Part of my current job is shooting glass, with 2X4s.
Tempered glass shatters into little nuggets of glass. Kind of looks like the glass that you see in the movies when someone has to crash through them. (Actually they use crystalline sugar, I think) For realism you could mention how it continues to crackle and pop like Rice Crispies long after it is shattered as the stress is relieved.
Laminated safety glass (used in hurricane proof windows and automobiles) does the same thing, but there is an laminating interlayer that holds onto the nuggets and will often stop projectiles. (Not bullets though)
Annealed glass shatters into shards that can be very dangerous, like you see in the movies when someone needs to be cut or make a knife. (Kind of odd it is always just the right type of glass isn't it
).
Normally annealed glass, when struck by a projectile will have some small particles fly out with the projectile, but the glass will spiderweb out and then start separating into shards. Those shards will cut like a razor but they usually just fall from gravity. A guy at one of our suppliers died a couple of years ago when handling a plate of annealed glass and it broke on him, he wasn't wearing Kevlar sleeves and it severed an artery in his arm and he bled out before they could stop the bleeding.
Scene 1: Shot across the desk.
Important points to include:
1. Flash and blast in an enclosed area. Emphasize the rush of the air, the deafening crack of the gun going off, papers and stuff on the desk getting blown around/off the desk, the smell of the gun powder tickling the nostrils.
2. Powder burn on the desk (if shot from the hip) and powder burns/streaks on the target on top of the weapon damage. (Across the desk with a hunting rifle is nearly contact distance)
Scene 2: Shot across the street.
1. Depending on the distance and lighting conditions, the victim could see the muzzle flash before the round impacts. Speed of light (muzzle flash) is much faster than a bullet. (Depending on the distance, she could easily mentall note the odd flash before the bullet impacts)
2. The impact of the bullet will occur before the muzzle report is heard unless the bullet is subsonic. (Most hunting rifles fire super-sonic rounds)
3. Have the shooter misjudge due to elevation and shoot low so the round hits the widow sash (wood, old window), dissipating much of its energy. But still leaving enough to wound. When she drops down in suprise below the window frame hugging the wall, have a large annealed glass shard (old window again) fall and cut an artery. She bleeds out while try desperatly to call for help or have someone try to help her and she passes while in their arms. Or you can let her live. Your story after all.
Hunter archetypes:
1. Grizzled old backwoods hunter with well used lever action 30-30 and open sights passed down from his father/grandfather (could also be a non-sporterized or sporterized Springfield 1903 in 30-06)
2. Modern hunter using state of the art bolt action free floated .308 caliber rifle and modern zoom optics.
If the hunter is going to be a central antagonist to the story a unique weapon will make him more memorable than just a generic hunting rifle.