There is quite a distance between him and the shooter. So the bullet probably just grazed him. There is also no mention of a bullet being in his body when he was taking care of his wounds. So it didn't seem that bad.
However you are right after he took care of his wounds, the gunshot didn't seem to bother him at all. This was different in Back From The Dead, Humanity and Trail of Tears where you can see him in pain throughout the episode. Even stronger is that in Trail of Tears Mac actually spends a night in the woods. Of course some Indian magic and the first aid kit from the store around the next tree is always helpful.
I think the idea was more to see a dirty, sweaty Mac with messed up hair running through the forest and the wound was supposed to spice it up. However more episodes are made like this.
The explosion is indeed cheesy. But I think it was considered too risky since it was filmed on location to use an actual explosive. Your star is hanging on the gondola cutting away the device which is supposed to explode underneath him. You never know how high the flames might rise with him above it. Can't have your star being consumed by the fire.
Would be a great news article though.
'Lead actor Richard Dean Anderson dies a spectacular death on MacGyver. In upcoming episode Cease Fire MacGyver sets out to rescue the President of Samadia. A bomb is attached to the gondola that takes the President to a peace summit. While trying to cut away the bomb with a Swiss Army Knife the bomb explodes on the way down killing the lead actor of the show in a mushroom cloud. Talk about being consumed by your work.'
I think the poison that was used was applied to this knife, passed to the mutton when it was cut and then activated by the wine. - MacGyver.
Sometimes you just have to die a little inside to be reborn and rise again as a stronger and wiser version of you.
It's better to be a little sad than to be fake content.