you've never heard of a shotsehll pellet coming out of the air and killing someone, BECUASE ITCAN'T HAPPEN!! I, and I'm sure many others, have been "rained" on by bird shot pellets while hunting. The worse that little pellet is going to do is put an eye out, because it doesn't carry enough KINETIC energy to do harm.
And by the way, that mushroomed bullet, and maybe just maybe you realize this,that's what it MIGHT look like after striking a target. It does NOT mushroom like that by just being fired from a gun. It will retain it's shape until striking something hard enough to deform the bullet!

Sure a 22lr can be 40gr. just as a .223 may weigh that, BUT there are heavier bullets that can be shot out of the .223, also smaller bullets! Sizes range from about a 30 gr. bullet to 80 gr. bullets!

"i also do agree that it is not a great idea to shoot a .223 or even a 22 up in the ar" Hallelujah!Weagree on something!