How Fast Is .50 BMG Bullet?

The .50 BMG round leaves a barrel at 920 m/s — Mach 2.7. From a kilometre away, you would hear the impact before the report of the shot itself reached you, since the bullet outpaces its own sound. Designed in 1918, still in service today.

The .50 BMG was originally designed for use against early WWI tanks. Modern body armour makes most other rifle rounds obsolete against military targets.

• Mach 2.7
• You hear the impact before the shot