Re: Calculating lethality of .308 and 5.56 distance?
Shot placement.... There have been folks killed at 800m with a 5.56mm round, and folks shot through the heart with a .30-06 round who survived. No round is perfect,even with perfect placement(not counting the CNS). There are so many variables that go into teminal ballistics, that one would be foolish to assume he had the perfect gun that would always net a one-shot stop. The only solution is to ensure that every time, no matter what, the target's CNS is destroyed. The attainable alternative to this impossible scenario is, once you start shooting, you don't stop until the target is down and neutralized. Never assume that a target will be incapacitated by your first round- or your third. Shoot until their lights go out.
Look at it like this. Would you shoot a charging bear once, and wait to see if he fell? Yet a human assailant with the will and means to take your life is an exponentially greater, if somewhat thinner-skinned, threat to your continued existence on this rock. If you ever have to shoot at another human being(and you should be praying that you don't), no matter what gun you have, the round will not be big or powerful enough to suit you at that time. Pick a system, get a lot of ammo, and go practice- a lot. Take some professional training, get to where your chosen weapon is like an extension of yourself. The gun will do if you will. Nobody ever said, "Fear the man with a safe full of cool guns". The saying goes, "Fear the man with one gun, for he likely knows how to use it".
