Does anyone have an idea of the maximum altitude the round reached?

quote:

Originally posted by maxdog:
Does anyone have an idea of the maximum altitude the round reached?

Well, s = G/2 * t * t; G = 32.7 ft/sec/sec and t = 50 seconds (it took 1 minute 40 seconds for the bullet to make the round trip, so one way was 50 seconds). That comes to about 41,000 feet.

(Of course, that calculation does not take into account any delays due to air resistance, so may be exaggerated.)

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by maxdog:
Does anyone have an idea of the maximum altitude the round reached?

I think flashguy is pretty close. My initial guess was around 35,000 feet.

Well, I misremembered the OP and the one-way trip was 55 seconds, not 50. The recalculated height reached is just over 49,000 feet (again, probably exaggerated because the bullet would have been slowed by air resistance, making its travel time longer).

flashguy

Even 35000 ft is impressive.

quote:

Originally posted by maxdog:
Even 35000 ft is impressive.

Considering the number of aircraft flying between 10K and 25K feet.

Now we know the real reason CA banned the .50 cal - aircraft safety.

quote:

(it took 1 minute 40 seconds for the bullet to make the round trip, so one way was 50 seconds)
flashguy

I don't think the up time and down time are going to just happen to be about the same. Bullet leaves at muzzle velocity but is fairly quickly slowed to a stop by gravity and friction.
Down time speed is limited by terminal velocity is it not? But how long to reach that?

We need a rocket scientist to do the math... or at least someone that stayed at Holiday Inn last night.

Where is everyone getting the 1 minute and fifty seconds of flight from? He fired the first bullet at 1:41. The bullet landed at 2:17. 36 seconds.

quote:

Where is everyone getting the 1 minute and fifty seconds of flight from? He fired the first bullet at 1:41. The bullet landed at 2:17. 36 seconds.

They edited out the wait time for a more timely video. If you watch all the way through, the state several times that it takes one minute and fifty seconds.

How does a round with a range of over 3 miles get 6-7 miles up?

We need a rocket scientist.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
I think flashguy is pretty close. My initial guess was around 35,000 feet.

So... could it be that the guy in the video, using a folding table for a base, held the gun so perfectly vertical with a hand-held level that the bullet went up 6.6 statute miles, then fell 6.6 statute miles back to earth with enough accuracy for the shooter to hear the bullet impact the ground?

I'm not an engineer, nor am I saying y'all are wrong. But I am suggesting the maximum altitude might a bit less than 6.6, or even 7.7 miles (41,000').

Of all the things I've really wondered about over the last seventy-something years, and there have been, and still are, quite a few, I have to admit that this question is not one of them.

tac

I have to admit, when I was a young teenager I loved to shoot birdshot up in the air and listen to the pellets hit the leaves on the way down. I was at least smart enough to never even consider trying anything bigger.