You've Only Got ONE Shot...Make it Count!

[Confederate]

You are facing off at 25 yards with an enraged, adrenalin-charged machete-wielding 220-lb human who wants nothing more than to rip your head off and cut you to pieces.

• Your gun only has one shot (round) you can fire. Which gun/caliber/loading are you going to choose, and why?

We all know you can't count on any one-shot stops in handguns, but that's all you're getting. Oh, and you can't shoot him in the head. So with your one shot, where are you going to put your shot?

Well, that was certainly close!

• Now you've got two rounds and another choice of gun and ammo configuration? What are your choices now?

(The reason I'm asking this is because in the early days of pistols, the pistolero often had only had one shot to fire. If people felt particularly threatened, they might carry two pistols. It's also a way of gauging what rounds people would use if there was nothing else available.)

 

[PT1911]

I would aim for the area just below the chin... (adam's apple) if you cannot breath, you cannot pursue me, plenty of vital vessels there, and there is a good probablility that youwill take out the spine as well.. if you miss high, you got a head shot.. miss low, center mass of the chest (take out heart or lung) just be damn sure you dont miss left or right... second shot would depend on the effectiveness of the first. I would have to choose between heart shot, mid pelvis, or pelvis right or left to take out his mobility at the very least (hopefully taking out the femoral in the process)

 

[ironvic]

One shot=.357 Magnum. One well aimed shot to the mid-thoracic area. Right on the sternum at the xyphoid process. Should knock the breath right out of him and after the bullet rips through the xyphoid process, so goes the heart.

Brutal? You bet, but, hey, he started it!

2 rounds? Same gun, same caliber. Second round goes to the area just below the adam's apple. Dead center upper thoracic area. After that, he's breathing blood. Then I turn and run like hell!

 

[Hungry Seagull]

Blast one shot center mass and follow his staggering back as he absorbs the hit. Grab left arm of bad guy and spin violently along the outside of his arm using my shoulder to wreck whatever I can.

Should I survive I will be close to behind him and dig in whatever I can get to against the chinese windgate.

Against that big blade you need to get very intimate very quickly and bring him into a corner or down to the floor violently. If I get that far then I will start hitting pressure just below where the floating ribcages join at his diagphram. Hopefully either take his wind down or break big blood vessals in that part of body.

A very attractive target is actually his right knee. That is his foundation. If I can get a heel strike against the inside of that knee cap... It's going to bring him crashing down. But that matchete is going to cut me in half probably.

Big if.

I probably wont survive this attacker.

If attacker is wearing III class armor at center mass.. forget it. I might try a high crotch or low headshot but it's iffy. I might just close the distance and jam the gun muzzle into his diagphram area and take him with me.

To be honest with you, so many targets so little time. Ive listed the choice bits.

Any of these look big enough to shoot on. What I would like to do is wait until he swings. Then try to recover and fire before he understands that he missed.

 

[PT1911]

as far as the gun.. likely a 12 ga with buck or OO.... with the aforementioned shot placements, I expect it would more than do the trick.

 

[Dr.Rob]

25 YARDS? Put it in 4wd and run Mr. hockey mask over. Better yet, flip a U turn and gas it. He's a shambling zombie in a hockey mask not a track star.

 

[pps]

Since you limited me to a one shot handgun, I'll take a Thompson Encore in .308 130gr hollow point over 50 grains of Varget.

 

[adrenalyn]

If Im faced off as you say, Ive already perceived the threat and ready to pull my Kimber .45 /Remington 185 gr Golden Sabers.Im going to shoot as soon as he hits 10 yards dead center mass. If he's still coming, then my reeboks kick in the afterburners. If hes not down, He's not going to go too far. With 2 rounds, same. As to why, thats what I carry every day and would trust to do the job. The 185 GS are what my cousin carries as requested by the sheriffs dept. Guess thats good enough reason for me. If I missed completely, He would just have to catch me. Not gonna happen! I hope

 

[PT1911]

wait... you said handgun...missed that.. eh... my PT1911 would do the trick nicely with some Hornady JHPs in the shots mentioned above.

 

[TAB]

the biggest nastyest thing I got, and I would aim for the hips. Shooting him in the chest might not kill him right away, shattering his pelvis with a bullet will make it so he can not walk/run.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Look at those shoes, he ain't running anywhere!

 

[Dan Crocker]

the biggest nastyest thing I got, and I would aim for the hips. Shooting him in the chest might not kill him right away, shattering his pelvis with a bullet will make it so he can not walk/run.

Becoming a more prevalent tactic as more and more people are wearing rifle plates. Hip shots immobilize people like you wouldn't believe.

Does an M79 count? What about an RPG-7?

 

[PT1911]

Hip shots immobilize people like you wouldn't believe.

not to mention they are extremely anatomically vulnerable... you have a huge joint, large bones, huge vessels, and an extremely key part of the body when talking about mobility... I dont care how hyped up someone is on what, if your hip is blown out... there is no walking on it... maybe crawling.. but that is a much less intimidating foe..

