How could former Marine sharpshooter Oswald miss everything with his first shot?

[Tom Graves]

You realize that a sixth-floor gunman would have been firing virtually straight down at hypothetical Z124, right?

Griffith,

Grow some gonads and look at the three frames from a Secret Service film in Roselle's and Scearce's article.

https://d7922adf-f499-4a26-96d4-8ab2d521fa35.usrfiles.com/ugd/d7922a_e280e26982b44f2c97c6e6e27026e385.pdf

-- Tom

[Tom Graves]

A Z124 shot would mean JBC did not start his turn to the right until 40 frames later at Z164. That's over two seconds. A 147 shot would have JBC reacting in just under one second. That seems more plausible to me.

Connally made a quick head turn to his left at Z-150 before turning his head back to his right.

That's why he's "facing straight ahead" in the famous Croft photo which was taken at Z-160, iirc.

(FWIW, a horizontal head turn isn't indicative of a "startle reaction," but a conscious reaction after a startle reaction.)

[John Corbett]

The reason people use the phrase “miss the entire limo” is because there is no evidence that a missed-first-shot bullet hit anywhere in or on the limo, therefore it apparently did miss the entire limo in which JFK (the target) was riding in). It makes no sense to me that LHO would even consider making an attempt to intentionally shoot at a target in which he might miss by such a large margin. Especially since he had apparently set up his sniper’s nest for comfortable, rested and seated (and therefore very stable) shots just after the target cleared the oak tree only a few seconds later.

Why not just say he missed his intended target. It makes the point without implying he was completely incompetent with the rifle. CTs often use the phrase, "missed the entire limo" to imply Oswald was not competent with a rifle and was incapable of firing the shots that killed JFK.

[Charles Collins]

Why not just say he missed his intended target. It makes the point without implying he was completely incompetent with the rifle. CTs often use the phrase, "missed the entire limo" to imply Oswald was not competent with a rifle and was incapable of firing the shots that killed JFK.

My implication is exactly the opposite. I am saying that LHO was too good of a marksman to have missed by that much. Therefore I believe the missed first shot was not an intentional shot.

[John Corbett]

My implication is exactly the opposite. I am saying that LHO was too good of a marksman to have missed by that much. Therefore I believe the missed first shot was not an intentional shot.

If he had his finger on the trigger before he was ready to shoot, he was violating one of the cardinal rules of gun handling. There is a reason for that rule and it is specifically intended to prevent an unintentional discharge. I believe he fully intended to hit JFK with that first shot and it was the extraordinary difficulty of that shot that caused him to miss that badly.

[Charles Collins]

If he had his finger on the trigger before he was ready to shoot, he was violating one of the cardinal rules of gun handling. There is a reason for that rule and it is specifically intended to prevent an unintentional discharge. I believe he fully intended to hit JFK with that first shot and it was the extraordinary difficulty of that shot that caused him to miss that badly.

Yep, so was the federally licensed gunsmith and gun safety instructor that inadvertently shot a hole in our dining room table, chair and floor. It can happen to anybody at any time…

[John Corbett]

This is the greatest gun safety lecture I have ever seen:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=cop+inadvertently+shoots+himself+while+giving+gun+safety+lecture&mid=89E6605E5F21D2126B9389E6605E5F21D2126B93&churl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fchannel%2fUC4s_EWP1K3Nu81A-Uh5wVFg&FORM=VIRE