The central investigation explores a trope common in action cinema: can a person be physically knocked backward by the impact of a bullet? To test this, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman utilized their resident proxy for human physiology, "Buster."
The build team (Tory, Kari, and Grant) tested various "shrapnel" loads. They discovered that while paper confetti is harmless, the high-pressure CO2 used to launch it can be lethal at extremely close range due to the sheer force of the gas expansion. Furthermore, if the cannon is "salted" with heavier objects or if the paper becomes a solid plug, it essentially becomes a makeshift pipe bomb. Scientific Significance [S2E17] Bullet Bump
The episode "" (Season 2, Episode 17) of MythBusters is a classic example of how the show tackles "movie physics" with rigorous, small-scale-to-large-scale experimentation. The episode primary focuses on two main myths: the titular Bullet Bump and the Confetti Cannon . The Core Myth: The Bullet Bump The central investigation explores a trope common in