1,000 Ways to Die? Is this possible?

[PsychGuy274]

For those who don't know '1,000 Ways to Die' is a show on SPIKE that shows funny ways that people die. I guess kind of like a Darwin Awards type vibe.

Anyways, here's the scenario: Guy bums too many cigarettes from his buddy and his buddy gets pissed off and decided to really give him some cigarettes. He opened a 12ga shotshell, took out the pellets and replaced them with some cigarettes. Then he goes up to his buddy and wakes him up (because he's drunk) and then walks about 15 yards away and shot the cigarettes at him and they partially penetrated his skull, killing him instantly.

Do you guys think this is possible?

To me it seems that the majority of the cigarettes would be obliterated upon detonation of the primer and if they did leave the barrel they would just fly in a random direction and likely not even contact the target. And if they did hit him I don't think they'd have the momentum necessary for penetration of the skull.

What say ye fellow Calgunners?

[rojocorsa]

I saw that one last week, but missed the first part. All I saw was a guy get shot with cigarettes. Good to know why, at least.


I guess that if the cigarettes are going fast enough, that it would make up for their lack of mass.

[Falstaff]

doesnt seem plausible, perhaps the plastic wad might have done some damage though.

[pdq_wizzard]

I saw that one last week, but missed the first part. All I saw was a guy get shot with cigarettes. Good to know why, at least.


I guess that if the cigarettes are going fast enough, that it would make up for their lack of mass.

but if they were going fast enough would they not just be confetti at that point?

[HK-DEMON-]

I guess its time to call in the Mythbuster for this one.

[pdq_wizzard]

I guess its time to call in the Mythbuster for this one.

right I have two arrows hanging on my wall that says they are full of it.....

[rojocorsa]

I guess they could be confetti, but I thought that program was supposed be based on actual events?

[Rhythm of Life]

Depends how you pack your cigs

[scoot64]

I thought it was closer more like 10 ft away. I think at a close enough range could be plausible. There was an actor in the 80's or early 90's that accidently killed himself firing a blank to close to his temple.

[IMC87]

Didn't the mythbusters already bust this?

[scoot64]

Here's a link to a news story where a guy was killed by a muzzleloader filled with cigarette butts and paper towel waddinghttp://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94...tqshow=&page=1

[Turo]

Didn't the mythbusters already bust this?

I just came in here to say that. Then again, they used a rifle and not a shotgun, but the idea is the same.

Basically, at any reasonable range, the butts are definitely non-lethal, but at point blank range they can do some damage (as can most blanks.)

http://mythbustersresults.com/episode84

[Barabas]

I've seen a piece of straw poke completely through a fence post after a tornado. That said, I doubt it was the cigarettes that killed the guy. Think about it for a minute. A full load of powder with a shot cup, maybe even a nice thick cardboard wad below it... I've seen wads blow splinters off the patterning board at 30'.

[BigFatGuy]

"Based in actual events" is a very loose term. A kid in real life gets up and goes to school. In the based-in-actual-events-movie, he gets up, gets kidnapped by aliens, meets Megan Fox, saves the universe, and then gets dropped off at school.

Also, the Mythbusters are a fun show, but they are not exactly scientifically rigorous. I remember they once "proved" that the gasoline-in-the-toilet story where a guy blows himself up "cannot happen". It happened again a couple weeks after I saw the show.

[PsychGuy274]

I've seen a piece of straw poke completely through a fence post after a tornado. That said, I doubt it was the cigarettes that killed the guy. Think about it for a minute. A full load of powder with a shot cup, maybe even a nice thick cardboard wad below it... I've seen wads blow splinters off the patterning board at 30'.

The myth itself didn't say anything about the shotcup. it's specifically said the cigarettes penetrated into his skull.