Speed of sound.

Awriter friend and I were talking a while back. He mentioned a book he had readin which a character under fire heard a bullet strike a tree, then heard thereport of the rifle. My friend suggested this was unlikely, as the speed of soundis much greater than that of the bullets of the era—the Old West.

Idisagreed, 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 onSesame Street: “Look it up.” It took a few hours and lots of mouse clicks toreach a number of relevant web sites. Here’s what I learned about the speed ofsound and the velocity of bullets fired from a few rifles in common use at thetime in question.

Soundtravels through the air at 1,125 feet per second. That varies somewhat,affected by temperature, humidity, and wind. And, of course, sound wavesdissipate and the noise fades with distance. The velocity of bullets varies aswell, depending on wind and distance, and the bullet loses speed the farther ittravels.

But,all things being equal, a bullet fired from a .52 caliber Spencer repeatingrifle would lose the race, lumbering along at a paltry 931 to 1,033 feet persecond.

Therace with a .44 caliber round from a Henry rifle would be a dead heat, thebullet leaving the barrel at 1,125 feet per second.

Abullet from a Winchester .44-40 Golden Boy outruns sound at 1,433 feet persecond.

Theold-time Hawken rifle, .50 caliber model, spit out lead at 1,600 feet persecond.

Winningit all is the Sharps .50 caliber, which, depending on grains of powder in thecartridge, fires bullets that fly 1,448 to 1,814 feet per second.

Noneof which matters. But how else is an old man with no gainful employmentsupposed to spend his time?