Now, I didn't say an 18" miss. I said 18" drop. If you're holding in the middle of the torso you'd miss by 9"+ ....I'll have to break out my video at home and recalculate the numbers. Sigh....I didn't want to include numbers....

I don't take into consideration reaction time. I figure on the time it takes to drop the 18". I have a frame by frame video and know the time of each frame. Still, with that 50fps advantage and "all else being equal" a "near miss" is a miss is a miss....One stands a better chance of wounding.

I also thought that for a mechanical engineer as the author is, the assumption of some of the reaction times was cheesey to say the least.

He also doesn't take into consideration the "distance buffers" factor. The farther the shot-the less likely a severe reaction. Pop off a balloon next to an unsuspecting person's ear and try the same from 40yds out. Who jumps more? Why the more nervous person of course....

And then, of course, environmental factors..windy, crunchy, rainy...Pop that balloon during a thunderstorm.....

Read the caption under the pic at the end of the article, it pretty much contradicts much of what was written within...