View Single Post
  #6   Report Post  
posted to rec.boats
Tom Francis - SWSports Tom Francis - SWSports is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,326
Default Bullets bouncing offa water

On Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:00:03 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote:

On Nov 16, 12:40 pm, Boater wrote:
Frogwatch wrote:
In my thread about target shooting on the water, someone mentioned
bullets bouncing back and had a vid of this happening when a .5 cal
bounced from a steel plate.


First, some easy to remember physics: Light things do not transfer
energy to heavy things well, that is why the bullet bounced back from
the steel plate. Heavy things do transfer energy to light things well
which is why sand absorbs energy from a bullet so well.


Although a bullet will bounce at a shallow angle from water or sand, I
doubt it is possible for a 180 degree bounce to happen. OK, it is
"possible" but it is probably more likely you will get hit by a
meteorite twice.


Have one of your relatives call us from the ER when you manage to shoot
yourself. Here's a hint: make sure the hole in the barrel is pointed
away from you. I mention that because you seem to have extraordinary
problems with ordinary objects.


OK. here is how you could get a 180 degree bounce from water. You
need a very large breaking wave and I do mean large as the angle for
reflection is less than 20 degrees meaning you need 9 reflections from
the braking part to get your 180 degrees


Much easier to take your copper jacketed. 22 out on the ice and
shoot.

Neat thing happens - you shoot the ice at a slight angle and the
bullet enters the ice and travels a bit until the steam builds up
enough - the bullet will come screaming back out of the hole and at
pretty decent velocity. :)