how close was the bullet?

[showmebob]

Many years ago during hunting season ( I wasn't hunting that season, just driving the Jeep for Dad) I was standing on a mountain road while my Dad was off chasing deer.

I heard a bullet ricochet toward me but never did hear the shot. To this day I've wondered just how close I was to being a hunting accident? I seem to remember that the sound seemed to come from a distance toward me and I didn't hear it after it passed me.

How far away can you hear a ricochet? What makes that sound anyway? Is the bullet spinning end over end to create the sound?

Any thoughts appreciated!

 

[bainter1212]

I have had bullets shot over my head before. I could hear the sound of them displacing the air.....probably about 20 feet over my head. Some geniuses were shooting their handguns and didn't realize I was just over the hill out of sight.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

At our range the 100 yd rifle range and the 50 yd rimfire range are adjacent to one another and I've heard it when walking down to put targets up before. I really don't think they were all that close but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Akita1]

Close enough if you heard it. It's a zero sum game with a rifle projectile.

 

[Akita1]

I have had bullets shot over my head before. I could hear the sound of them displacing the air.....probably about 20 feet over my head. Some geniuses were shooting their handguns and didn't realize I was just over the hill out of sight.

Me too bainter - not interested in hearing that again if not in combat (not a reference, a fear)

 

[MErl]

Can hear handgun bullets spinning off the pistol range next to the rimfire locally, 50yds. Not loud but can hear em.

 

[Akita1]

Me too bainter - not interested in hearing that again if not in combat (not a reference, a fear)

BTW, an interesting sound zipping overhead as it slowed down; I was 300 yards away when the Einstein-inspired amongst us were shooting .556 from a 16-inch barrel - that "whizzing" of a such a light bullet was nothing I had ever heard before (I was before-then usually behind it). The impact of gravity was more of a concern at the time of course.

 

[Akita1]

BTW, an interesting sound zipping overhead as it slowed down; I was 300 yards away when the Einstein-inspired amongst us were shooting .556 from a 16-inch barrel - that "whizzing" of a such a light bullet was nothing I had ever heard before (I was before-then usually behind it). The impact of gravity was more of a concern at the time of course.

and that of course did not include a .223 hitting anything before it passed (such as foliage) overhead so I did not have the "tumbling" effect…(or is that "affect" for the before/after particularists amongst us).

 

[patmccoy]

If you hear a ricochet, or whizzing, the projectile is aimed in another direction. When a bullet passes by you the sound is a definite "crack", sometime identified as a "snap" like in a whip snapping.

 

[primalmu]

patmccoy, that may be, but if the bullet has slowed to subsonic you won't get that crack.

 

[floorit76]

Yes, anyone who has worked a target pit has heard the snap as they go overhead. I didn't take any ear plugs the first time I did, didn't take long to decide I had made an error. I have also had 22's shot directly over my head. I believe the whirring sound is the grooves left by the rifling cutting through the air.

 

[jcwit]

I remember the bullets snapping while going overhead when I was in the Army.

 

[bainter1212]

Most .45 acp is subsonic so definitely no crack with those.

 

[1911Tuner]

Many yeas ago...deer hunting on Joe White's Mountain, a bullet cut a limb off a tree about a foot from my head...and me dressed in blaze orange from head to ankles.

The shot came from about 200 yards away by the crack-thump method.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Shooting competitively you hear ricochets quite often. You can hear them a decent distance away from you... But I have had my fair share that were far too close for comfort.

 

[3212]

I have heard a Ziiip overhead and twigs and leaves falling from about 3 feet above me.

 

[HB]

I have had a similar experience. Hunting down in a creek bottom and I heard a small pop some distance to my left followed by the "classic" richochet as heard in cowboy movies. I have no idea where it came from or how far it was but it was too close. That being said, while dove hunting it is fairly common to hear shotgun pellets falling in the trees behind me or the whizzing noise as they pass out in front of me.

HB

 

[gearhead]

Probably not as close as you think.

I used to test belt fed machine guns in a privately owned sand and gravel quarry, we would fire from prone and POI would be 8'-10' up a sheer 50 foot side of the quarry. It was in a rural area but a little silkscreen shop set up on the other side of a 4-lane highway from the quarry pit. Those guys would call the Sheriff and say we were firing over their heads.

What happens is that when the projectile stops the bow shock wave continues to expand from the bullet path. That ZING! sound is the remnant of the shock wave, minus the sonic crack of the projectile.

 

[atomd]

The sound of bullets hitting cardboard over your head is louder than you'd think. It was louder than what I thought it would be anyways. I wonder what the difference in sound would be when comparing supersonic to subsonic at that distance.

 

[Millwright]

JMO, but if you can "hear the bullet" you're safe ! Its already passed you ! >MW

 

[3212]

In my case,I was lying in a tire rut as several hunters were shooting at deer from a ridge above me.Less than 300 yards away.

 

[Captain Capsize]

When I was in basic training in the early 60's my group had to mark and pull targets for Army sharpshooters. We were in a ditch just ahead of the target frames the shooters were 1000 yds. away. I can still remember the loud crack the rounds made passing a few feet overhead. It was a couple of seconds later when we heard the rifle report.

 

[Kim]

I was at my cabin and had someone shoot a semi-auto about 3 times down from me. I heard the passing whirl,zing or whatever you call it and heard the bullets (two) hit the ground behind me. I hit the ground and crawled behind the heating/air condenser and gave them a holler that I was there. Was scary. Do not know who it was. Some hunters across the fence line not on my property.

 

[Hardtarget]

Several years ago I was in my back yard,(in a 'burb of Nashville ,Tn.) when three shots ring out. Bullets went through the tree limbs over head. They were hitting twigs and limbs so I didn't get the "through the air" sound. I did get the rush of mix of fear /anger though!

I spotted the guy...a young teenager that lived three houses away. I yelled at him. Told him to go inside. If I even saw him outside again (that night) I was calling police. I didn't expect him to stay in. I didn't expect the police to come if I called. However, it worked.

As far as ricochet sounds...I've only heard them going away from me so I never really thought about how far away you can hear them.

Mark

 

[marv]

Years ago on Halloween night, laying in a corn field, listening to .22 bullets whizzing thru the stalks. I'll never forget that sound.