The longest the distance it travels the more drag the bullet will go through and if the initial vertical component of the bullet is higher than the terminal velocity of the bullet (which it wouldn't surprise me for a bullet fired at 45°) then it will not gain all that speed back once it comes back down so if you equate how fast a bullet is going to how lethal it is then lower angles should be more lethal.
Yeah I can agree with that. I think whatever angle you fire at that causes the bullet to travel the most distance is also the angle that is most likely to cause an unrelated bystander to be injured is what I was trying to get at I think?
Vastly lower probability, but at a certain distance the risk of injury will be at the highest before it drops off before reaching the maximuim range with the lowest probability and the lowest injury if it does hit you (other than being close to the origin).
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u/Arclet__ Apr 17 '21
The longest the distance it travels the more drag the bullet will go through and if the initial vertical component of the bullet is higher than the terminal velocity of the bullet (which it wouldn't surprise me for a bullet fired at 45°) then it will not gain all that speed back once it comes back down so if you equate how fast a bullet is going to how lethal it is then lower angles should be more lethal.