09-27-2011, 12:42 AM
Mutt Wrote:Your story about the cop in the shooting pretty much makes the case for shot placement. A shot to the head isn't worth much if all you shoot through is cheeck, lips and gums. Once you hit brain matter (cerebral cortex even better) the fight is over regardless of caliber.
I would never presume to armchair quarterback a cop that's been in a shooting. But, your story is also another example of how shooting less but more well aimed shots is better than shooting many poorly aimed shots.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the cop here.
I'd prefer to use anything over 9mm for better performance. More catastrophic damage than the smaller rounds and better permanent wound cavity regardless of expansion. But, that's my own personal preference. Do I carry smaller calibers .... of course. Like I said any gun is better than none.
That's the ideal but the problem is as soon as the firefight starts you get get a massive infusion of adrenaline and your pupils dilate and you can't even see the sights on your gun because of the reduced depth of field.
Well trained teams on a mission can temper that, but you have to be a very cool customer to go from chasing a mall shoplifter to fighting for your life in a matter of seconds, particularly after you've been hit.
Most cops involved in shootings have no idea how many rounds they fired until either the slide locks back or they pull the mag and count. In the latter case they usually underestimate by a factor of two to three.
It takes nearly daily training to prepare for situations like that, and most cops don't get that opportunity.
RR