Ballistics Question

[cmhbob]

So this is kind of a weird question, but it's related to the sequel to my book. I want BadCop to shoot someone in such a way that a person standing close to the victim could think the shooter wasn't trying not to kill them.

Assume that BadCop has a Glock 22, and shoots QuasiBadGuy at very close range, possibly contact. It can be head or torso. QuasiBadGuy is very close to GoodGuy. At what range between BadCop and QuasiBadGuy would GoodGuy be in danger? Assume QuasiBadGuy is of average size.

I want GoodGuy to think a day or so later that, "Man, that was actually pretty dangerous. That bullet could have hit me!"

Is this making any sense?

 

[swampratt]

That is a terrible question.
But this is America and you can say and ask what you want. Might even get some answers.
But i feel if it is not the range but the angle from which bad cop shoots and the angle where the good guy is standing.
More of an angle line of fire thing than a range thing in my thoughts.

 

[magna19]

Brain hurts now. Thanks

 

[NikatKimber]

Brain hurts now. Thanks

This

That is a terrible question.
But this is America and you can say and ask what you want. Might even get some answers.
But i feel if it is not the range but the angle from which bad cop shoots and the angle where the good guy is standing.
More of an angle line of fire thing than a range thing in my thoughts.

But if I'm reading right, what swampratt said. Angle would be more important than distance.

 

[Old Fart]

Ask http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Tarantino all of his movies have lots of blood and guts flying around.

 

[turkeyrun]

standing side by side, A shot at point blank, B relatively safe. standing directly behind, B in danger depending on caliber and type of bullet.
ANGLE is the difference.

Without KNOWING more of the context; BC draws and fires towards GC (head shot) but is actually shooting at QBC coming up behind GC. Same scenario already been done in several movies / books / stories.

Not really sure of the exact question you are asking or the answer you are seeking.

 

[Rod Snell]

that a person standing close to the victim could think the shooter wasn't trying not to kill them.

That's a psychology question, not a ballistics question.
I witnessed an incident in which a person fired a shotgun, and a man half a mile away in the opposite direction across a wheat field at the edge of Altus called police and SWORE he heard the "rifle bullet" hit near him.
I was walking on a county road not 100yds from the shooter, saw the shot, and was interviewed by the Lt who came out to investigate. He had the job of telling the complaintant two witnesses said nobody shot his way. I suggested the Lt ask him which he heard first, the shot or the "sound of the bullet hitting." If he said he heard the shot first, the other sound obviously could not be a bullet from that shot, due to the speed of sound.

So depending on the knowledge and attitude of you character guy, he might believe anything, real or not.

 

[Nighthawk]

Have a laser on the pistol, first the laser hits the good guy then swings over to the bad guy. Have the camera follow the laser. Or have te camera follow the hard sights and do the same thing.

Ballistics problem would be if the bullet fragmented in any way as it approached the bad guy. So type of ammo would play a very big part in this.

 

[grwd]

Heres the ticket; thank me later.
Have good guy standing at the top of a stairwell, and have good cop shoot bad guy between good guys legs as he's rounding the corner at the botom of the stairs.


Or have bad guy carrying something that could possibly explode, injuring good guy (and himself)

I want a copy when its done.

 

[Glocktogo]

Point blank with a compact .357 Sig, in the face. Good Guy standing next to Quasi Bad Guy. Good Guy is concussed with muzzle blast and peppered with unburnt powder. Good Guy is also splattered with blood, brain matter and possibly a few bone shards. Good Guy has ringing ears for several hours. Good Guy still has red marks on the side of his face closest to the Quasi Bad Guy, from the powder and bone shards when he looks in the mirror the next morning.

Would that work for what you envision?