There are one or two people that I’d take a bullet for in a second, but only them. Losing anyone would be horrible, but how would losing me be any better?
Actually, I’m counting on a lot of ‘missing’.
…but it’s not very likely to happen to me here in the UK.
What does body size have to do with bullets? (A: not a whole lot) More likely, you have a protective attitude towards women, not men.
For many family members and close, close friends. I’m also of the ‘very few, but very close’ friends area. It’s just really hard to tell, but there are lots of situations I can think of where I would take a bullet for someone else. It would just be easier than living with any future anguish of having done nothing (if that were the only other option).
I know I would take a bullet for my husband and my family members. I’m pretty sure that I would also instinctively take a bullet for any child. I’m reasonably sure that I’d also take a bullet for my dogs. I’d like to qualify that last statement by saying I realize it is a really stupid decision to make. However, I don’t think I would be thinking straight and I’d probably jump in to protect them before I thought about how stupid it was. Once again, just so everyone is straight on this: I realize this would be stupid. I do not value animal life over human life. I just love my dogs very much and would immediately react to protect them from harm.
This happened in IRL to this guy
I’d do it for immediate family (mom, dad, sis). Also my dad’s 2 siblings (brothers), both aunts, & any of those 6 cousins. We’re a close family & I believe they’d do the same for me. Dad’s parents are dead, but I’d take one for my maternal nana.
My maternal grandpop doesn’t know anyone or anything anymore & is very frail, but Nana wants him home. Dad’s aunt’s very old and frail, getting more confused every time I see her. I’d probably let both of them go - I might see it as euthanasia. In the case of my grandpop, it might be better for Nana. As for the rest of mom’s family…I do love them, but I’m simply not close enough to any of them to take a bullet, I don’t think. Maybe that’s horrible, but it’s truthful.
I only thought of 3 non-family members. One is my best friend for the past 4 years, Scarlet. We consider each other sisters. The other two are Kim and Jamie, who’re both almost sisters 
I know it’s a big list. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to do it in real life. But, those are the people who came to mind.
OK, I’ll cop to the ‘protective’ attitude, but actually, there’s a fair bit to the body size thing.
Item:
If you’re going to take bullet, the more of you there is, the more likely it’s going to wind-up somewhere non-fatal.
Item:
The bigger you are, the more blood volume you have. You can lose more blood without it being life threatening.
Item:
Best current knowledge about the lethal effects of bullets has it that, short of hitting a critical organ, bullets kill by the effect of the perminant wound channel. Bigger channel==more lethal. The bigger you are, the smaller the ratio of wound channel to body mass becomes for any given wound.
That said, the attitude of the wounded person seems to have as big an impact on survival as anything else. My brothers and brothers-in-law all have a pretty strong “I’m not done yet” outlook. They’re at no more risk than myself. Come to think of it, my sisters and sisters-in-law all have the same attitude. It must be that ‘protective’ thing.
There is currently no one I know who is more important to myself than myself; thus, I would not take a bullet for anyone. This is the “rational” analysis.
I might reflex for my mother, however, if such a situation occurred IRL. Thing is, my mom would kill me for something so stupid if the bullet didn’t.
Tranquilis
I hope this doesn’t hijack the thread, but I will quibble with your first two points. Why wouldn’t the amount of blood needed and the size of the crucial internal organs themselves increase with body size? Regarding the lethal affects of bullets, here’s Cecil on the subject (I’m not sure how this column fits in with your statement about permanent wound channels).
I regret to inform you that the Master got that one mostly wrong. Here’s where it’s discussed in all it’s ugly detail.
Reference these threads also.
I now return you to the scheduled topic…
Knee-jerk answer is: Yes, definitely, of course.
But, I’d have to consider how Anniz would feel if I did that. Could she live without me? I don’t know if I could live without her.
Maybe I’d ask the gunman to shoot someone else. 
And that’s pretty much how I feel as well.
Okay, I might hesitate when it comes to somebody that I really don’t like, but even then, I feel that I should – and given a chance to screw up my courage, I would.
Does it matter where we take the bullet? I mean, I don’t want to get shot in the head for someone who was just going to catch the bullet in his ass or something.
For my wife. Without hesitation.
It’s a tough question. I have felt guilt for stepping on snails on my morning jog by accident (thought behind it: why is my life more important than the snail’s?), so maybe I’d step in front of a bullet for anyone, even arch-nemesii. But it’d have to be on impulse (and I can be pretty impulsive at times), so the chances are shifted a touch. I’d definitely step in front of those I love (and love holds a broad definition to me), with the chances holding nearly 100% for close friends and family.
Very interesting answers, everyone. Thanks for responding.
The only thing I can honestly say is that I hope I would. I hope I’m the type of guy that would jump in to save anyone close to me, or any other “helpless” person, be they a child or a pregnant woman, little old lady, etc.
As much as I think I am that type of guy, how would I really know until something like that happens? How would I know that I’d react unselfishly by instinct?
As for my boss… Hell no. Not even if he was the president, and it was my job and sworn duty to protect him. Just no. If it’s worth anything to Dubya, I’ll have a look around afterwards and see if I can’t find out who the gunman was, but that’s it.
If bullets were suddenly flying and I didn’t know what the hell was going on, I’d probably just automatically hit the deck no matter who I was with. (I have put myself in danger for my dogs and I was pretty much on autopilot, so, who knows?)
On the other hand, if confronted, I’d try to place myself between the gun and family. At least I like to think I would. Family members and one friend. And my mom, like erislover’s, would kick my ass if I tried to shield her.