Clerk foils robbery attempt by firing shotgun at suspect- "I just can't believe I missed him"

Chetek Alert ^ | 1-9-06

[SJackson]

If you're going to go downstais rather than call the police, next time, AIM. Buckshot would be nice under the circumstances.

[mnehring]

"I just can't believe I missed him"


The flesh is willing but the aim is weak


I do admire his attitude.

[Fido969]

People think that the quick snapshot under pressure is like shooting at the gun range on a sunny day.

I think that is a DEADLY presumption.

[Spktyr]

They also seem to think that shotguns are area effect weapons that you only have to wave in the general direction of the target (at whatever range) while pulling the trigger. They're not.

[Jet Jaguar]

Good post, except for the miss. Thanks.

[SJackson]

With an armed perp in your face, it certainly is. He's a very lucky man. Both actually.

[mnehring]

They also seem to think that shotguns are area effect weapons that you only have to wave in the general direction of the target (at whatever range) while pulling the trigger. They're not.

Sounds like my last Pheasant hunting trip... I swore I was aiming.. honest...

[kingu]

Birdshot, buckshot and a slug, repeating down the tube in mine... I know, I know, I'll just tick off whomever it is with the birdshot, but I've yet to hear anyone approaching someone holding a shotgun full of birdshot.

[stboz]

I once had a Mossberg 20 that seemed to shoot a donut pattern. Many a dove escaped from right in front of me.

[Iwo Jima]

"I just can't believe I missed him," Mulrooney says, shaking his head. "Mom's going to be mad when she sees this cooler."

Better luck next time ping.

Oh, and your mom says you're grounded.

[Fido969]

A load of birdshot at less than 6 feet can blow a pretty good sized hole in a person.

[El Gato]

"I just can't believe I missed him"

It's easy to miss, even with a shotgun, but I'll bet you could follow the yellow and brown trail leading away from the store.

[El Gato]

Sounds like my last Pheasant hunting trip... I swore I was aiming.. honest...

That's your problem, you don't aim a shotgun, you point it. While it's not a true area effects weapon, it's not a pinpoint effect weapon either. Close does count when shooting moving aerial targets, or moving surface ones as well.

[Disambiguator]

"After he left, I looked at the hole the shot made in the cooler behind where he was standing and I realized the gun had freaking slugs in it."

First of all, he probably didn't say "freaking".

Secondly, he should have checked the gun before bringing it into action. If he didn't even know what kind of ammo was in it, it could have been empty. Using buckshot might have given him a hit and saved some damage to the cooler.

[cavtrooper21]

slug barrel
+
#4 buck
-------
Slagged perp.
Seen it. Real mess.


All in all better that the kid missed....
Perps ain't coming back (would YOU!!) and the kid doesn't have a dead man on his mind.
....just a dead cooler.

[ken in texas]

Sounds like my last Pheasant hunting trip... I swore I was aiming.. honest...

Indeed... I've seen many a dead dove fly away after I shot them. :-)

[El Gato]

Mulrooney says he couldn't have missed the gunman by more than six inches, and he certainly would have hit him if the load would have been buck or bird shot.

Probably not. Six inches is larger than the pattern would have been at inside a bait and liquor store distances. A cylinder choke results in about a 20" diameter pattern at 20 yards. At 10 yards, which is still 30 feet and fairly long range in that situation it would be around 1/2 that, or 10" diameter or 5" radius. He was probably closer than that. You don't have to aim a shotgun, but you do have to point it at the intended target, your eye forms the rear sight. Unless you have a rear sight of some sort on your shotgun, then you can aim it as you would a rifle. A ghost ring type seems to be the consensus choice.

[King Prout]

agreed - boy needs to work on his gunnery sequence

breathe, release, AIM, squeeze

but I do give him high marks for willingness to defend his property and life.

[SJackson]

The cooler doesn't look too bad to me.

I'd opt for shot, but shot, slug, whatever, confronting two assailants, one known to be armed, at close range, he's very lucky that miss (I missed the follow up shot, that's a miss too) didn't cost him his life.

[Lurker]

If you put buckshot in a rifled shotgun barrel you will get a donut shaped pattern.

L