Cold Case: JFK – NOVA program now online

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79. NOVA showed that the bullet was able to penetrate nearly three feet of wood block

with hardly any damage. NOVA showed that prior to entering tissue the bullet was not expected to tumble. NOVA showed that the tumbling would be expected to begin, at earliest, only immediately before the first exit of the bullet from tissue

It is natural to expect that tissue is much easier to penetrate than wood block, so that a bullet beginning to tumble after (say) a foot or less of tissue still packs a helluva punch. The distance from Kennedy to Connally was short, so air resistance can't have had much impact on the bullets penetrating power. That bullet supposedly passed through Connally's torso (another foot or less of tissue) and wrist (perhaps two inches of tissue) before damaging Connally's thigh

The bullet-wound of Connally's thigh has generally been regarded as superficial: WCR took the view that the bullet was so weakly embedded in his thigh that it simply fell from the thigh onto a hospital stretcher -- entirely consistent with your idea that it must have lost its punch by them

NOVA noted oval-shaped entrance damage to the back of Connally's coat, consistent with a tumbling bullet. NOVA noted lead fragments in Connally's wrist and consistent protrusion of interior lead from the bullet generally regarded as having penetrated both Kennedy and Connally. That sure looks to be a consistent story