Injuries: firearm, shotgun range: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Injuries: firearm, shotgun range

Sample item

At autopsy a shotgun wound of the chest shows a rosette of scattered pellet holes about 7.5 cm across, without blackening or wad marks. Using the rule that pellet spread increases by about one inch per yard, what is the approximate range?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. About 3 yards (about 3 metres)

A shotgun charge leaves the muzzle as a mass and begins to spread beyond about one yard, the diameter of the pattern increasing by about one inch (2.5 cm) per yard. A 7.5 cm pattern corresponds to about 3 yards. Contact or very close shots leave a single ragged hole with burning and blackening.

Option by option

  • A. About 3 yards (about 3 metres) (correct)

    Correct. Three inches of spread gives about three yards.

  • B. About 15 yards

    At 15 yards the pattern would be about 15 inches (38 cm).

  • C. More than 50 yards

    At such range the spread would be much wider and the injuries superficial.

  • D. Less than 30 cm, a contact shot

    A contact shot gives one hole with soot and wad impact, not a spread pattern.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is A, About 3 yards (about 3 metres). A shotgun charge leaves the muzzle as a mass and begins to spread beyond about one yard, the diameter of the pattern increasing by about one inch (2.

Why is "About 15 yards" not the answer?

At 15 yards the pattern would be about 15 inches (38 cm).

Why is "More than 50 yards" not the answer?

At such range the spread would be much wider and the injuries superficial.

Why is "Less than 30 cm, a contact shot" not the answer?

A contact shot gives one hole with soot and wad impact, not a spread pattern.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Injuries: firearm, shotgun range in Forensic Medicine. 5 cm) per yard. A 7.5 cm pattern corresponds to about 3 yards. Contact or very close shots leave a single ragged hole with burning and blackening.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Injuries: firearm, shotgun range?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.