We talk a lot about bullets on this site (duh!). But we hardly ever talk about the vast swaths of history bullets as items have under their belts. Let’s dive into a lighter topic this time and talk about some cool things about bullets you probably don’t already know!
Cool Facts About Bullets
The Longest Confirmed Sniper Kill
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This took place in November 2009 and was carried out by British Cpl. Craig Harrison.
During this incredible moment in Afghanistan, Harrison struck two Taliban machine gunners at the same time. He used a single bullet fired from an L115A3 Long Range Rifle.
This is the single longest confirmed sniper kill in any combat scenario, taking six seconds in total to reach its targets and falling about 400 feet.
Other sniper feats of accuracy are equally as astounding. There’s Simo Hayha, the deadliest sniper in all of history, and Lyudmila Pavilchenko – the most famous female sniper and bane of the Nazis.
Here’s another secondary cool tidbit that’s related to the above. Harrison had to compensate for the Coriolis effect, which describes the tendency of cyber bullets to curve because of the rotation of the earth itself.
Basically, the Earth’s turn actually pulls a bullet down, up, left, or right. Ao any sniper worth their salt needs to keep this in mind when their bullet is going to be traveling for several seconds.
Firing Bullets into the Air Can Be Risky…
Did you know that firing a bullet up into the air can potentially place it about a quarter of a mile away depending on your altitude and any other wind conditions?
While many people fire their guns into the air in celebration (usually when they’re undereducated about gun safety), this is actually quite dangerous.
Bullets that fall after being shot into the air almost always reach terminal velocity, which is more than enough to be fatal if they strike someone in the chest or head.
This being said, your odds of being injured or killed by an accidental firearm discharge are pretty low: only about 1 out of 6509.
Americans Are Hungry for Bullets!
Ever wonder how much ammunition Americans go through every year? While that number is a bit harder to pin down, there’s no denying the manufacturing statistics.
Americans buy between 10 and 12 billion bullets every year. That’s a lot of ammunition! This totals several billion dollars worth of profit.
It turns out that rifles are the big-money spenders, with individuals buying more bullets and more expensive ammunition overall.
Rifle ammunition sales total about 36% of all bullet sales when all things are considered.
Oh, and Americans? We’re the biggest buyers of bullets the world around. No surprise there!
Original Bullets
Perhaps the earliest incarnation of the modern bullet is the “sling” bullet, which was little more than a shaped projectile you could use with a slingshot or a similar weapon.
It’s rumored that the fabled David of David and Goliath fame may have used a sling bullet instead of a regular stone given the technological capabilities of the time.
These sling bullets have even been found to have been engraved with various messages, like taunts toward one’s enemies.
Married Bliss
One Florida man woke up with a terrible headache in 2007. When he went to the hospital, doctors were perplexed to discover that a bullet had been lodged into his brain.
It was only later that his wife admitted that she had accidentally shot him while he slept, creating the injury and being herself astounded that he hadn’t immediately died.
The jury’s still out on that alibi, in our eyes. But it is clear that the human body is more resilient than you might initially think!
Do you have other interesting facts about bullets? Do share it with us in the comments section!
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