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September 2, 2013, 06:03 AM | #1 |
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Join Date: August 6, 2012
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My 'What the ...?' moment for the day...
Also known as 'Always...ALWAYS, wear eye protection...'
I was shooting steel at my local range about two weeks ago, when I got beaned just at the upper inside edge of my left brow. Hard. I thought I'd been hit by the entire bullet from the force, and the nice 'thwack!' I felt (heard?)... To say I was relieved that I was wearing glasses is an understatement. I thought it was the entire bullet. Felt like it, anyway. I was wrong. I know I was wrong because I just used a pair of needle nose tweezers to pull this out of my head! Definitely served to reinforce my belief in protecting my vision. A little lower, sans eyewear, and well...you know. Hello ER, goodbye eye... Just thought I'd share in case anyone needed a reminder... |
September 2, 2013, 06:15 AM | #2 |
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You are lucky. It surely could have been worse. Glad you're alright.
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September 2, 2013, 06:47 AM | #3 |
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My 'What the ...?' moment for the day...
Gster
Me too. That was a ricochet from 7 yards, off a free swinging torso target with a center mass cutout 'flapper' plate, shooting 9mm FMJ. I had to have hit the edge of the cutout I suspect, for that fragment to come back at me like that. Hit it just right, I guess...or just wrong depending on your point of view. If what I felt was even the tiniest fraction of what it must feel like to actually be shot.......oh, man. No thank you. That tiny little sliver carried enough velocity and force to actually stun me for a brief moment. Not to mention I bled like the proverbial stuck pig. Once again, ever so thankful I wear Eyepro... |
September 2, 2013, 07:35 AM | #4 | |
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Quote:
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September 2, 2013, 08:03 AM | #5 |
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Thanks for the reminder!
Just curious... Why did you wait two weeks to remove it? |
September 2, 2013, 03:36 PM | #6 |
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Note to self: Do not go shooting with Hillbilly66.
I am a ricochet magnet. If there are bullet fragments flying anywhere within 50 miles of me... they'll find a way to hit me. I should probably wear a bomb suit when shooting. I once had a ruptured steel shell casing curve around and between 2 other people (that I was hiding behind), before slamming into and tearing my wrist open. On that day alone, I was hit by 7 substantial bullet fragments... But no one I was with was doing anything unsafe, and I was hiding behind the truck half the time. It's one of the bigger reasons I avoid public ranges, and try to go shooting in very small groups (2 or 3 people, max). Bullet fragments love me.
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September 2, 2013, 04:40 PM | #7 |
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My 'What the ...?' moment for the day...
Salmoneye,
I had no clue it was there. None. Nada. Zip. I thought the swelling was just from the impact, cut and healing process. There was very little if any pain, other than the initial incident until a couple of days ago. What I think now is that it was deep, just above the bone, and slowly worked out as the wound closed up. So, this morning I rubbed it and noticed a sharp pain, at which point I got up close in the mirror to take a look. The scab was pushed up, which puzzled me, so I sterilized a needle and removed it, exposing the end of the sliver. Still did not realize what it was, until I took the tweezers and got ahold if it. That's when I got my 'What the ...?' moment, and that 15 watt bulb on a dimmer switch in my head flickered on. I'm still just a tad freaked out. |
September 2, 2013, 07:46 PM | #8 |
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Thanks for the reminder!
Glad u r OK, and didn't try to fly since it happened...
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September 2, 2013, 07:53 PM | #9 |
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Thanks for the reminder!
Glad u r OK, and didn't try to fly since it happened...
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September 2, 2013, 07:55 PM | #10 |
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If you look at the warnings for most companies who sell steel plates for personal use most will say not to shoot within 25yds
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September 2, 2013, 07:55 PM | #11 |
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Well the penny has a 2013 mint mark so it couldn't have been in your head very long.
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September 3, 2013, 06:07 AM | #12 |
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Thanks for the explanation...
makes sense, and I have had similar experiences with metal fragments working their way out... Mine were not from shooting, though... |
September 3, 2013, 09:05 AM | #13 |
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My 'What the ...?' moment for the day...
The range I shoot at has an elevated, covered shooting deck. Since we shoot at a downward angle, the likelihood of ricochets coming back up is minimized. Minimized...
