Forum:Gunshot to the head.

I was wondering if there is any information anywhere about the research that went into the whole 'surviving a gunshot to the head' thing. Did the team behind FNV look into to this seriously, or is it one of those video game magic type of things? I'm genuinly curious. According to a google search I did, only five percent of people survive gunshots to the head, with only three percent having good quality of life afterward. I'm also wondering if they took into account the brain damage that could occur from the shot. Anyone know?

The only reasonable response is: It is just a video game.

This isn't exactly uncommon in games.
 * Benny only has a Guns skill in the 50's. Two headshots from Maria with only 50 Guns won't kill most high-level humans such as yourself. :P Nitty Tok. 01:07, November 3, 2010 (UTC)

--Isnt it obvious? Its not real man, its all in ur head. There is no courier, there is no Mojave, there is no FNV. Its all in ur brainz, or well, whats left of it. That gunshot definately caused some dmg. Doctors say the chance of u ever waking up is about 1/10.000.000. Not bad imo. However considering that in the US alone over a dozen people get shot in the head per day, i doubt ur one of the lucky ones.

I the meantime, enjoy the finest services in the LUCKY 38, the best Casino in New Vegas, and with a nice suite too O.O

NeedPants 145.118.115.63 02:48, November 3, 2010 (UTC)

Maybe the courier is part of these 3% but anyway he did he suffered some brain damage this is why he can't remeber some stuff User:Stuvi

There are tales of people being shot exactly at the center of their forehead so that the bullet lodges *between* the brain lobes and is not instantly fatal. Then there are actual cases of people surviving suicide by gun shot, such as shotgun moutwash. So the human head maybe is more sturdy than you'd think.

But I still find Nitty's explanation the most convincing. - CRIMINAL SCUM 23:03, November 3, 2010 (UTC)

Judging from what Doc Mitchell says when talks about "rooting around in your head to get all the little bits of lead out," I'm guessing the bullet simply didn't break through the Courier's skull, and instead fragmented and ricocheted under the skin. It happens. Bullets are not guaranteed death devices. Schneidend 21:28, November 4, 2010 (UTC)


 * If anything considering the state of medicine in the Wasteland it might have made more sense for him to just stitch you up and leave the fragments inside. Unlike what movies show much of the time in real cases the bullet is left inside the victim unless there is a real need to remove it in order to repair the damage. Anyhow, there have been many cases where the bullet actually deflected off the skull and most of the damage to the brain was due to concussion. A shot through the heart is certain guaranteed death, a shot to the head is not.

Maybe he/she just had brains to spare, else a really thick skull. 21:36, November 4, 2010 (UTC)

I heard one documented case from a cop buddy of mine, there was a man shot in the forehead on his knees execution style with a 9mm pistol; the bullet slid around his skull, under the skin around his head and out the back. There was minimal damage done, other than cosmetic. Kivetracer 07:35, November 5, 2010 (UTC)

You can survive a bullit in the head. And let me make a reference to Phineas Gage - this is a cool story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage

I'm going to say Benny is just as good at shooting his gun as he is picking out a good suit. The Lone Kobold 19:38, December 12, 2010 (UTC)

Well, from a ballistics standpoint, Benny's Maria chambers at 9x19mmP, which isn't exactly a head-popping caliber. Also, the exact location of where the Courier was shot is not stated. This means that he could've been shot directly in the top of the skull, in the forehead region, where the sheer thickness of the skull had a half-chance of slowing down the bullet enough so that it wouldn't go far enough into the brain to hit anything too important. On top of that, this is alternate reality, futuristic world. It could just be that the technology of the time was advanced enough to allow someone to survive a shot to the head. There are a number of strong factors that might suggest the courier's survival. And although this may be hard to believe for some, there have been a large amount of people in history who have been shot in the head ranging from 9x19 to 12 gage buckshot and have survived. It's simply a matter of size, location, and speed, which were all contributing factors to the Courier's survival. Also, it's a video game. You can hit a guy with a High-Velocity rocket in this game and he'll survive. Maybe in this game, gunshots to the head just aren't...fatal...--Viper720666 23:18, December 13, 2010 (UTC)

"But i shot you in the head! yeah....you only crippled my head, i still had like...1/2 my health left...Health? wtf? I SHOT YOU IN THE HEAD! yeah but you only crippled my head....." Sounga 07:31, December 14, 2010 (UTC)

Lets also not forget the insane amount of pre-war rounds. That makes the rounds 200+ years old and gunpowder loses it's kick with exposure to time and the elements so it's possible, if Benny was using an old round, the bullet wasn't given enough force to pierce the skull.Mr.goodtrips 00:35, December 15, 2010 (UTC)
 * Most bullets in the Core region are produced by the Gun Runners, so the age of the bullet should be a non-factor. Nitty Tok. 00:45, December 15, 2010 (UTC)


 * Key word there is most, but not all. Judging by how cheap and tasteless his suit is, I would not be surprised if Benny also skimped on his ammo. ☣Avatar☣ 03:01, December 15, 2010 (UTC)


 * Actually, I think GQ said the checkered suit was coming back...Taipanpenguin 05:38, December 15, 2010 (UTC)

I know of one case(thank you history channel) of someone surviving a head shot. he was shot in the back of the head but the bullet ricocheted on the skull and went around the brain completely. If i remember right, it was an under-cover cop in the mafia.

There was also the idiot that tried to sue the band Judas Priest back in the 80s. Failed suicide with a shotgun. The Lone Kobold 02:59, December 16, 2010 (UTC)