The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Warning shots where into, how do bullets behave

yorec · February 23, 2005, 04:56 PM

45 degree angle away from you, Para? Maybe you're missing the point here - no one is worried about you. It's the kid down the street you don't see that takes the bullet after it ricochettes off that hidden sprinkler head that we're worried about. Shots that hit outside of a target area are unpredictable and uncontrolled and therefore dangerous to the public at large. (though maybe a banked lawn would be as good a place as any for an impromtu backstop - but concrete and pavement is NOT)

Anytime someone shoots in self defense they need to be able to justify that thier life was in danger. Otherwise they should not have shot. Warning shots don't quite meet this criteria - if your life was really in danger, why didn't you shoot the threat? That's what the lawyer for that hypothetical kid's folks are going to ask in the lawsuit. And he's going to be asking the shooter, not the threat who ran away into the shadows at the sound, never to be seen again...

It worked once - no one got hurt. Great. Next time, if there ever is one, hopefully you'll remember that Mr. Murphy isn't always on days off...

Dogs are just as much a threat to life and limb as any bad guy. If they need shooting, I believe a threat is a threat regardless of the number of legs it has.

February 23, 2005, 04:56 PM	#11
yorec Senior Member Join Date: February 2, 2000 Location: Wyoming Posts: 2,328	45 degree angle away from you, Para? Maybe you're missing the point here - no one is worried about you. It's the kid down the street you don't see that takes the bullet after it ricochettes off that hidden sprinkler head that we're worried about. Shots that hit outside of a target area are unpredictable and uncontrolled and therefore dangerous to the public at large. (though maybe a banked lawn would be as good a place as any for an impromtu backstop - but concrete and pavement is NOT) Anytime someone shoots in self defense they need to be able to justify that thier life was in danger. Otherwise they should not have shot. Warning shots don't quite meet this criteria - if your life was really in danger, why didn't you shoot the threat? That's what the lawyer for that hypothetical kid's folks are going to ask in the lawsuit. And he's going to be asking the shooter, not the threat who ran away into the shadows at the sound, never to be seen again... It worked once - no one got hurt. Great. Next time, if there ever is one, hopefully you'll remember that Mr. Murphy isn't always on days off... Dogs are just as much a threat to life and limb as any bad guy. If they need shooting, I believe a threat is a threat regardless of the number of legs it has. __________________ What part of "... shall not be infringed..." don't you understand?