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September 3, 2013, 10:31 AM | #14 | |
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September 3, 2013, 10:43 AM | #15 |
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I've seen at least two members of my Bullseye team hit hard enough with a ricochet .22LR bullet fragment to draw blood. And that's with the target at 50', the steel backstop at about a 45-degree angle sloping downward some several feet behind that, and with Homasote-type panels in front of it, with only a relatively small hole behind the target. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would have claimed it to be impossible.
I didn't need any more incentive to always wear my shooting glasses, but if I had, that would have done it.
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September 3, 2013, 04:43 PM | #16 |
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That is terrifying. I must admit that I frequently skip over eye protection when shooting, but I think I'll keep my shooting glasses on from now on.
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September 3, 2013, 09:20 PM | #17 | |
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My 'What the ...?' moment for the day...
Quote:
It's not worth it to be lax on safety. Not in this sport. I don't step out of the truck at the range without eye or earpro on. Ever. I don't remove it until I get back in my truck to leave. This little incident served only to validate my OCD! |
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September 4, 2013, 05:52 AM | #18 |
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What the heck kind of gun are you shooting pennies out of?!?!?!?
Seriously, though, I'm glad you are ok. Sometimes I feel like safety doesn't get enough attention on these message boards. |
September 4, 2013, 06:47 AM | #19 | |
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My 'What the ...?' moment for the day...
Quote:
Gawds, my sense of humor is lame... |
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September 6, 2013, 07:28 AM | #20 |
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Yep-it happens
Two weekends ago I was shooting my 1911 in 10mm at about 40 feet and right after a shot it felt like I got stung by a bee on my left forearm. Yep, nice big piece of steel was dug out by my wife with her fingers. Last summer I was shooting my 45 and she was sitting behind me on the deck at camp and all of the sudden she starts yelling to stop shooting. One had ricocheted off the berm, over the garage and flew 70 yards backwards and to the right and hit the fascia on the house right above her head. She was not happy.
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September 7, 2013, 12:03 AM | #21 |
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At least you were just shooting medium caliber pennies, and not large caliber quarters or magnum caliber half dollars. That could've been really messy. By the way, what's that little piece of lead in your hand for? Size comparison?
Those small caliber dimes really zing, and can hurt too! Now, we've got some really cheap & lame jokes, harhar. Penny for your thoughts? Ok, I'll quit now.... |
September 9, 2013, 08:13 AM | #22 |
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I've never encountered steel coming back at me, but I always have glasses on anyway. Without my glasses I probably could not tell which direction I should be shooting. I also wear a baseball cap, but that's just to protect myself from shell casings. And more recently I started making sure that I button up my shirt all the way to the top button after a 40S&W case went down the front of my open shirt and burned me slightly on the chest. Its enough to make me want to stick to only shooting revolvers.
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September 9, 2013, 08:57 AM | #23 |
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I posted about this before but worth another...I guess.
Brother had my 38 'airweight' shooting JRN into some paper target having railroad ties for backstop. Don't remember the distance but thinkin it was about 5-7yds. He fired and immediately grabbed his throat. Projectile came straight back hitting him square in the adams-apple. Luckily did not break the skin but sure put a nice whelp on him. Surprisingly, the projectile was flattened a bit but still intact. Upon further inspection of the railroad tie, they found a piece of flat steel embedded about 1/4" just under the wood surface. Thanks OP for the reminder. |
September 9, 2013, 09:09 AM | #24 |
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Shooting at steel from about 15 yards... the jacket from my 45acp ball came back and chewed up my right forearm a little bit.
Dont shoot at 1/8" thick sheetmetal thats dinged up and rippled. Weird stuff can happen. |
September 9, 2013, 09:21 AM | #25 |
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I had a fragment off steel slit my chin open. Yuk. Another time, a little lead snow flake particle landed on my tongue while I was talking behind the line -
I've seen a rifle round from across the range come back and crack someone hard in the noggin. Another bounced off the tin roof of the sun shade. As far as eye protection - I've decided always to wear glasses - no lasik or corrected cataract implants so I don't have to wear them. I was mowing the lawn and a rock I never saw in the grass socked me hard in the mouth.
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