Bullets flying close over your head

T

TXAZ

New member
I've worked in the pits at long range matches pulling / pushing targets, and had a goofball in a nearby lane start firing at his target while a few of us were walking back to the firing line from our targets. The bullets make a very distinctive sound, but we didn't really have any fear.

To you combat veterans and others who have had bullets fired in anger over your head, at your head / body, what's that like and other than keeping your head and body down, how did you deal with it then and after the fact?
 
You hear them crack first, before the muzzle report if they are still super sonic. First time hearing the sonic cracks was a little puzzling. Mostly you just hear your own panting breathing and heartbeat. Sounds don’t give me as bad feelings, but smells are a different story.

Someone showed me a video once that supposedly “proved” the conspiracy theory of more than one shooter in the Vegas shooting. I immediately recognized that the sound that was supposed to be the second closer shooter was only sonic cracks that were occurring when the shots were being fired towards the source of the video.
 
Just had to remember that there was no bullet with your name on it, but those marked "to whom it may concern" could be a big problem. :D
 
Not a combat veteran - though - as kids we used to sneak onto the beach below a cliff that had a skeet range on top & listen to the shots whizzzzz above our heads - - until the police boat came along and chased us away.
The police used to use the range to practice also & we'd do the same thing...

The sound is one that stays with you forever since there isn't anything else that sounds like that.

One evening, decades later, I was walking the dog when I heard that same unmistakable sound go by over my head. I was at my in-laws house & we called the police to report someone taking a shot at me.

About three hours later,,,when they finally decided to respond.....:(
 
After going belly first to the ground, when I heard two bullets "snap" over my head...I felt a sense of fear and anger at first --- But then I blamed myself for going after a wounded deer (that was shot in the throat by someone else, which was giving off a rasping sound) in the bush on public hunting land.
 
The really close ones sounded like the biggest bee in creation. moving at Mach speed.

Then I realized that the ones I heard weren't worth worrying over. Now, artillery rounds I can hear, they scare the crap out of me! :rolleyes:
 
Don't give it much thought. ...

how did you deal with it then and after the fact?
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As far as "then" really not much except maybe to instinctively, ducking. Afterwards, kind of depends but for the most part, just forget about it. I am not a combat veteran but have experienced more than one type of ordinance, coming close. One did bring on a smile. It was when I got too close to a 5" gun mount going off that knocked me flat on my a$$. I do know what a 7.62 sound like. Slugs do make a different sound and again, for the most part, no big deal.

Be Safe !!!
 
The scariest by far were the outgoing C-RAM rounds. They are super loud, sudden and disrupt all activity. And you know they only shoot the thing without warning because there are inbound rockets or mortars. So everyone is seeking shelter.

Incoming mortar sound just like in the movies. For some reason these were not that scary. Even when followed by a (hopefully) remote explosion.

Rockets are really fast whoosing, much faster than the movies. Followed by some really spectacular explosions.

The really close ones sounded like the biggest bee in creation. moving at Mach speed.
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Yes this. But not so much "bee buzzing". More like a crazy fast giant wasp or similar insect.

Strangely I have bullets flying below me when bullets were being exchanged in anger. I was on top of a roof that was next to a street where a firefight was going on at street level. I could not hear the bullets due to all the gunshots.

The freakiest by far are IEDs. The explosion propels a debris and dust field faster than sound. So if you are inside the area of the blast and can see the explosion you get a big flash, followed by darkness, followed by the sound of the explosion. You may even hear parts of your vehicle being destroyed by the shrapnel (if you are lucky).

There is more to it but those are what I most remember.

how did you deal with it then and after the fact?
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We just continued mission. If you just sit there getting shot at sooner or later you are going to get hit. Therefore you have to stop the source of the threat. Lots of different ways to do that.

For the IDF you seek shelter and wait for the all clear while counterfire gets it sorted. Most of the time in Iraq they were shooting back at dirt as the IDF was on a fuse or vehicle mounted.
 
Not a combat vet, but I have had rounds fired 'in my general direction'. No idea who it was, or why, most likely someone firing off a few rounds from a passing vehicle as I was walking home one night.

If that was the case, the shots came from about 75-100 yards out, to my forward left. I heard the four shots, then that Bzzzzzzzzzz, then three impacts on the building behind me and to the right, approximately 30 yards from where I was.

Close enough to hear that buzz was not a pleasant feeling. I do not know how close they have to be for that, maybe the line of fire was well over my head by 10 feet? Maybe to my sides? No idea. but it sure made me run for cover.
 
I’ve occasionally heard the wizZing sound sitting in my living room with the windows open and yard lol, but didn’t recall hearing a muzzle report.

I also know that you can hear the rock from a slingshot before it Crashes into your shinbone
 
30something years later, I still have a decent divot in my shinbone.

I also got hit by my own 9mm bullet that bounced off of a reactive steel target... that was supposed to be appropriate for the caliber. It had the distinctive sound of a ricochet. It only just stung a little... I attempted to dodge it, but in reality it hit me before I even started to react haha.
 
I just recall a ZIP and then I was prone in cover. Don't recall a report at all......kinda busy dropping. I never even heard the one that got me in the leg from behind. Suddenly on my ass rather surprised and confused.
 
some sounded like model airplane engines. the ones that hit the car i was in made a loud WAP sound. i was too young or dumb to worry about the ones that went by, never bothered me. now it would. i may have even laughed.
 
I'm not a combat veteran, so can't say anything about that. Although, two years ago I was at a Bullseye match and heard some bullets whizzing over our heads during a short break. The whole range is sort of compact, and the pistol ranges actually face each other. You're shooting into a 30 foot tall berm, and on the other side is another pistol range shooting into the other side of the same berm. They were shooting a "Steel Match" on the other side, and by the sounds of it, every 30th round or so must have been bouncing off the steel targets and going over the berm. Kind of sounded like an angry 30 pound bumble bee flying over your head. Unnerving at first, until you realized the bullets were well over 30 feet above your head.


The Match Director on our side drove over to complain to the Match Director of the Steel Match. They claimed we were hearing a small drone they were flying to film the match. So they put the drone away. We still heard bullets whizzing over our heads, even after the drone got parked. We ended up ignoring it and continued with our match.
 
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I had bullets thunking next to me on the 300 yard line at my local range, they were coming from the 80 yard line and just because of a spot where the middle berm isn't quite high enough. Got MY attention right quick.
 
49 and 50 years ago it was not fun.

Not only were they flying over your heads, but they were chewing up the trees and surrounding environment in your approximate location.

However the scariest were the mortar and RPG. You could hear them and even see them, but you did not know if they were gonna land in your lap or not.

Almost got my name put on that wall in D.C. except that a big dude from South Philly tackled me into a bunker. He heard it way before me. Wish I knew that man's name, but we did not have time for introductions. I am forever indebted to him.

Edited 9/24/19
My apologies for using an ethnic slur describing Charlie (Our enemy in Vietnam). It was very common back then when describing the VC/NVA and I should not have use that word in today's environment.
 
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