Information for the rifley challenged

Something else to consider, shooting a rifle in an enclosed space can lead to permanent hearing damage or at least temporary damage. It is possible that the shooter would have noticeable hearing problems for several hours or even days.
 
Something else to consider, shooting a rifle in an enclosed space can lead to permanent hearing damage or at least temporary damage. It is possible that the shooter would have noticeable hearing problems for several hours or even days.
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You also have a blast of air in your face and it makes your nose itch. (Or it does mine anyway. :D)

On top of the ringing ears and flash blindness.
 
Originally posted by me,

skunk crawled into pipe, making for a handy container for final disposition of the skunk.

shooter got into a prone firing position with muzzle a couple of feet from the opening of the pipe,

shooter fired into pipe, aiming at skunk's backside,

bullet, shockwave and gases entered the PVC pipe,

bullet strikes skunk in the biological weapon center causing bullet damage, releasing skunk fluids,

nearly simultaneous actions of pressure in the pipe and the skunk partially obstructing the pipe caused the PVC pipe to explode into pieces of assorted sizes and shapes.

to the shooters suprize, pieces of skunk coated debris rained down on him, leaving him smelly and disappointed in the fact that he no longer had a vessel suited to carry off the skunk remains.

then explained to the wife why he smells of skunk, while pleading to be let in the house.
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Everybody is giving way too much credit *against* the .30-06, and I don't know why(??) If you want, in your story, to make it capable of dropping someone dead on the spot, it will certainly do that with the right bullet placement. It is used to drop deer and elk 'dead on the spot' all the time, every year. Why humans are being treated differently in this thread, I do not know. Of course, if you want to write that it will ruin someone's day, it will certainly do that too.

If the intention is to simply give somebody a wound though, and let them live, it might be more plausible to use a pistol, or perhaps a .22LR.

Look up pictures of a Remington 700 (bolt) and a Winchester 94 (lever). Even as a non-gun person, both designs will look very familiar to you. (Yes, the Winchester is the stereotypical cowboy gun, and is still used today.)
 
There is no death ray, my friend. Animals are shot Dead Right There with everything from 22LR to 50BMG and they're wounded and never recovered with every weapon in the spectrum too.

Guts shots, as mentioned in the OP, are virtually never instantly incapacitating with any weapon, save highly destructive cartridges used on small varmints. Humans are no different than other living things, in that regard.
 
As far as someone dying instantly or not, it really depends... In the `stan, I helped in the hospital anytime I could, and saw quite a few people with quite a few bullets through them, and were still fairly coherent still. Others were not so well off, from lesser wounds. Shock and where they were hit made a big difference in their disposition, and the ones who weren't so lucky rarely crossed my path.

Now for the caveat... I did not see a single gunshot wound that was not from ball ammo, which means a solid, non expanding bullet. Hunting bullets are typically made of softer lead encased in copper, with either a hollow cavity in front for pressure to expand the bullet, a soft lead point allowing for expansion, or a polymer tip doing the same job, expansion. I have seen what hunting type bullets do to deer and elk, and it is much more dramatic than what solids do to people. Also, how someone reacts taking a bullet in a combat situation, where there is at least some expectation of danger, would probably be different from civilian "A" taking a shot out of nowhere.

Bottom line, write it how you want, taking a bullet has a large range of possibilities, so however you fit it into your story will most likely work. And hope you never have to see it in real life in anything other than venison.
 
I want to thank everyone again. I went over the posts and found information that will not make me look like a fool. I appreciate some of the other suggestions like going to other web sites and actually firing the rifle I'm talking about.

I read a post that stated different rifles are used in different parts of the country. This takes place in Southwest Louisiana about 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. It is known for it's hunting and fishing.

The killer is an outdoorsman, deer hunter, the man's man. The victim is a business man, out of shape, lives the good flabby life. The distance between the two is the width of a large business desk. Both are standing.

As far as the muzzle flash and sound are concerned, the victim here is standing at a large glass window on the second floor of a building. The shot comes from ground level across the street. I have her hit in the shoulder, but the real damage to her is flying glass hitting her in the face and neck. Does that sound realistic?

You all have been a big help.
 
