The Exit Wound Myth: Why the “Charlie Kirk Wasn’t Shot With a .30-06” Story Is Total Garbage

Ballistics, medicine, and hard evidence...not Twitter “experts”...tell the real story.

The Exit Wound Myth: Why the “Charlie Kirk Wasn’t Shot With a .30-06” Story Is Total Garbage

Ballistics, medicine, and hard evidence…not Twitter “experts”…tell the real story.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #549: Sunday, September 14th, 2025.

Let’s Start With the Lie

Here’s the latest social-media garbage fire:

“Charlie Kirk couldn’t have been shot with a .30-06. There would have been a massive exit wound. Since we didn’t see one, the whole story is fake, staged, or coming from another angle.”

It’s the kind of claim that sounds smart to people who’ve watched too many action movies and read too few forensic reports. It spreads fast because it feels like “insider knowledge.”

But it’s a lie…and a dangerous one…because it plays on ignorance of ballistics and trauma medicine to spin an entire alternate reality.

I’ve watched this lie bounce around social media the last few days. As if there weren’t already enough critical fires to put out…here come the propaganda peddlers…pumping out garbage for clicks…from the clueless to the professional chaos merchants.

Fine. Let them spew. My commitment is simple: when the idiotic claims show up…I’ll be here to crush them. You can count on that.

Today, we’re going to bury this myth six feet under.

No fluff. No theory. Just hard facts…real case studies…and a reality check big enough to slap the smug smile off every “ballistics expert” who thinks watching CSI turned them into a trauma surgeon.

This post was made by a man whose profile says, “Former CIA Officer.” From what I was able to find, this appears to be valid. In my mind, this makes the claims he is making even more troubling. Unfortunately, his was just one of countless posts I found making similar claims.

Why the Claim Is Seductive

Let’s admit it: the claim has rhetorical punch.

• A .30-06 is a big…powerful round.

• Movies and TV show dramatic exit wounds.

• “Massive exit wound” feels intuitive…more power…more hole…more proof.

So when someone says, “There’s no exit wound, therefore it wasn’t a .30-06,” it feels like logic.

But it’s not logic. It’s lazy thinking.

It’s ignoring every variable that trauma surgeons…forensic pathologists…and real ballistics experts wrestle with every single day.

Ballistics 101: The Reality Nobody Wants to Hear

Here’s the truth:

Bullets do not behave like they do in Hollywood. The path a bullet takes…and whether it exits…depends on dozens of variables.

Let’s break down the biggest ones:

1. Bullet Design Matters More Than Caliber

• A full-metal jacket .30-06 may pass through cleanly with a small entry and small exit.

• A soft-point hunting round may expand violently and leave a massive wound.

• A hollow-point may fragment and lodge internally…leaving no exit wound at all.

Same caliber. Different outcomes.

2. Bone Changes Everything

• Hit soft tissue? Higher chance of exit.

• Hit dense bone (collar bone/clavicle…shoulder blade/scapula…etc.)? Bullet can fragment…tumble…or stop entirely.

• Fragmentation often leaves multiple projectiles inside the body.

3. Angle of Impact

• Straight shot vs. oblique angle = totally different outcomes.

• A bullet striking ribs at an angle can ricochet…change trajectory…and stop short.

4. Distance and Velocity

• A .30-06 is high velocity…yes…but velocity drops with distance.

• Energy dissipates differently depending on range…angle…and tissue encountered.

Case Studies That Kill the Myth

This isn’t theory. We have documented cases…real medical and forensic reports…that prove “no exit wound” happens even with high-powered rifles.

• Uganda (AK-47…rifle round…27-year-old woman): Shot in the face…bullet lodged in her neck. CT confirmed no exit wound. [Journal of Medical Case Reports]

• U.S. pediatric case (13-year-old girl): Rifle cartridge lodged in abdomen. Retained until surgery. No exit wound.[PACR Journal]

• Forensic review (2022): Large review of gunshot wounds shows retained bullets are common…fragmentation…bone strikes…and tissue drag prevent exit even in rifle wounds. [PMC 9462949]

• Thoracoabdominal case (autopsy, 2022): Bullet traversed chest and abdomen but remained lodged. Exit not guaranteed. [MDPI Diagnostics]

Translation: if you think “.30-06 = always exit,” you’re ignoring documented medical reality.

