Is It Possible To Catch a Flying Bullet?

Bullets travel at a speed over 1000 feet per second. Catching a flying bullet is risky business, but in principle, it is quite possible!

To start with, you will need to wear bullet proof gloves. Bullet proof material has a series of rupture strength layers that will dissipate the bullet’s energy over a larger area. Still, if you catch it, you will end up with a compressed and deformed bullet and some serious internal injuries due to the kinetic energy of the bullet. 

A bullet can be safely caught when it is fired straight up into the sky. As the bullet moves up, it decelerates due to gravity, air friction and other forces, eventually losing all of its energy at its “maximum height .”  You can safely catch it at that point.

You can also safely catch a bullet by gently slowing it down to zero miles per hour before catching it. This is similar to catching a ball baseball, where the ball is caught with “soft” hands. The trick is to move your hands with the ball, which helps to spread and dissipate the ball’s energy rather than bracing for a single, high-pressure impact.

In order to do this with a bullet, you will need a high-rupture strength fishing net, foam and an airplane. Modify the body of the plane with a hatch that can be opened or closed, similar to a sun roof in a car. Take off in the airplane and position it close to the bullet’s trajectory. Once the bullet is close by, open the hatch and poke out the fishing net filled with foam and catch the bullet. Continue flying a little longer, giving time for the bullet to slow down to zero mph .