Houston Police: Celebratory gunfire against the law

[one-eyed fat man]

21. Some report that the shooter was Amish as well

and the weapon involved was a .50 caliber muzzle loader.

A common misconception is that the bullet is always traveling the slowest at the furthest point in its trajectory. When shooting at max range or at high angles the slowest point is close to the maximum ordinate.

To simplify the explanation, picture that if you shoot straight up, the projectile will slow down at a rate of 32 fps per second until the speed reaches zero. At this point, there being nothing to hold it there, the projectile will return to earth picking up speed at the same rate it was shed.

This calculation disregards air resistance but a .50 caliber round ball, weighs 177 grains, dropped from 3000 feet, it will have an impact velocity of 462 fps. That would deliver about 83 foot pounds. By contrast, the .41 rimfire cartridge from a Remington derringer fired a 130 grain bullet at velocity of 425 feet per second and a muzzle energy of 52 foot-pounds force.

It was certainly lethal enough.