Headshots: Instant Kill or Not?

[catface.jpg 75]

I like pistols. I don't even grab rifles anymore. They just make a lot of noise, and I'd rather have my hatchet ready. Sometimes you need a gun, though, so I collect pistols. When I have a tent, there's a nice collection of pistols in it. When I don't, I usually have a pistol on me and a second (sometimes even a third) in my bag if I have space. I know it's not practical, but like I said, I like pistols.

A gun being a gun, I figure as long as I aim for the head it's a kill. But I'm starting to wonder...

I've hit several zombies in the head over time, seeing blood explode from their ear, only to have them *not* die.

Recently I got shot while in the market in Cherno. The attacker knocked me unconscious, but didn't kill me. He didn't finish me off, either. Just sorta stood around and watched me. Maybe he shot me by accident in panic. Maybe he didn't realize I was armed and was trying to let me bleed out. When I awoke, I decided to not take any chances, and I carefully drew down on his forehead with my Makarov and fired.

Got him right in the head. Blood splatter confirmed the hit.

But he wasn't dead, and shot me again for my trouble, this time killing me.

Are headshots instant kills, regardless of weapon, or not? Did I get de-synced or whatever, so that it looked like a headshot on my end, but I really missed him? Or did it not kill him because it's a Makarov? Are the hitboxes on Arma/DayZ a little blurry? I'm *positive* I saw blood spatter marking my hit.

[domistyle 221]

Usually headshots are instant kill, no matter what weapon.

However, most of the time desync causes trouble with that.

So just take strong guns with you or double tap if you don't get a kill confirmation on the left corner.

[Pale Ryder 7]

I've often wondered this myself. Especially after taking care to aim at a zombie's head only to have him roflstomp into me afterwards. Since then it's just easier to put a few into the body than to take the time to headshot. I know headshots are -supposed- to be 1 shot kills with any weapon.. but like yourself, I've seen some instances where that wasn't the case.

Perhaps it is a desync issue or graphical error, but you aren't the only one who has the same issue.

[Knight2000 (DayZ) 35]

When in doubt....... empty the mag

[catface.jpg 75]

Just had an encounter that leads me to believe a headshot with a Makarov is NOT an instant-kill, like it should be.

The situation: I was walking left out of the front door of the Cherno supermarket on a private hive. Immediately across the street was a player, who fired at me, breaking my legs. I dropped like a sack. I was still awake, bleeding and leg-broke. I had ONE ROUND in my LAST MAKAROV MAG. I figured I was dead, but I had one chance - shoot him in the head. I had one round to try.

I saw him, he was not moving, he was looking at me. I lined up carefully on his head, and fired my round.

Blood exploded from his skull, and he was KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS.

So, I definitely hit him. I definitely hit him in the head. The gameserver registered the hit. It just didn't call the hit a kill, regardless of it being a head shot. It didn't even do much blood damage, because the resulting swarm of zombies finished me off - but did not kill him. They were eating him as I shuffled off this mortal coil. Within minutes my travelling companion made it to Cherno, and only my body was there. He had escaped.

[Amizaur 5]

Maybe the headshot is coded just as some multipler to the bullet damage. So it usually leads to an instant kill with most weapons, but a weak weapon from range, or with unfortunate dice roll - maybe sometimes just don't take enough points to kill at once, even with multipler... ?

[terex 322]

I've never had to shoot someone more then once in the head for them to die, regardless of weapon. Take into account the desync, pings and sometimes it taking 5-10 sec for it to register them dying. I know I have ran around for a good 5 seconds after I saw my blood was in the negatives before.

[professorchaos 20]

I can confirm this problem. Just shot a guy in his head, but he was just unconciouse (with a revolver)... So I stood over him and saw, that there was a red dot in his face - from my bullet... but it takes one more into his head to kill him ...

