A writer friend and I were talking a while back. He mentioned a book he had read in which a character under fire heard a bullet strike a tree, then heard the report of the rifle. My friend suggested this was unlikely, as the speed of sound is much greater than that of the bullets of the era—the Old West.
I disagreed, and we left it at that.
However, curiosity got the best of me, so I thought I’d do what they tell you to do on Sesame Street: “Look it up.” It took a few hours and lots of mouse clicks to reach a number of relevant web sites. Here’s what I learned about the speed of sound and the velocity of bullets fired from a few rifles in common use at the time in question.
Sound travels through the air at 1,125 feet per second. That varies somewhat, affected by temperature, humidity, and wind. And, of course, sound waves dissipate and the noise fades with distance. The velocity of bullets varies as well, depending on wind and distance, and the bullet loses speed the farther it travels.
But, all things being equal, a bullet fired from a .52 caliber Spencer repeating rifle would lose the race, lumbering along at a paltry 931 to 1,033 feet per second.
The race with a .44 caliber round from a Henry rifle would be a dead heat, the bullet leaving the barrel at 1,125 feet per second.
A bullet from a Winchester .44-40 Golden Boy outruns sound at 1,433 feet per second.
The old-time Hawken rifle, .50 caliber model, spit out lead at 1,600 feet per second.
Winning it all is the Sharps .50 caliber, which, depending on grains of powder in the cartridge, fires bullets that fly 1,448 to 1,814 feet per second.
None
of which matters. But how else is an old man with no gainful employment
supposed to spend his time?
Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteThat's interesting info. In my younger days, long ago, my dad built hunting rifles from parts, and his favorite round was a 2.57 Roberts Ackley improved. That's the famous P.O. Ackley, gunsmith extraordinaire, of Salt Lake. With a maximum load and a 100 grain bullet the muzzle velocity was 3,279 fps.
ReplyDeleteFirearms technology has improved somewhat but physics has not. If you drop a bullet from the same height at the same instant one leaves the muzzle in level flight they will both reach the ground at the same time, since the only force acting on them is gravity.
What about the force of the powder explosion acting on the fired bullet? It seems the energy and propulsion would resist gravity for a time. After all, propulsion makes artillery shells, missiles, and airplanes keep from falling for quite a spell. I cannot imagine the effect would not be the same with the energy of the explosion pushing a bullet through the air in defiance of gravity at least for a time. But I am no physicist.
DeleteOops, make that .257
ReplyDeleteSince your into finding stuff out Buddy, how many spur licks would a Cowboy take in a 8 second ride?
ReplyDeleteThat, of course, would vary widely depending on the horse. About a dozen would be a good average. Some high-jumpers might be less, and the quick ones more.
Delete12 spur lucks on Alley Cat you could of won the cash! Good to visit with you my Friend! MQ
DeleteI'd be damn lucky to get in three spur licks on Alley Cat before getting blown out the back door, doing a double backflip, and plowing a furrow in the arena dirt.
DeleteInteresting information Rod. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome.
DeleteI just finished 1000 Dead Horses. I always wondered at the fate of Juan Medina
ReplyDelete"The Times of a Sign" in my collection, BLACK JOE AND OTHER SELECTED STORIES" answers that question.
DeleteLove it that you spent so much time and thought on the issue. I’d have to study to understand the answer. N. Curtis
ReplyDeleteMe too.
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