If you look and listen carefully, you’ll notice that you hear the shot after it strikes. That’s because with a lot of those sniper rifles, the bullet travels faster than the speed of sound.
Most rifles the bullet travels faster than sound, thus the old maxim “you never hear the bullet that kills you.” The speed of sound is roughly 760mph at sea level, and a typical hunting rifle has a muzzle velocity two to three times that. Even a .22 long rifle can achieve muzzle velocities in excess of the speed of sound.
Sound isn’t really that fast. Watch someone chopping a tree in the woods one day.
Still, very nice shot. Gutsy more than skillful, really. With proper training and proper equipment that shot is not that amazing, if the target is a bullseye. For a target of a dangling gun from a living man’s hand, that shot is all about nerves and confidence, not raw shooting ability. Nerves of steel man.
{ 4 comments }
Dean….all I can say is how I reactd…DAAMN!
If you look and listen carefully, you’ll notice that you hear the shot after it strikes. That’s because with a lot of those sniper rifles, the bullet travels faster than the speed of sound.
Thanks Dean, I listened again and never knew that!
Most rifles the bullet travels faster than sound, thus the old maxim “you never hear the bullet that kills you.” The speed of sound is roughly 760mph at sea level, and a typical hunting rifle has a muzzle velocity two to three times that. Even a .22 long rifle can achieve muzzle velocities in excess of the speed of sound.
Sound isn’t really that fast. Watch someone chopping a tree in the woods one day.
Still, very nice shot. Gutsy more than skillful, really. With proper training and proper equipment that shot is not that amazing, if the target is a bullseye. For a target of a dangling gun from a living man’s hand, that shot is all about nerves and confidence, not raw shooting ability. Nerves of steel man.
CosmicConservative’s last blog post..Obama’s Surrender day
Comments on this entry are closed.