How Dangerous Is Shooting in
The Air - True and False
Guest Opinion by Josh Montgomery. August 2nd, 2019
Many people are discussing guns and whether they’re dangerous or not, but there’s one more issue that people seem to be concerned about: shooting into the air. Whereas it’s certain that shooting a gun straight at someone can potentially kill them if aimed properly, many are thinking about air shooting. There are many myths surrounding the matter, and people don’t know what the truth is.
In this article, we are going to debunk some of these myths and present to you the facts about air shooting. Let’s get started!
1. Shooting in the air is not harmful because the bullet gets lost. – False
A very common thing people used to believe was that a bullet shot into the air will travel so far up that it will get lost, thus being unable to reach anyone. That couldn’t be further from the truth, though. Bullets don’t travel that far up. They go upwards for one or two miles, after which they start falling back down. So, since they’re falling back, there’s no saying where they’re going to land, which means they could reach a person and harm them.
2. Bullets that fall back can’t hurt you since they don’t have the same power. – False
There’s a common belief that once a bullet reaches its peak and starts falling, it has no power to harm someone anymore. However, this is nothing more than another wrong statement. A bullet that starts falling will be affected by gravitation and the wind – so, although the power it has when leaving the barrel is not the same, it is still enough to cause an injury. There were moments when bullets have fallen on soil and they caused a little dent in the ground – so, it is possible to injure one's skin.
3. If a bullet is shot into the air, it will fall back down in the same place. – False
Once again, a false statement. Since the bullet travels quite a while in the air, the wind can change its trajectory, depending on how fast and powerfully it’s blowing. So, the bullet’s path will be changed and the place it lands might be further away from where it’s been shot. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect it to come back, and that makes it even more dangerous since you have no idea where it will go, and whether it will hit someone or not.
4. A falling bullet might penetrate your skin. – True
As mentioned, the bullet is affected by the gravitational force and the wind, and just like any falling object, the impact with whatever it hits will be strong. Especially if the bullet’s tip is sharp, it can be dangerous combined with the falling force – so, it can break through your skin and cause an injury. There were situations of this happening in the past. Nevertheless, it really depends on the size and caliber of the bullet and the miles per hour. Some bullets may bounce off you instead, but that will still be painful and could still cause a temporary bruise.
5. Firing at an angle is more dangerous than shooting straight up into the air. – True
When you shoot up into the air, the bullet will easily be affected and slow down thanks to the gravitational pull. Therefore, it won’t get to travel for too long, as it will stop and start to fall back. Now, if you fire a gun at a different angle, things can be a little more dangerous. For example, if you fire it somewhere up to 45 degrees or more, it will cause the bullet to travel for much longer. So, although it’s shot into the air and not straight horizontally, it has greater chances of hitting someone with a greater force and injure them or even kill them.
Firing at such an angle could also happen when you accidentally shoot the gun. It can be a very dangerous case, which is why safety precautions should take place to prevent it from happening. A lightweight carry could be easier to work with and it will be less likely for you to fire it by accident. For example, a Crosman Fire Nitro Piston air rifle could work amazingly in such a situation. It has a lightweight synthetic stock, and it can hit as much as 1200 feet per second, thus being effective no matter what. It also comes with a Crosman to make sure you shoot accurately. If you use another type of gun, maybe you should make sure it has a safety system that prevents it from firing unless you take the lock off.
Final Thoughts
Considering how many myths there are surrounding air shooting, it’s important to know what is true and what is false. Hopefully, this post was informative enough in that regard.