The Exit Wound Fallacy Exposed

The conspiracy peddlers make three big mistakes:

1. They assume caliber dictates outcome. It doesn’t.

2. They assume all shots hit soft tissue. They don’t.

3. They ignore medical literature. Which shows countless rifle wounds with no exit.

This is like saying, “Every car crash at 70 mph kills the driver.” No…it depends on angle…seatbelt…airbags…body mass…impact surface. It depends on context. Same with bullets.

About the “Angle” Claim (Left to Right Nonsense)

Another claim flying around: “The shot came from left to right, not front to back.”

How do they know? By watching shaky phone footage and drawing imaginary lines.

Forensic pathology isn’t guesswork from Twitter videos.

It’s careful trajectory analysis based on imaging…wound path…bone involvement…and internal tissue damage. Without access to that data, any “definitive angle” claim is fan fiction.

Could the shot have come from an angle? Sure. Does that change caliber? No. Does it mean staged? Absolutely not. It means reality is messy…and bullet paths aren’t straight lines like they are in video games.

Why These Myths Stick (and Why They’re Dangerous)

These myths survive for one reason: they make people feel smart.

• “I know ballistics, look at me spotting the lie.”

• “I found the hole in the official story.”

• “This proves the whole thing is staged.”

It’s ego…not evidence. And it’s dangerous because it erodes trust in the few facts we do have, and it fuels conspiracy ecosystems that thrive on confusion.

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters

Let’s be blunt. Ballistic myths like this aren’t about Kirk. They’re about you.

They’re about testing how easily you can be manipulated.

If a grifter can convince you that “no exit wound” = “no .30-06,” despite mountains of contrary evidence…then they can convince you of anything.

They can convince you elections were stolen…pandemics were fake…wars never happened. It’s the same playbook.

And every time you share the myth…you’re not “doing your own research.” You’re doing their work for them.

Follow the Motives

Who benefits from pushing the exit wound lie?

• Conspiracy influencers: clicks…followers…money.

• Political operatives: confusion equals control.

• Trolls: chaos is the goal.

Meanwhile…the truth gets drowned out. And ordinary people…confused…scared… unsure…get exploited.

The Reality Check

Here’s the bottom line:

• A .30-06 can leave a massive exit wound.

• A .30-06 can also fragment…lodge…and leave no exit wound at all.

• Anyone who tells you “absolutely always” doesn’t know ballistics…medicine…or reality.

The “no exit wound” claim is not science. It’s storytelling for people who want to feel smarter than everyone else.

Closing the Coffin on the Myth

If you take nothing else from this…take this:

• Exit wounds are not guaranteed.

• Angles can’t be determined from Twitter videos.

• Conspiracies thrive on oversimplification.

So the next time someone insists “it couldn’t have been a .30-06,” tell them to crack a forensic pathology book. Or better yet…tell them to stop pretending Hollywood rules ballistics.

Because the truth is messy. And anyone selling you “absolute” answers about bullet wounds from the cheap seats is selling you bullshit.

BONUS SECTION

What the science actually says

Gunshot Wounds Review & Retained Bullets

A 2022 review (“Gunshot Wounds: Ballistics, Pathology, and Treatment”) collected cases where the projectile remains inside the victim.

It shows that even high-velocity rounds don’t always exit. Tissue type, bone strikes, and bullet deformation all affect whether an exit wound occurs. PMC

Experimental Ammunition Studies (Sheep Models)

A recent experiment shot sheep’s limbs with different rifle rounds (M80, SS109, M822) at 300 cm distance.

Cases showed that when bullets passed through bone or hit joint surfaces, exit wounds were often irregular or absent because of fragmentation and energy loss. In some instances, more destructive bullets (M80) did exit—but not always cleanly. PMC

Forensic Pathology on Exit-and Entrance Wounds

Medscape’s Forensic Pathology of Firearm Wounds discusses that autopsy reports often show uncertainty in tracking wound paths.

In some cases…exit wounds may not be easily identifiable or may be minimal… depending on what structures were struck (bone, organs, etc.).

Also, bullets striking dense tissues (skull, pelvis, spine) sometimes fragment so much that the “exit” site is not a clean defect or is severely deformed. Medscape

Experimental Projectile Models & Bullet Design Impact

From “Wound Ballistics: What Every Trauma Surgeon Should Know”: bullet design (jacket, soft point vs hollow point vs full metal jacket), mass…velocity…and deformability are central to what happens after impact.

