Springer yet (0/3). Don't expect anything from me at Sand Island in terms of a weigh-in this year. I'm missing like a wet Ford. Doc

[GutshotApe]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove:
This is not an excuse to shoot your 22 at passing planes. You need a much larger rifle to do that.

Terminal velocity for any falling object is about 120mph or 176fps. It would hurt. Depending on the thickness of your skull it might kill you.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">Many years ago, probably in the late 1950s a DC-3 landing at Portland airport was hit by a .22 round fired by a kid who said he was "bird hunting". The slug hit in the nose beneath the cockpit area.

And, I think the 120 mph figure is correct for human bodies...but streamlined heavy objects like bullets will come down much faster. I read once that there were 38 people killed by spent, free-falling bullets in Los Angeles county in a recent 10-year period...most on New Year's Eve, 4th of July and Cinco de Mayo.

[Zen Leecher aka Bill W]

well... the loads go 1 to 1 1/4 miles for maximum distance.... so straight up they should go about 1/2 of that or a bit less. Say 1/2 mile straight up. Maximum speed down.... I'd say abut 100 mph.

I do know what it's like to dodge an arrow shot straight up. A person doesn't want to have to dodge too many of those. About 10 was my limit until I learned to angle it slightly.

signed,

artful dodger

[Chrome Bumper]

Dr. Strangelove, you are mixing units.

Height:
In vacuum, around 21,700 feet up,

with air, roughly 2,000 feet, judging from Dr. Strangelove's chart. An exact # would incorporate air temp as a function of elevation, base elevation, humidity as a function of elevation, bullet form, rifle marks, stability of flight, decay of spin, winds as a function of elevation, clouds or precipitation as a function of elevation, local gravity(yes it varies) location of the moon and sun and some lengthy calculations.

Velocity:
vacuum, equal to muzzle velocity (downward), 1180fps

In air, Terminal velocity is when the weight of an object equals the form drag of a free falling object. Terminal velocity at sea level for a spent .22 round (assuming no lateral component) is about 50 fps, if stabily pointing straight down and depending on shape. If tumbling (which woud typically be the case) it would be somewhat less.

Energy:
Vacuum, 120 foot lbs,
Air, 0.21 ft lbs

Stray bullets are not shot perfectly vertically and thus have an additional horizontal component to their velocity when they intercept terrain.

[ 04-07-2003, 02:28 PM: Message edited by: Chrome Bumper ]