Originally Posted by
foxtrot
Actually, it will maintain its axis from the barrel (all bullets do) even through the apex and continue down to the ground base first.
When fired at a steep angle, it will maintain its axis from the barrel during the entire flight (all bullets, and in fact, any spin stabilized projectile.. including some artillery) meaning when fired at extreme angles the bullet is no longer penetrating anything along its axis. As in, if you fire a round with 30 degrees elevation, whatever it impacts, the bullet will still be pointing the same direction of the barrel (30 degrees above horizon) when it does.
A researcher back in the day clocked a 30-06 round as gaining about 12,000 feet in elevation before reaching apex, and coming down base first, denting wood reasonably well but I wouldn't go so far as to say it had penetration.
For it to be two miles away, you can be VERY certain it was fired at a pretty steep angle.. and even then I have my doubts. At 3000 feet it would have already dropped to less than 950 feet per second forward velocity (very lethal). But.. two miles is over 7500 feet beyond that. Can a 7.62x39 go two miles? You betcha. Can it go two miles, rip through a ceiling and cause a catastrophic wound as described... I REALLY doubt it. Sure, any bullet at any range can be lethal just like a pellet with 4 foot pounds of energy has killed people before, but it doesn't have the energy to make a mess of it.
I have to wonder if their ballistics expert is an on scene Sarah Brady. "Yup, see this hole? That means its an ASSAULT RIFLE, probably an AK-47 based on the terrorism damage."
Proof in point, if they don't know who the hell fired the round, or where, then how the hell was it an AK-47? Even if they know it is a 7.62x39 bullet... that does not, in fact, conclude it was an AK.
