JustThisGuy
New member
I read a wonderful article on Terminal Ballistics written by a former LEO who now works in a morgue. He writes about first-hand witnessing of many, many gun shot deaths and the evidence those leave as to caliber, placement and bullet type.
It's a very interesting read. http://www.gunthorp.com/Terminal Ballistics as viewed in a morgue.htm
He covers bullet caliber and type better than most that I have read (he likes heavy big bullets after seeing many one-shot kills with .40/.45s while smaller calibers 9mm/.380 often require many hits to stop the BG.)
One of the points I thought about after reading this is the argument for/against Center of Mass vs. Abdomen Targeting.
For COM:
- Lots of important organs
- Easier to hit than head, spine, etc.
Against COM:
- Must reliably penetrate bones to ensure stopping power
- BR Vests
- Shot misses can go through walls, etc. or beyond to innocent bystanders.
For Abdomen:
- No ribcage; penetration assured if hit
- Very painful area when hit from below ribcage to groin
- Most stable area (less movement than upper body or head)
- Downward firing angle may reduce possibility for unintended targets if BG is missed.
Against Abdomen:
- Heart or head is always better if you can hit it
I'm wondering if anyone has seen any evidence either way on Abdomen hits or can offer opinions.
It's a very interesting read. http://www.gunthorp.com/Terminal Ballistics as viewed in a morgue.htm
He covers bullet caliber and type better than most that I have read (he likes heavy big bullets after seeing many one-shot kills with .40/.45s while smaller calibers 9mm/.380 often require many hits to stop the BG.)
One of the points I thought about after reading this is the argument for/against Center of Mass vs. Abdomen Targeting.
For COM:
- Lots of important organs
- Easier to hit than head, spine, etc.
Against COM:
- Must reliably penetrate bones to ensure stopping power
- BR Vests
- Shot misses can go through walls, etc. or beyond to innocent bystanders.
For Abdomen:
- No ribcage; penetration assured if hit
- Very painful area when hit from below ribcage to groin
- Most stable area (less movement than upper body or head)
- Downward firing angle may reduce possibility for unintended targets if BG is missed.
Against Abdomen:
- Heart or head is always better if you can hit it
I'm wondering if anyone has seen any evidence either way on Abdomen hits or can offer opinions.