Hydrostatic shock

4489 Views 15 Replies 11 Participants Last post by brownie, Jan 1, 2011

Red Dawg

Discussion Starter · Apr 4, 2009

The term hydrostatic shock describes the theory that a penetrating projectile produces remote wounding and incapacitating effects in living targets, in addition to local effects in tissue caused by direct impact, through a hydraulic effect in liquid filled tissues. There is scientific evidence that “hydrostatic shock" can produce remote neural damage and produce incapacitation more quickly than blood loss effects. The debate between proponents of bullets that are "light and fast" versus bullets that are "slow and heavy" often refers to this phenomenon.

Question is, it is just a theory or does it really exist? I partook in a discussion years ago on a hunting forum. Should have seen the fireworks there.

Flame on.

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Patriot Prepper

· #15 · Jan 1, 2011

I have a picture of someone wounded with a .223 at extremely close range.

The bullet entered and exited the thigh. The bullet did not hit the bone, but the bone was cracked all the way through in several places.

Handguns obviously do not have the same wounding capacity as high powered rifles. A .308 has the same energy at 1,000 yards that a .357 has at point blank range.
Hydrostatic shock does exist and can cause remote damage to organs. The extent depends on caliber and vicinity to the organ.

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