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The recent experiment conducted by Glenn Beck at the Side X Side Ranch in Oklahoma tested the Warren Commission’s claim that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in assassinating President John F. Kennedy. By attempting to replicate the shooting conditions, Beck and ranch co-owner Scott Robertson concluded that Oswald could have physically made the three shots fired from the Texas School Book Depository within the timeframe—if the shots were closely grouped. While this appears to support the Commission’s basic timeline, it does little to resolve the enduring controversy over the “magic bullet” theory or broader conspiracy questions.
### Key Findings from the Experiment
– : The test suggested that Oswald, despite being labeled a “poor shot” by the Marines, might have succeeded if the shots were tightly clustered. This aligns with the Warren Commission’s assertion that three shots were fired from the sixth-floor window.
– : The close grouping of shots in the experiment contradicts earlier claims that Oswald’s rifle (a bolt-action Mannlicher-Carcano) was too slow or inaccurate for such precision. Critics have long argued that Oswald couldn’t fire three accurate shots in 8.3 seconds, but the test implies tighter groupings might make it feasible.
### The Unresolved “Magic Bullet” Mystery
Despite the experiment’s findings, the —central to the Warren Commission’s narrative—remains contentious. The Commission claimed one bullet struck both Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally, but critics highlight inconsistencies:
– : The nearly pristine state of the recovered “magic bullet” conflicts with its alleged path through two bodies and multiple bones.
– : Connally insisted he was hit after Kennedy, undermining the theory that a single bullet caused both wounds.
### Why the Experiment Doesn’t Settle the Debate
– : The test focused solely on shot feasibility, not the bullet’s trajectory or forensic evidence. The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) later found “scientific acoustical evidence” suggesting a second shooter, which the experiment didn’t address.
– : Historical records show Oswald scored “212” in the Marines—below the “sharpshooter” threshold. While the experiment suggests tighter groupings could compensate, it doesn’t resolve whether Oswald possessed the skill under high-pressure conditions.
### Conclusion
The Side X Side Ranch experiment challenges one narrow critique of the Warren Commission’s findings but leaves the broader conspiracy questions unanswered. The “magic bullet” theory remains hotly debated, and discrepancies in witness accounts, forensic evidence, and government investigations ensure the JFK assassination will persist as a topic of public skepticism. As the HSCA concluded in 1979, there was “probably a conspiracy”—a verdict unshaken by this latest test.
