Testing Dirty Harry?

Dave L.

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I'm wondering what sort of materials I might be able to use to accurately simulate the head and neck of a human head to disprove (or prove) Clint Eastwood's statement of "it could blow your head clean off." I'd like to see exactly *what* happens to a head when it gets hit by a bullet, as too many people have told me lines that begin with 'I figure...' or 'I think...' or 'it's possible...'

I figured I'd use jell-o for the brains and maybe plastic wrap and paper mache for the skin and fatty tissue, as well as pieces of wooden dowel nailed together to sort of give them a little articulation. As for the skull I'm not exactly sure what I should use.

Anyone got any suggestions?

- Dave.
 
With one shot it could never blow the head clean off, its just not posible, because your only going to have a .44cal entry wound no mater what ammo. Sure you may be able to split open the skull, fist size exit ect but thats it.

The only thing that would come close is a sawed off double barrel shotgun pulling both triggers, and aiming for the base of the skull from behind, say 3 4 feet away.
 
uhm...a .50bmg would take the head clean off with a hit anywhere above the neck. i saw a video of it happening and it was horrific.
 
Head shots with much more powerful rifles on deer and other animals don't blow the head off. Makes a mess, blows up some of the head, sure. Not off theough.
 
Gatehouse said:
Head shots with much more powerful rifles on deer and other animals don't blow the head off. Makes a mess, blows up some of the head, sure. Not off theough.


I have seen first hand may of times what close range gunshots can do to a human head. Just a few weeks ago I was on a call where a man shot himself with a 12ga slug...nothing left of the head, at all.:puke: I have seen similar results with higher powered hunting calibers as well.
 
mdbuckle said:
I have seen first hand may of times what close range gunshots can do to a human head. Just a few weeks ago I was on a call where a man shot himself with a 12ga slug...nothing left of the head, at all.:puke: I have seen similar results with higher powered hunting calibers as well.

The head was removed at the neck? Gross.:eek:
 
More a figure of speach for dramatic effect than a realistic possibility. It comes under a producer and/or screen play writers privilege of artistic licience I believe.;)
 
This would mirror the testing we do on bullet penetration tests, we use flesh and bone(partially frozen) to test and compare jacketed bullets with cast bullets, we get it at the butcher, and when we're done it will be used for bear bait. We don't test penetration depth but, the condition of the bullet, from that we can tell the penetration factor. In all our testing we have never encountered any load/cal. the would produce your desired result.
 
My best friend of 23 years completely removed his head with a point blank shot of his favorite .270 hunting rifle a few years back. Nothing left but a flap of skin...
 
The human head must be more like a water mellon I guess. Because I have shot deer, coyotes, ect ect ect point blank with guns like .270, 30/06 and it can shatter the skull, and turn everything to mush and the eyes bug out but it mostly stays intact.
 
Gruesome stuff guys :puke:

Having read some of the posts about self-inflicted wounds, I've always wondered why people would 1. do "that" indoors, and 2. Go beyond a .38spl which IMHO is a much more dignified way to go.
With that said I could never understand why anyone would hang themselves either (I had a high school friend who chose this route and it still boggles my mind.)

Anyway, a few nights ago I saw a TV special about a guy who failed an attempted suicide, but lost the font part of his face and one eye.
The young man had placed a 12 gauge under his chin and the butt on the pavement and it removed everything upwards, but he survived. The show basically was documenting the reconstruction process... and yes, he still looked like a monster after 30-some surgeries :p

I've seen many a morbid internet pic and my conclusion would be that you cannot blow a head clean off. Skin is strong stuff, bones and everything inside will go, but the skin will stay more or less (draped over the front or back of the torso.)

Oh yeah... :puke:
 
G37 said:
Gruesome stuff guys :puke:

Having read some of the posts about self-inflicted wounds, I've always wondered why people would 1. do "that" indoors, and 2. Go beyond a .38spl which IMHO is a much more dignified way to go.
With that said I could never understand why anyone would hang themselves either (I had a high school friend who chose this route and it still boggles my mind.)

Anyway, a few nights ago I saw a TV special about a guy who failed an attempted suicide, but lost the font part of his face and one eye.
The young man had placed a 12 gauge under his chin and the butt on the pavement and it removed everything upwards, but he survived. The show basically was documenting the reconstruction process... and yes, he still looked like a monster after 30-some surgeries :p

I've seen many a morbid internet pic and my conclusion would be that you cannot blow a head clean off. Skin is strong stuff, bones and everything inside will go, but the skin will stay more or less (draped over the front or back of the torso.)

Oh yeah... :puke:

I saw one like that on TV a little while ago too. The guy didn't live though.

Originally they thought it was a homicide due to the fact that they had spray from one spot in the room (apparently the guy was shot while sitting on the edge of the bed). Then there were bloody prints where he had dragged himself into the bath room and then the body had been discovered in the bathroom with a second spray pattern and bits of the person's head all over. :puke:

Turns out the guy had tried to commit sucide with a 12 gauge. He put it under his chin and pulled the trigger. He blew the front portion of his face off but missed his brain. Surprisingly he was still consious and still able to see.

They figure he crawled to the bathroom and, from what they gather, saw himself in the mirror. He finished the job but this time held the shotgun straight out in front of him this time.

I feel for anyone who has to see, or worse, clean up anything like this.


As for the original post. The big question would be do you use a .44 mag as clint's character refers to or a .357 mag which is what he is holding at the time?
 
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