Can You Be Killed by an Air Rifle [The Alarming Truth Uncovered]
Many people are curious whether an air rifle can kill us. The truth is, the answer is not as straight forward as it seems. It really depends on various factors, for example, the area where its shot, the size, the speed of the pellet etc.
We will try our best to cover all of them here. The main thing to point out is that air rifles are quite dangerous and they are considered as weapons!
When Can an Air Rifle Kill a Human?
If the hit is located in the temple or an eye, it will be a deadly hit! These body parts are soft and they don’t have thick protection, so the projectile will travel deep into the human skull and cause a massive damage. This may refer as ‘’headshot’’ and in this case scenario, it is lethal!
You also must know that air rifles will launch a projectile at a speed of 1000 feet per second. This is a generic speed of a projectile. Some rifles can launch it faster than the others and vice versa. The human skin is thin and it can be penetrated by a projectile which is traveling at a speed of 150 feet per a second. If we increase that speed to 200 per a second, we can see fractured bones and more severe injuries.
How Does an Air Rifle Shot Become Harmless?
If the shot is directed towards legs, arms or the torso, the shot won’t be lethal. In those cases, different injuries are possible and some of them are more severe than the others.
There are a lot of factors that will affect the overall speed of the projectile. The speed will significantly be reduced after a short distance. Cloths will decrease the speed as well, especially jeans and leather jackets. All of this means that the injury will be less than just severe.
Nevertheless, if fired at close distance to a human, an air rifle will certainly make some damage. It may be less-severe like a penetrated skin or a muscle damage. In more severe cases it will damage the bones and perhaps the internal organs.
>> Check out our reviews on the Best Air Rifles <<
Kit That Makes Air Rifle Lethal
Recently we were able to see an increase in popularity of some kits available online that can make an air rifle far more advanced and powerful. They include stronger springs and even adapt the rifles to run on CO2. As such, their impact is much higher.
If an air rifle is adapted with kits mentioned above, the injury will be far more severe regardless of the where the projectile is directed. For most ‘’targets’’, the outcome will be lethal.
FINAL THOUGHT
The answer to this question can be rather complicated, but we hope we did a good job explaining the main points in this article. If the shot is directed towards the right spot, it is harmful and may cause fatality. Otherwise, it will cause injury. A more advanced rifle shot can increases the fatality rate.
Last but not least, It is always important to remember to be cautious when using them. Regardless of where the projectile hits, even if it does not kill, it surely does hurt!