 

[memphisjim]

10mm

 

[dobrzemetal]

cant shoot him in which head ?

 

[Dr. Fresh]

I don't see where you said handgun, so I'm going with a Handi-Rifle in .45-70.

If you insist on handgun, I pick a cut down Handi-Rifle in .45-70.

Does that count?

 

[TimM]

If it has to be a handgun I would vote for my model 29 44mag and a heart shot.

 

[Knightrider03m]

One shot=.357 Magnum. One well aimed shot to the mid-thoracic area. Right on the sternum at the xyphoid process. Should knock the breath right out of him and after the bullet rips through the xyphoid process, so goes the heart.

Brutal? You bet, but, hey, he started it!

2 rounds? Same gun, same caliber. Second round goes to the area just below the adam's apple. Dead center upper thoracic area. After that, he's breathing blood. Then I turn and run like hell!

X2 on all counts

 

[Pack]

I'm cheating, beacuse I'm assuming the restriction on headshots is because you can't be guaranteed you're on your accuracy game under the circumstances. However, this solves for that, and is what I'd do, regardless.

1) immediately make peace with the fact that you will not get out of this unscathed.

2) close with him, potentially having to offer up the left forearm to the machete (yes, ouch - but see 1, above)

3) closing further, use a 5" barreled 1911 to drill a single 230gr Hydra Shok into his eye - literally, shove the muzzle into his eye - just not so hard as to move the slide out of battery

4) run, in case he's not 1) dead, or 2) psychologically out of the fight*

*the reason for this is that I recall back when I studied the LINE system (not a serviceman, I just wanted to know it), the reason for the inclusion of the "eye gouge" in the system was A) as a "softening" technique to get oneself loose of a hold; B) to simply impair vision while inlicting pain; and most importanly C) if the attack resulted in the actual loss of that eye, the fight was most likely over, as something like less than 2% of fighting men are able, psychologically speaking, to continue the fight having lost an eye.

So, if you take his eye by putting a bullet through/into it, and he's A) still alive, and B) still after you... he's one of a small and extraordinary group of people who you will never be crazier than - so beat a hasty retreat.

 

[LoneStarWings]

With the thickness of the clothes and distance of 25 yards, I would choose a 12 gauge or larger shotgun with a 3" or greater slug shell. This assumes that there are no bystanders at risk from over penetration of the threat.

At 25 yards I would be concerned about the pattern and power of buckshot with that clothing/armor. Buckshot would proably do okay, but I feel a slug would be better.

If I had two shots I might consider 1 slug shell followed by 1 00 buckshot shell at closer range if the slug didn't do the job.

In either case I would choose a pump shotgun, probably a remington 870.

If it Had to be a handgun, I'd probbably choose two .44 magnum rounds out of a Ruger Redhawk with 300gr Hornady XTP JHP's. I think I could deal with the recoil if I saw that running towards me.

As far as shot placement, I'd go for just plain 'ol COM. With only 1 or 2 rounds, I'd rather be sure I hit the target, as follow up rounds aren't really an option.

 

[armoredman]

155mm Beehive, for Jason.

 

[kyo]

Desert Eagle .50 Action Express hollow points to the chest. Both situations. I wanna see a 220 pound guy survive one of those to the chest.

 

[cliffy]

A .454 Casull Ruger Redhawk Alaskan

With 240 Grain Hornady Hollow Points would ruin his day, toot sweet. These bullets, with a heavy Alliant Power Pistol powder charge, and a 450 CCI primer will disuade most dangerous encounters up to Bear-Size. Your wrist may wish you didn't become so bold, but better behind the muzzle than in front. Finding the components will become the real TRICK! cliffy

 

[TAB]

Desert Eagle .50 Action Express hollow points to the chest. Both situations. I wanna see a 220 pound guy survive one of those to the chest.

Lots of vets were hit with rifle bullets far more powerful in the chest and survied.

 

[Girodin]

For both of your scenerios I would take that 45/70 single action revolver I've seen with some nice stout loads. A single 45/70 placed center mass should do rather nicely. A followup should almost certainly seal the deal.

If not the revolver I would take a TC contender pistol in a large rifle caliber.

Obviously the answer to the one shot question is the biggest round you can put into a handgun and actually hit something with.

I'm cheating, beacuse I'm assuming the restriction on headshots is because you can't be guaranteed you're on your accuracy game under the circumstances. However, this solves for that, and is what I'd do, regardless.

1) immediately make peace with the fact that you will not get out of this unscathed.

2) close with him, potentially having to offer up the left forearm to the machete (yes, ouch - but see 1, above)

No I am pretty sure I would rather give him a 45/70 to the chest (hell even a 9mm) and then start running like hell. I am in decent shape and with 25 yard head start I would like to think I could out run a guy with a GSW center mass (particularly from something really big), who is wearing heavy bootts and carrying a machette.

Running in and getting hacked up, even if it went as well as you suggest in your plan, it still seems like a pretty horrible plan.

If I was going to save my one round for up close and personal I would still make the SOB chase me first.