Edit: It was in Lingor, don't know whether it is possible ;-)

Edited September 17, 2012 by ProfessorChaos

[Bludy 324]

i think they are insta-kills the most of the time, things can change if the guy is full healty, or if you have a makarov. the fact that he didn't get inconcious it's sight of problems with hitboxes due to lag..good effort the pistol thing..sometimes i don't pick up a rifle, when you have the whole town full of players in front ,a trusty hatchet is really a good choice

[catface.jpg 75]

This would definitely fit circumstances. I hadn't considered this. Beans to u :3

Maybe the headshot is coded just as some multipler to the bullet damage. So it usually leads to an instant kill with most weapons, but a weak weapon from range, or with unfortunate dice roll - maybe sometimes just don't take enough points to kill at once, even with multipler... ?

[dallas 5195]

1. Shoot untill you have to reload.

2. Repeat 1.

[porter653 1]

I have never had an issue with a headshot not killing the player/zombie that I can remember or noticed. Ive actually encountered the opposite where a shot that hit in the neck or high chest area was a one shot kill, maybe even some that appeared to hit the very top of the shoulder going into the neck.

But I don't often play servers that give me desyncs either, I will switch if I see it come up frequently. Seen too many weird things happen in youtube videos about DayZ with the desyncs.

[hazrauken 0]

Not had this prblem, i assume i was desynced as in debug wasn't coming up. i 1 hit a guy form 15m with a mak in the head, also never has a headshot bieng not a kill on ANYTHING

had alot of 1 hits when it shouldnt be, such as a chest shot with postnerf lee, or chest with CZ550. interestingly i always go for the head as neck doesn't seem to be 1hko even with 6kdmg(postnerf lee)

[aggressivek 22]

Some guns yes, some guns no. It just depends on what gun you're using.

[Littleassassin2 73]

Depends on the weapon. An AKM i think needs 1 to the head and then 1 to the chest, or 2 to the head, whichever you prefer.

Honestly, don't stop shooting until you hear the flies or (name) has been killed/died

[Zeppa 562]

I think this is issue with shot registering correctly etc.

I have shot a guy at 200m with M24, seeing his brains fly out back of his head and he only goes unconsious. I have been shot several times at similar distance with as50(should be 1shot kill "always") by hackers and only knocked unconsious with 3k blood.

Same with zeds, sometimes you take their head off and they just keeps coming.

[HMS 115]

There should be a simple answer for this, and yet there is still confusion. I don't understand how that can be.

On the DayZ Wiki, there is a chart listing all the weapons, and the damage they do. The As50 is something like 5 Triillion blood points per hit, so it is most definitely a 1 shot kill.

But, the wiki doesn't differentiate between a body shot and a head shot. Data exists for one, and it should exist for the other. No?

So, whoever figured out the data for the wiki: can you answer these questions?

[m0n3y 2]

I got insta-killed by a guy with a makarov, so yeah it happens :P

Never, ever trust people shouting friendly when they have a pistol...ever.

[DeadShaun 25]

I've had it take 3 head shots with a Makarov to kill an infected, bizarre I know, I don't care what damage the makarov does, one bullet to their head and they should be dead!

[Alien0527 4]

the only gun ive had trouble with on headshots is the g17 on a military zombie takes two bullets to the head to kill so i switch to my PDW on the same server load a g17 mag into it and shoot military zombies in the head and they all die in one shot

[Obsolescence 129]

This whole thread seems full of scrub whiners. I normally have a 90%+ headshot rate on zombies and the only type that ever take two hits is the pilot heli crash zombies. I can confirm also that headshots work on players and are one-hit kills but I can't remember the last time / if I headshot someone with a pistol or makarov, specifically.

[codave 121]

This whole thread seems full of scrub whiners. I normally have a 90%+ headshot rate on zombies and the only type that ever take two hits is the pilot heli crash zombies. I can confirm also that headshots work on players and are one-hit kills but I can't remember the last time / if I headshot someone with a pistol or makarov, specifically.

I didn't see it as whining, but if there's an issue with desync, or incorrect data somewhere it would be nice to know about. Ya know?

Personally I've always been a proponent of "If you have to pull the trigger, it's worth pulling it more than once."

This was covered in the documentary "Zombieland", also.

:lol: