**Core Concept**
A stellate wound is a type of entry wound caused by a high-velocity bullet that creates a star-shaped or radial pattern of lacerations around the entry point. This occurs due to the bullet's rapid expansion and fragmentation upon impact with the skin, leading to the characteristic stellate pattern.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The formation of a stellate wound is associated with high-velocity bullets, typically exceeding 1,000 feet per second (fps). When such a bullet penetrates the skin, it rapidly decelerates and expands, causing the surrounding skin to tear and create the stellate pattern. This is in contrast to low-velocity bullets, which tend to produce a clean entry wound without the characteristic stellate pattern.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** Low-velocity bullets, typically those from handguns, are less likely to produce a stellate wound due to their slower expansion and lower kinetic energy.
**Option B:** Contact wounds, where the muzzle is in direct contact with the skin, tend to produce a clean entry wound without the stellate pattern.
**Option C:** Tangential wounds, where the bullet grazes the skin, may produce a small, linear wound without the characteristic stellate pattern.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
Remember that the presence of a stellate wound is a strong indicator of a high-velocity bullet and can be an important clue in ballistics and forensic pathology.

**Correct Answer:** C.