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South Knoll; Ballistics, Shot Trajectories


Al Carrier

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I think that this post is worth reviving. It is especially relevant with regard to Sherry Gutierez' presentation, which myslef, John Simkin and other Dealey Plaza Uk members witnessed in canterbury in March of this year.

I'm not necessarily reviving it so that people may once again post on it, rather I think it is important that people read it.

John

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  • 9 months later...
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The challenge to this line of trajectory in support of shot origin of the north knoll comes from many researchers and is supported by forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Wecht believes that a shot fired from the north knoll, striking the right temporal/parietal region of the president’s skull would DEFLECT and turn outward (left), maintaining a wound cavity to the right portion of the skull.

The problem with this is that penetration from a rifle caliber projectile that is traveling in excess of 1800fps and most likely above 2400fps, would not deviate outward, but actually slightly inward through skull penetration. The ratio of diameter v. length of the projectile penetrating through a multi-layed resistant surface, such as skull plating, would actually create a rollover effect through surface penetration. This would cause the projectile to turn slightly inward instead of deflecting upon penetration. This has been proven in wound ballistic testing through the work of Dr. Martin Fackler over the past twenty years and accepted by the NIJ in studies of wound ballistics in order to determine effectiveness in ballistic resistant materials in ballistic vests.

Hi Al

I'm with Cyril on this. My years of press tool design and manufacture experience and basic physics (a entity moves along the least line of resistance) tells me that a hole punch which doesn't meet a balanced resistance (ie. a flat strip of material) will deflect toward the least line of resistance.

If the bullet had hit JFK's head with a glancing collision IMO it would deflect (however small) away from the curvature of the skull. (It will still penetrate the skull due to its force)

Have you a link to the ballistics paper of Dr Fackler?

Chris Brown.

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The challenge to this line of trajectory in support of shot origin of the north knoll comes from many researchers and is supported by forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Wecht believes that a shot fired from the north knoll, striking the right temporal/parietal region of the president’s skull would DEFLECT and turn outward (left), maintaining a wound cavity to the right portion of the skull.

The problem with this is that penetration from a rifle caliber projectile that is traveling in excess of 1800fps and most likely above 2400fps, would not deviate outward, but actually slightly inward through skull penetration. The ratio of diameter v. length of the projectile penetrating through a multi-layed resistant surface, such as skull plating, would actually create a rollover effect through surface penetration. This would cause the projectile to turn slightly inward instead of deflecting upon penetration. This has been proven in wound ballistic testing through the work of Dr. Martin Fackler over the past twenty years and accepted by the NIJ in studies of wound ballistics in order to determine effectiveness in ballistic resistant materials in ballistic vests.

Hi Al

I'm with Cyril on this. My years of press tool design and manufacture experience and basic physics (a entity moves along the least line of resistance) tells me that a hole punch which doesn't meet a balanced resistance (ie. a flat strip of material) will deflect toward the least line of resistance.

If the bullet had hit JFK's head with a glancing collision IMO it would deflect (however small) away from the curvature of the skull. (It will still penetrate the skull due to its force)

Have you a link to the ballistics paper of Dr Fackler?

Chris Brown.

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  • 2 years later...
Wonderful points, I wonder what all it would take to get an experiment running to test the echo effect. This was really well-written, and I'm sure it'd be an eye opener for anyone who didn't previously consider the south Knoll. Congrats!

A few years ago, a friend and I set off a firecracker on the south side of the triple underpass.., about where we thought a shooter would have shot from. We watched the people who were standing around the kill zone and on the north knoll... They ALL first looked toward the north side of the underpass and some started walking that way. I found that interesting and then Dallas's finest came and politely ask us to leave.

______________________________________________________

Bump.

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At the time of the headshot/s, the North Knoll is to the right of JFKs head. The South Knoll/south end of the overpass is to the front of JFKs head. His left Temple faces the west of the PO.

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