Some glass might hit her but, if you're still taking about a powerful hunting rifle, the glass certainly wouldn't be the "real damage". Her shoulder would likely be destroyed (functionally) by the bullet, the glass wounds would be superficial in all but the freakiest of freak chances. She could have scarring, but even that being very severe is a stretch, IMO.
She could be blinded, I guess, but the odds of both eyes being hit when the bullet is headed for her shoulder seem low. She's got to be really close to the glass for it to have enough energy to even penetrate skin.

In regards to seeing and hearing the muzzle blast, my original assumption was that the shot was from indoors and you wondered if it would be heard across a busy street. Being that the shot is from the street, it's highly likely that people would hear it in the building. Almost certainly those near the side where the shot originated would hear it. The rest, depends how big the building is. Every one outside within any reasonable distance would certainly hear the noise. Whether they would identify it as a gunshot, being that it's so completely out of context of normal city life, is open to interpretation.
Seeing the flash is certainly in the realm of possibility if they're looking toward the shooter. At night, very easy to see. During the day, maybe, maybe not. Probably not noticeable in bright sunlight, or even normal daylight, with no warning to look for it.
 
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I have shot at cans with high velocity bullets and dirt and rocks damaged the other cans extensively. What that equates to in flesh, I don't know. I also unintentionally damaged a sow and a piglet with the same shot. I am almost certain that the sow was hit first and the piglet had extensive damage. It was a low chest shot on the sow.
 
I read a post that stated different rifles are used in different parts of the country. This takes place in Southwest Louisiana about 35 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. It is known for it's hunting and fishing.
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I have not been in that area for a long time, but as I recall, it has pretty thick woods and undergrowth. I would think lever action rifles - .30-30 for example - would be relatively common. Of course, going with a bolt action .30-06 is a standard that would be found no matter where the story is set.

As far as the other details you added in your last post, the shot being fired from the street definitely increases the sound's ability to travel into the building, and also the chance of the muzzle blast being seen, since there would likely be less visual obstruction between the shooter and any potential witnesses. I also have to agree that any wounds from glass would probably be less dire than the bullet wound itself unless there were a freak circumstance like specific damage to eyes or the victim being very close to the glass at the time of impact.

Good luck with your story, and let us know how things are coming along. I am an English teacher, so literature is close to my heart. I look forward to hearing updates.
 
I need to clarify one more thing. There are three rifle shots. The first is inside where the killer shoots the victim in the victim's office. They are standing on each side of a large desk. The second is later on when the victim is standing at the window looking out on the street. The bullet comes through the windown and strikes her in the shoulder. The third is near the end and I have to modify the scene because of information I received form these posts.

Your information will save me from headaches and heartaches.

To BigMikey76: I'm hoping to submit the manuscript by the end of the year. I'll let everyone know how I used my recent education and if the book is printed.
 
In the second scenario the window would not shatter. Only very small fragments would fly off the plastic liner in the safety glass.

Even if it was an old office building with old glass, the glass would tend to have a small hole with spider webbing.

You might consider a shotgun for the second shooting. An old glass window being hit by a shotgun would be much more likely to shatter and send fragments flying. At that distance buckshot hitting a window might slow down enough not to cause a lethal or incapacitating wound.

I'd add that a shotgun used in the first instance would be much more likely to cause an instantly incapacitating wound.

Many people use shotguns for deer hunting. It wouldn't be out of character for a he man hunter guy to use a shotgun as his primary hunting weapon.
 
Part of my current job is shooting glass, with 2X4s. :D

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. :D


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.
 
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Yes the smell of gun powder is very memorable. And as I mentioned with the skunk story, muzzle blast can have surprising effects
 
My conccept would be ...

that the shooter is a 3rd or 4th generation Cajun, a real "swamp man", using a 12 gauge shotgun (Remington Model 870 Express) loaded with rifled slugs. This weapon/ammo combo gives a picture of a reliable (pump action) "beater" gun that can take abuse (not a Fancy Dan cityfied gun that a Cajun swamp rat wouldn't even touch).

The first shot, across a desk, with such a gun/ammo combo would, if aimed about 6 inches below the chin, would literally throw the victim 3 or 4 feet backward and fold him up like a Japanese Geisha's fan!

Second shot could perhaps be the first shot carrying through the first victims body, then through the window he had his back to, (a prime example of "over penetration"), with the result that it crosses the street and hits the 2nd victim, after passing through the window she is facing.

I don't understand the set up for the third shot very well, so I won't comment of it.
 
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