Morgan Co. man killed by stray bullet

[4sarge]

Noon News UpDate

Warrant issued for Negligent Homicide in regard to this shooting Death

 

[esrice]

For a moment, lets toss out the "bouncing" idea.

Let's say that this guy WANTED to hit this house 311 yards away (I'm sure it wasn't really intentional). Even if he aimed to account for drop and yada yada, would a .45 really penetrate an exterior wall AND hit a human AND cause enough damage to be fatal?

Maybe you "a .45 will never shrink" guys are onto something. . .

 

[kludge]

A bullet going throug a wall (assuming it doesn't hit a stud and it's not a brick wall) will harldy notice the wall was there (1/16" plastic, 1/2" foam, 3.5" fiberglass, 1/4" drywall.

Since he was a) hit in the spleen and b) didn't know he was shot, yes very easily fatal, even from >300 yards.

 

[bigg cheese]

Were the ballistics tests conclusive?

 

[kludge]

A quick trip to the ballistic calculator at handloads.com says a 230gr RN .45 cal bullet with a 0.162 BC and 950 fps muzzle velocity will still be doing 716fps at 330 yards with 262 fpe., not quite a .38 Special wrt energy, but more momentum than a .38.

 

[sig-sweet]

Were the ballistics tests conclusive?

Ballistic tests from the ISP lab affirmed the round that zeroed the poor guy and the .45cal handgun that was fired matched. Tragic, tragic accident, but we as gun owners know and must always maintain the responsibility that goes with gun ownership.

The story states he was a gunsmith working on the .45 and had test fired it 14 times. Why did he not go to his range or use a 55 gallon barrell full of sand to discharge it into?

 

[cordex]

My in-laws live in Monrovia. A few months ago, a 9mm bullet came through one layer of a two-layer glass window. That window was in the bedroom that my wife had when she lived with her parents.

 

[mospeada]

For a moment, lets toss out the "bouncing" idea.

Let's say that this guy WANTED to hit this house 311 yards away (I'm sure it wasn't really intentional). Even if he aimed to account for drop and yada yada, would a .45 really penetrate an exterior wall AND hit a human AND cause enough damage to be fatal?

Maybe you "a .45 will never shrink" guys are onto something. . .

People have been killed by a celebratory round fired into the air (one case at least, the round came through the roof). At most ranges, a shot over the berm is a huge no-no. So yes, I think that a ricochet .45 could go through a wall and into soft tissue enough to kill, there is sadly evidence in the form of a corpse to back this up.

 

[Hammer]

any of you know how much a 45 cal bullet drops in 311yards?

 

[indyjoe]

any of you know how much a 45 cal bullet drops in 311yards?

933 feet. ~850 ft/sec avg. 1.1 sec. p = 0.5 32.2 1.1^2 = 19.5 feet

That is assuming shot straight, but it is shot up so less than that. Wouldn't take a too high aim to hit a wall at 311 yards.

 

[Hammer]

Thanks, I am puzzled on this now more than before. The area between the two houses is wooded. Meaning that the shot if it was level had to miss every tree or either go above them and drop which does not look possible from the map.

 

[Pami]

Thanks, I am puzzled on this now more than before. The area between the two houses is wooded. Meaning that the shot if it was level had to miss every tree or either go above them and drop which does not look possible from the map.

even if it was level it had to go UP two feet.

Downing said surveying was done to determine the distance from Breisch’s bed to where Graf was shooting. That distance was recorded at 311 yards. Breisch’s home is about two feet above the area from which Graf was shooting.

 

[Chefcook]

311 yards a .45 what a horrific accident, this borders on inconceivable...

 

[Dogman]

The story states he was a gunsmith working on the .45 and had test fired it 14 times. Why did he not go to his range or use a 55 gallon barrell full of sand to discharge it into?

Same thing I was wondering when I heard the story on the news last night. So because of his poor decision, a man is dead and Mr Grafs life is changed forever.

 

[kludge]

933 feet. ~850 ft/sec avg. 1.1 sec. p = 0.5 32.2 1.1^2 = 19.5 feet

That is assuming shot straight, but it is shot up so less than that. Wouldn't take a too high aim to hit a wall at 311 yards.

I get 23 feet, but yeah it's a bunch.

Then I reran the numbers with a zero at 310yds, and I get a midrange trajectory of 73 inches (6 ft 1 inch) at 170 yards. with a MV of 850 and BC of 0.162.

6ft at 170 yards is not much of an angle, the holdover at 100 yards (assuming it was sighted in at 100yards, I know this is a pistol, but bear with me) would be about 8ft. or only ~1.5 degrees... and before we hang this guy out to dry... if it doubled during recoil, or some such it would be easy to send one sailing.

 

[-XL-]

what does this say about using a .45 for home defense. If you miss the round will go through your wall easily and probably your neighbors as well!

 

[CarmelHP]

what does this say about using a .45 for home defense. If you miss the round will go through your wall easily and probably your neighbors as well!

Most homes built in the last 30-40 years are constructed of hardened tissue paper. Almost any projectile, except, perhaps, shot, will sail on through.

 

[Hammer]

Most homes built in the last 30-40 years are constructed of hardened tissue paper. Almost any projectile, except, perhaps, shot, will sail on through.

Mine is brick, I do not trust me neighbors.

 

[indyjoe]

what does this say about using a .45 for home defense. If you miss the round will go through your wall easily and probably your neighbors as well!

Or if the bad guys shoot at you through the drywall, as they are trained in prison, this might be a good feature.

 

[WhitleyStu]

On last nights Fort Wayne 33 news it showed the house with bullet hole and it was a modular home. Don't know what the walls are like in such a structure.