@Jer @emptywheel The answer should be fairly simple, and I can see on YouTube that someone has done an experiment where they shot at the ear of a ballistic gel head. Not clear though if that would have left a burn on his cheek, and any other damage to his ear or hearing from a supersonic bullet passing that close.
There was a (grim) interactive analysis of such wounds a few years back, and it's the kinetic energy of the small projectile that causes damage when a larger slower bullet might penetrate and pass through with a small wound.