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Something doesn’t add up in ‘shell shocked’ article

Reader says people get hysterical when guns involved

Something doesn’t add up in the article about the shell shocked Central Saanich resident and former police officer, who claims buckshot entered his house.

It’s terrifying how people get hysterical when they simply think guns are involved, especially when there is no real evidence to support their claims. The article itself lack any facts, contained no real info and relied on emotion and hearsay to support Mr. Gummer’s position.

Here are some facts: Buckshot consists of lead pellets that are 0.24-0.36 inches in diameter. How a lead ball traveling at any speed could hit a rock and proceed to break a window, strike a cabinet and yet remain in perfect condition defies physics. In ideal conditions, and according to the Canadian Firearms Centre’s own data, with fully loaded hunting rounds, the range at which buckshot travels at a velocity that could harm a person or, say, ricochet off a rock, break a window and then dent a cabinet is 100-150 yards, let alone the scaled back rounds farmers use to simply protect their crops.

Perhaps someone should get out a tape measure?

As a law-abiding gun owner, the Canadian Government makes me learn and remember these figures.

You’d think it would be the kind of thing a police officer should know, and something a reporter would stumble upon with a simple Google search.

The home owner’s problem most likely lies with someone with a slingshot who may or may not have had malicious intent. Please everyone, take a deep breath, do a little research and stop vilifying guns and farmers trying to put protect our food source.

John MacIntyre

Central Saanich