Actual bullets do come down quite fast. It depends on the guns that fired them , but they Can come back down with ~nearly the muzzle velocity. Usually there are losses up to ~50% along the way. Several dozen people are killed in most large Middle Eastern and Asian towns every year by bullets fired by the wedding or other celebration parties into the air coming back down on them and the nearby area.
Shotguns pellets Should have much higher losses due to the surface-volume ratio being higher and the pellets generally being smaller. As the initial velocity is lower to start with as well, you do get a pattering sound on roofs. I've heard it several times (in the ~ancient days when I lived in ~farming areas in the mid-west) and it always sounded Very similar to light hail or Really heavy rain.
Statistically, however, I agree with texas_tiger that fireworks debris is much more likely. Starshells and bursters spray out a shotgun -like handful of small pellets which leave a hard crust after they burn out.
The larger industrial shells (read as 'stuff you have to be a municipality or large company to get ~easily) can toss out several pounds of this up to half a mile up or more vertically. From downtown, you're in a fairly good spot for some to drift over you and ~rain on your roof.
(no subject)
Shotguns pellets Should have much higher losses due to the surface-volume ratio being higher and the pellets generally being smaller. As the initial velocity is lower to start with as well, you do get a pattering sound on roofs. I've heard it several times (in the ~ancient days when I lived in ~farming areas in the mid-west) and it always sounded Very similar to light hail or Really heavy rain.
Statistically, however, I agree with
The larger industrial shells (read as 'stuff you have to be a municipality or large company to get ~easily) can toss out several pounds of this up to half a mile up or more vertically. From downtown, you're in a fairly good spot for some to drift over you and ~rain on your roof.