I just learned...

Good one. That got me curious. Found a solid explanation on Quora. Wild to think about.


Steve Baker
Senior Software Engineer (2013–present)

Only if the speed of the bullet was VERY exact - it would have to be around 1,600 meters/second (which is the speed of low lunar orbits). That’s not impossible - the .22 “Swift” bullet is fastest commercial round in the world at 1,422 meters/second - so we’d only need a modest speedup to do the job.

So probably there are military or specialist rounds that could do it - and without air in the barrel of the rifle - you could probably squeeze a little more muzzle velocity out of the .22 Swift.

So theoretically, firing horizontally with a slightly enhanced rifle bullet would put the round into orbit around the moon at whatever altitude you fired it from. With no air to slow it down, it would If you found the highest mountain on the orbit you chose - then the bullet would travel around the Moon and about an hour and 20 minutes later, you’d need to remember to duck!

However, it wouldn’t be an easy shot - the moon is riddled with things called “mascons” (mass concentrations) that result in complicated gravitational shifts for objects in lunar orbit - and aiming the bullet to take exactly the right path through these mascons would be very, very hard.

But theoretically - yes, it’s possible.

You would have to have the barrel pointing exactly perpendicular from your body as well, otherwise by the time it gets around, it may miss you by a fair distance.

Ill remember that for next time ;)

Maybe without an atmosphere but what about burning up on re-entry? Otherwise we would be getting hit with small pieces of space gravel every two minutes.