Bullet wounds? - Writers Forum

tekietek · 12-03-2005, 05:11 PM

Hey there, I just found this forum, and I was wondering if anyone knew much about bullets.

I'm writing a story, and I've had my main character shot in the arm, next to her shoulder, but I don't want the effects to be too serious.

I know if the bullet hits the bone the bone can shatter, so I'm avoiding that--should I just have it graze her skin? There isn't much flesh in the arm, but are there any major arteries I should be concerned about? Again, I don't want her hospitalized, just stunned for a moment.

Thanks

Rico · 12-03-2005, 05:58 PM

Well, for one, it's gonna hurt like a bitch. (Getting shot pretty much anywhere is going to to do that to you, though

)

As for getting shot in the arm by the shoulder, I've actually been shot in that general area. What I will mention is that it's very hard to avoid bone in that area, as your collarbone and shoulder are connecting there, and there's a lot of tendons, muscles, etc. At best, there'll be pain and inability to move the arm, at worst you could probably lose much of your ability to move your arm.

In summation, getting shot in that area is not going to simply stun her for a moment. Getting shot anywhere is not going to just "stun you for a moment". It hurts. A lot. Even if you're trained to just keep going afterwards, there's going to be a time lag, however brief, in which you can do nothing but focus on the pain.

If you insist on using getting shot as a means of stunning her, make it somewhere less harmful; like the hand (yeah, you'll definitely break bones if you do that, but it'll be faster to recover from)

Sorry for the long response, but this is actually something I know something about.

Ilan Bouchard · 12-03-2005, 06:18 PM

Rico, would the effect you describe be the same with a single pellet from a shotgun? I can't imagine a single pellet doing too much damage, as I've heard of people who dig them out of their legs and such.

Ilan Bouchard · 12-03-2005, 06:19 PM

Oh, and welcome to the forums tekietek.

Rico · 12-03-2005, 06:26 PM

Here I'm going to have to guess, as I've never been shot with a shotgun before.

A single shotgun pellet, agreed, is not going to do a terribly large amount of damage. The problem, however, is that you don't fire a single pellet at a time, for that exact reason. So instead of just one bullet and one hole, you end up with a whole lot, which can do significantly more damage than just a regular 9mm bullet, say.

If whomever's doing the shooting is really, really bad at what they're doing, and wanted to shoot her with a shotgun and managed to have such bad aim that only one pellet hit her - that's feasible but unlikely.

Again, all the above is simply speculation on my part.

tekietek · 12-03-2005, 06:45 PM

Wow, I'm sorry. How is your arm today?

The problem with the story is, I've already written the shot to the shoulder, so there isn't much I can change--that's why I was figuring I could have the bullet barely hit her. It would surprise her long enough to get knocked out by her other opponent...

What sorts of treatments are used when bones break due to bullets?

tekietek · 12-03-2005, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilan Bouchard

Oh, and welcome to the forums tekietek.

Hehe thanks! This place is just what I've been looking for

Rico · 12-03-2005, 06:53 PM

It happened a few years ago, but I still have a bit of stiffness in my left arm. Nothing major.

First off, it won't necessarily break the bone. It'll only break the bone if it hits straight on. The downside to a bullet not hitting straight on is that it then has a tendency to ricochet, and that's really not a good thing when its inside a body.

So if it ricochets, one way to minimize the damage would be to have it graze across the top of the bone and give it an outward trajectory, away from the body. Or, you could go straight on and break the bone, stop the bullet, etc.

The treatment either way is going to be pretty much the same. Clean the wound, immobilize the shoulder, bandage it up, and hope for the best. Oh, yes, and see a doctor, too.

Ilan Bouchard · 12-03-2005, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rico

If whomever's doing the shooting is really, really bad at what they're doing, and wanted to shoot her with a shotgun and managed to have such bad aim that only one pellet hit her - that's feasible but unlikely.

I was thinking maybe the shooter would be quite far away, or that the character would somehow avoid getting hit with the shot and get a ricochet bullet.

Another thing would be to have the character wearing a bullet-proof vest. You can get shot full on, and won't be too injured, but most definitely stunned. Perfect for the situation you're suggesting, in fact, as long as the injury isn't being used later on in the story.

Rico · 12-03-2005, 08:05 PM

A bullet-proof vest doesn't really cover the shoulder joint very well, to be honest.

But yes, if you get shot in the chest while wearing it, it'll just leave a nasty bruise.

Ilan Bouchard · 12-03-2005, 08:17 PM

Unless he's wearing one of these:

Rico · 12-03-2005, 08:22 PM

Alright, Ilan, you win there.

But such a contraption has a huge downside. See how bulky it is? If someone's shooting at you, like, seriously trying-to-kill-you shooting, it makes you a lot less maneuverable. And trust me, a bulletproof vest does have its limitations, and the right kind of gun will make it as though there's no vest at all, and enough bullets will shred it. It's just harder. Oh, and also, it looks heavy. That's going to add in a factor, too.

Me, if I have to wear a vest, I go for a tightfitting one around my chest and back. Yes, it makes some parts of my body more vulnerable than that above, but I like my maneuverability.

-EDIT- I intended to put an image of what I'm talking about here, but as I'm completely computer illiterate, I am unable to do so. http://images.google.com/images?q=tb...Photos/149.jpg

tekietek · 12-03-2005, 09:32 PM

Yes, the shooter is on the other side of the room--There is the Billie (the main character) fighting Ted (the bad guy) and Stacey (the shooter) is trying to save Ted.

Are we talking about the inner arm next to the body, or the outer arm?

Rico · 12-03-2005, 09:34 PM

Okay, the inner arm, closer to the shoulder joint & body, there'd be more bone damage, the outer arm, there'd be more muscle damage (bicep or tricep, depending)

BTW, you say, 'on the other side of the room'. The room I'm in now is at 8 x 12 feet. I wouldn't like to get shot at from that range. How big is your room?

tekietek · 12-03-2005, 10:04 PM

Haha, you tell me.. What is a good room size? Should I move her closer? I don't intend to go all technical, but if the closer she is the less damange, I'll make note of it