A high-powered rifle round like .30-06 might have the energy…but if the bullet is kuked (i.e. strikes bone and fragments) or low yaw…the exit may be small or even absent. Clinical Gate+1

Why people make the “absolutely exit wound” claim

Some psychology and social reasons behind overconfidence in that claim:

Media / Hollywood distortion:

Movies / shows often show dramatic exit wounds (blood…gore..massive exit holes), conditioning people to expect always-exit scenarios.

Layperson misunderstanding of wounds:

The assumption that more powerful = always more damage, clean exit, etc. But forensic and clinical wound science is much messier.

Desire for narrative:

In some cases, people want the “proof” to align with their beliefs…and exit wounds are taken as such evidence.

Real-world documented cases

The sheep experiment shows real exits vary by ammo type. M80 bullets caused severe damage and often exit wounds…but with highly irregular shape. Others (lower fragmentation bullets) sometimes exited with smaller…less dramatic wounds. PMC

Forensic pathology records (in civilian GSW studies) include retained bullets / non-exit cases even for rifle rounds…especially when bone is struck or when bullet fragments. The 2022 “Gunshot Wounds: Ballistics, Pathology, and Treatment” review has numerous examples of medical surgeons dealing with retained projectiles. PMC

Key Variables Illustrated by These Cases

From reviewing these studies…here are the variables that often determine whether a rifle-round bullet exits or not:

Tissue and Bone Interaction:

When a bullet strikes bone (jaw…spine…skull…ribs), it may fragment…lose velocity… deform…or change path. That can prevent exit.

Bullet Design / Construction:

Full-metal-jacket vs soft-point vs hollow point vs fragmenting rounds behave differently. Some are built to expand; others to retain shape. Expansion and deformation both affect energy loss.

Yaws, Angle…and Path Deviations

The bullet may not travel in a straight line. If the bullet yaws (turns)…tumbles…or shifts trajectory after bone impact…it might lose enough kinetic energy that it fails to exit.

Distance and Velocity:

Closer shots = more velocity. But if distance is large…even powerful rounds still lose velocity. Also…initial velocity is only part of the story: energy transfer in tissue matters.

Intermediate Barriers / Structures:

Bullets going through objects (clothing…glass…metal surfaces) or organs first may lose energy before hitting major body parts. That can reduce exit potential.

Anatomic Variability

Human bodies aren’t uniform. Tissue density…shape…organ location vary. Some people have more soft tissue…some more bone. Some may have natural barriers (fascia, organ boundaries) that trap or slow the projectile.

Experts Quotes Regarding Entrance/Exit Wounds

1. Vincent J.M. DiMaio, M.D. (forensic pathologist), Gunshot Wounds

“X-rays should be performed in all cases where a bullet exits, because an ‘exit wound’ does not necessarily indicate that the bullet did indeed exit. Occasionally an exiting bullet will have enough energy to create a defect in the skin but will rebound back into the body.” Internet Archive

2. ACEP Now (American College of Emergency Physicians), clinical forensic guidance

“Gunshot wounds should never be interpreted as ‘entrance’ or ‘exit’ based on the size of the wounds. Size does not matter in gunshot wounds.” ACEP Now

3. Medscape Forensic Pathology of Firearm Wounds (peer-reviewed overview)

“Entrance wounds typically… [are] circular… while exit wounds are often more irregular… However, atypical wound morphologies occur frequently in practice.” Medscape

These three together make the case: exit wounds are not guaranteed; their appearance varies widely; and you can’t infer caliber or direction from wound size alone.

Finally

The bottom line is this: lies like the “exit wound myth” spread because people want simple answers in a world that isn’t simple.

Real ballistics don’t work like video games or Hollywood movies. And anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you an agenda…not the truth. I don’t care if it comes dressed up as expertise…wrapped in patriotism…or dripping with social media swagger…if it’s garbage…I’ll call it what it is.

So here’s the promise.

As long as propaganda merchants keep pumping poison into the bloodstream of public discourse…I’ll keep doing the antidote work.

It’s not glamorous…and it sure as hell isn’t easy…but somebody’s got to drag these myths into the light and smash them. Because in the end…truth doesn’t just win by existing…it wins because people like you and me refuse to let the lies stand unchallenged.

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I’ll be back soon. If you’ve been reading JHN for long…you already know that.

Stay strong!

-Jack