DRN> VH> It depends -- I've stood under a tree and had Number 6 shot rain 
own
DRN> VH> through the leaves, where someone else had shot at a squirrel only
DRN> VH> about a hundred yards away.  Those Number 6s had reached terminal
DRN> VH> velocity rather quickly.
DRN> How do you know the shot wouldn't have picked up a bit more speed if
DRN> it had fallen farther?
The fact that it had shed almost all of its velocity tells me that.  If
it COULD fall at a higher velocity, how did it get so slow?
Of course, there are tables of danger zones -- the Army has a slew of
them for designing ranges -- that confirm that small shot sizes have
virtually no danger zone beyond about 200 yards.  This is due to the
fact that their terminal velocities are so low.
DRN> VH> have a terminal velocity of about 500 fps.
DRN> VH> Of course, when the terminal velocity is near or above the speed of
DRN> VH> sound, this rule no longer holds.
DRN> What I said, it's too complicated to figure with out taking off my
DRN> shoes. 
My approach is to say "Henry, go out in the field there, and tell me if
anything hurts you." :-)
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