A discussion about rifles and capabilities

[Delldude]

Reagan was shot with a .22 pistol with a 3" barrel. Little different energy level.

Same physics.

Ever heard stories of the guy who scoped the buck of a lifetime who missed because his bullet clipped a small twig entoute to the target?

 

[the watcher]

I did have an arrow skip off of a rock in the mountains one time and hit a doe. Missiles do strange things, but you may make some guesses in the absence of any other information. That's all we're doing now.

 

[Delldude]

I did have an arrow skip off of a rock in the mountains one time and hit a doe. Missiles do strange things, but you may make some guesses in the absence of any other information. That's all we're doing now.

Poster provided a video. Not sure if it was altered. In that video it shows a necklace, and they said they thought it deflected the bullet. Ok, possibly, at the same time, there was a mark made on the tee shirt and immediately after a bullet hole in his neck slightly above the tee shirt mark. I noticed his collar bone too, was behind the mark.

That's all.

Did you frame the rock?

 

[Hafar1014]

Upgraded my 1944 M1 carbine

 

[Oddball]

Due to the tendency for discussions to devolve into meaningless nonsense in the Politics and Current Events areas, I wanted some talk among actual shooters about the topic. Yes, this is spurred by the assassination shot two days ago.

We are told that the range was two hundred yards or so. That the assassin used a high powered rifle and that is what it would take, oh that it had to be a professional hitter to make it.

We know better. 200 yards is a little far, but doable, for a friggin 30-30. Any Remington 700BDL in .270 will make that shot all day with an inexpensive scope from WalMart.

Anyway, I brought this here, where shooters reside, to hear some common sense discussion on the topic. Weapons and skill, not politics or ideology.

Any idea on how the inertia and kinetic energy from a .30 call bullet is stopped in Charlie's neck, without blowing at least half of it way?

 

[Delldude]

Any idea on how the inertia and kinetic energy from a .30 call bullet is stopped in Charlie's neck, without blowing at least half of it way?

Depends on the style of the bullet.

 

[Oddball]

Depends on the style of the bullet.

We're not talking about a particularly sophisticated alleged assassin, so let's keep it simple...Let's call it your average 150 grain ball slug, traveling at around 2,500 fps.

Show us your math.

 

[Delldude]

We're not talking about a particularly sophisticated alleged assassin, so let's keep it simple...Let's call it your average 150 grain ball slug, traveling at around 2,500 fps.

Show us your math.

Like I said.....what style bullet?

Tip makes a whole world of difference.

 

[Delldude]

Show us your math.

Probably the best report on the issue so far:

What we know so far about Charlie Kirk's injuries from a medical

Here’s what credible reporting (as of Sep 26, 2025) establishes—and what no one has confirmed - MED-TAC International Corp.

tactical-medicine.com

 

[Oddball]

Probably the best report on the issue so far:

What we know so far about Charlie Kirk's injuries from a medical

Here’s what credible reporting (as of Sep 26, 2025) establishes—and what no one has confirmed - MED-TAC International Corp.

tactical-medicine.com

• Andrew Kolvet (a spokesperson) claimed to have “just spoken with the surgeon” who said the bullet did not exit — it reportedly lodged “just beneath the skin.” New York Post
• The claim goes further: the bullet “absolutely should have gone through” given its caliber, but was stopped (in part) by “dense, healthy bone structure.” New York Post
• These statements, however, appear in media reports and come via intermediaries (spokespersons), not from published clinical documents or peer-reviewed medical sources.

IOW, nobody has shown the math on that particular ludicrous (IMO) claim.

 

[Delldude]

IOW, nobody has shown the math on that particular ludicrous (IMO) claim

What claim?

 

[Oddball]

What claim?

That the bullet was found lodged in his neck.

 

[Delldude]

That the bullet was found lodged in his neck.

I've heard that too. Could be. Also was revealed the bullet was recovered.

That article, if you read it, is a decent summary of what's out there. The bottom has some good pros and cons on all reports.

 

[whitehall]

When I joined the Marines in 1960 the Army had already converted to the M-14 but in Parris Island the training was focused on the 30-06 M-1 Garand rifle and Marine recruits were issued the M-1 Garand . As a New Yorker I had never fired anything bigger than a .22 and the 30-06 round was gigantic compared to it. Add to the fact that I was left handed and my chances of qualifying on the range was dismal when every Marine was a rifleman. They offered me a eye patch to cover my dominant left eye but I declined. I managed to fire a 213 qualified for a sharpshooter badge and I am proud of it to this day

 

[AZrailwhale]

When I joined the Marines in 1960 the Army had already converted to the M-14 but in Parris Island the training was focused on the 30-06 M-1 Garand rifle and Marine recruits were issued the M-1 Garand . As a New Yorker I had never fired anything bigger than a .22 and the 30-06 round was gigantic compared to it. Add to the fact that I was left handed and my chances of qualifying on the range was dismal when every Marine was a rifleman. They offered me a eye patch to cover my dominant left eye but I declined. I managed to fire a 213 qualified for a sharpshooter badge and I am proud of it to this day

Why were your chances of qualifying dismal? I was cross-dominant, and I had no trouble qualifying sharpshooter in Basic. Yes, I had a little trouble setting my sights to compensate but it wasn't rocket science. When I went through Basic when I re-enlisted after college, I qualified Expert despite firing a M-16 so worn that it would flex a full inch when you held the muzzle and butt and twisted.

 

[Jarlaxle]

People's lives have been saved by a deflection...... like away from the heart.
I don't totally remember but Reagan took one under the arm and it was deflected from the heart by a rib.

Not exactly.

Reagan was shot with a .22 pistol with a 3" barrel. Little different energy level.

Reagan was HIT by a ricochet: the shot hit the limousine before hitting him. He didn't realize he'd been shot-he thought one of the agents had cracked his rib shoving him into the car.

 

[Chuz Life]

I've been digging more and more into this, mainly because I have a problem with the known physics of a 30-06 (velocity, trajectory, energy etc) and the reported distances, elevations, etc.

Knowing that the tent is in the lowest part of the outdoor Ampitheater, O counted the steps (Code is around 6.5 inches per step) Charlie was about 15' below the nearest ground level. Robinson's spot on the roof (seen with crime scene markers) was at least two stories above that. I estimate the total elevation difference to be between 45 and 50 feet.

I used AI to confirm the math at 200 yards and the angle of the shot, (17-20 degrees) because I really was starting to think Charlies was sitting too far back in the tent, for Robinson to see him from that far up, even at 300+ yards.

Then I found this image and it does seem plausible again. U still think there is a chance that the round skipped off of something else, maybe even before hitting Charlie in the neck/ necklace.

Thoughts?

 

[westwall]

Same physics.

Ever heard stories of the guy who scoped the buck of a lifetime who missed because his bullet clipped a small twig entoute to the target?

Physics, yes..but projectile deformation of .22LR is guaranteed when you hit bone.

Not so much a .30 cal projectile.

 

[Delldude]

Not exactly.

Reagan was HIT by a ricochet: the shot hit the limousine before hitting him. He didn't realize he'd been shot-he thought one of the agents had cracked his rib shoving him into the car.

Like I said.

 

[Delldude]

Physics, yes..but projectile deformation of .22LR is guaranteed when you hit bone.

Not so much a .30 cal projectile.

Many images of mushroomed 30cal from bone impact out there.