Is it even remotely possible to curve bullets as shown in the new movie, Wanted?

Question

The principle is basically the same as a curve ball in baseball, or a hook shot in bowling. But given that the shooter isn't actually contacting the projectile and the speed involved, I wonder if it's even remotely possible.

Answer 1

In order to do a "curve shot", you will have to induce a spin in the projectile, such as what can be done in bowling (I'll use bowling as the example since I'm more familiar with it).

This is very difficult to do using a bullet. For one, the manner of throwing the projectile is different from that of bowling. In bowling, it is the human hand that manipulates the movement of the ball. The human hand is flexible, and with correct flicks of the wrist, the ball can be made to spin and curve. The gun barrel does not have the same capability, because it only shoots the bullet in a straight direction.

Secondly, the shape of the projectile are different. It is easier to induce a spin in something spherical like a bowling ball. A bullet is "tubular" in shape. It is made to cut through in a straight direction. Of course, you can make it spin in a rolling direction, but that is not the kind of spin that induces a curve.

Try thinking of the bullet spinning around from end to end (think of spinning a pen on a table). Now that's the kind of spin that will induce the curved motion that we're looking for. But that's not the way bullets act, not even in the movies.

Answer 2

no. simply no.

Answer 3

Yes, it is remotely possible to curve bullets like in the movie, however the amount of curve is probably in the scale of nanometers rather than the cm/m that the movie does.

Two things to take into consideration for curving, spin and rotational torque.  To throw a curveball in baseball, you apply spin to the ball and it meets air resistance depending upon the spin and thus curves the ball.  To bowl a curve in bowling, the spin meets resistance against the boards and curves.

To apply the same resistance to a non spinning bullet would work if you arced your arm while firing, but the amount of resistance the bullet meets would barely cause it to deviate nanometers, and gravity has a greater effect.

The problem with the torque is that bullets, even in pistols generally have a slight barrelling, so they spin to provide gyroscopic stability to travel in a straight line, so any tangential arc force produced by swinging the arms while firing has to be greater than the torque and spin on the bullet by the barrelling, which, with the speeds that bullets come out of, is practically impossible.

If you swung the gun as fast as the bullet travels (like 300fps) while firing, then sure, you could curve the bullet by providing enough momentum.  But realistically with a human arm, no.

Answer 4

idk, but i'm pretty sure it can be possible with some guns such as pistols but not any other type of weapon

Answer 5

Only possible if the gun is altered to produce that effect.