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by Gleanerizer
Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:40 pm
Forum: General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion
Topic: Man Shot in Home Break-In
Replies: 15
Views: 2399

casselthief wrote:the shooter doesn't get knocked down because he is braced against the recoil. the intended target is not, and therefore would most certainly be knocked down, right?
I understand your thing about HollyWood flyin' across the room and what-have-ya. I was just sayin' the BuckShot woulda taken him for a ride, that's all.
00 buck pellets weigh, according to this website, about 54 grains a pop (which is a moderately heavy .22LR bullet, interestingly). Let's say there's 10 of those suckers in the shell you're firing, which is 540 grains = 1.23 ounces = 0.077 pound mass (let's use pound mass to avoid the weight-as-force muddle that happens so often with the US Customary units). At 1200 fps, it's like emptying a Ruger 10/22's entire stock magazine into him all at once.
The Laws of Physics wrote:In an inelastic collision where all the mass of lead is literally absorbed by the poor sap on the business end of your scattergun of choice, it's a simple momentum conservation:

(Before) <shot> m1v1 + <Slim the Meth Addict> m2v2

(Equals) =

(After) <Slim the Meth Addict, new and improved with a Chewy Lead Center> m3v3

If Slim's meth habit has him cut down to 100 pounds and he is stationary at the time of the shot, v2=zero, and the "m2v2" product becomes zero. We know m3 = m2 + m1. So:

(Before) <shot> m1v1 (0.077 lbm)(1200 fps)

(Equals) =

(After) <Slim the Meth Addict, new and improved with a Chewy Lead Center> m3v3 (100.077 lbm)(v3)

Divide both sides by m3 to isolate the v3 term.

m1v1/m3 = v3

(0.077 lbm)(1200 fps)/(100.077 lbm) = 0.92 feet per second
If my calculations are correct, Slim's body will be accelerated to a speed of 0.92 feet per second, presumably backward with the shot (I am not bringing vectors into this, it's a safe assumption, and it's getting late.) This assumes, however, that this event takes place in outer space and there is no anchor--like Slim's stolen Nikes on terra firma--to counteract this sudden acceleration. It'd be best, scientifically speaking, to assume not, but I am not doing an impulse momentum calculation using Slim's fungus-encrusted feet as a pivot right now. He'll definitely be jolted back a bit, at least. Will he be knocked over? Well, maybe. He's a featherweight though, a guy with twice his mass would be accelerated only to half the speed. (Bear in mind I'm ignoring the massive wound trauma that would be inflicted by such a shot that would probably affect the target's ability to stand somewhat.)

Let us hope that none of us ever have to experiment with this. Nerd out.

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