Always Wear Your Eye Protection!

[gglass]

This is a pic I took of myself today, after being struck by a bullet fragment. A fellow and his two sons were shooting the steel dueling tree in the range next to mine when it happened. I was just positioning myself at the line, when WHACK! I got struck in the middle of the forehead. It did not really hurt, but I could tell right away that the impact drew blood. It was a good thing that I was wearing my Oakley C-Frames with ballistic lenses.

I waited a few minutes until the blood started to dry, and went on to shoot these from my M&P40 Pro Series... I call it a good day!

Remember to ALWAYS wear your eye protection!

 

[superjoe76]

Good thing it hit your forehead instead of your eyes! Another reason why I won't shoot at steel targets!!

BTW... good grouping!

 

[Dead Duck]

Last ZIT that looked like that, I told people my bird bit me.
I going to use your story for my next one. Thanks!


So did you chop their tree down? Maybe with some 30-06?

 

[Yup!]

shot in the forehead and you live to tell about it. Amazing!

Nice grouping - were you standing, resting? just curious.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

I go hunting and tear the cornea on my eyeball running into branches and stuff. I just ran into a maple branch in the dark on the way back from my chicken coop last tuesday. I need safety glasses all the time, not just when I shoot.

 

[JohnP82]

Wow. I caught one a few years back on my cheek from a shooter next to me and it sure does freak you out a bit! Mine was just more of a little scratch, but it still caught me off guard. I had just put in a fresh mag and was getting ready to fire when I felt it. Glad to hear it wasn't any worse for you.

 

[Sylvain]

Good reminder.
It's a also a good reminder to always have some kind of first aid kit/trauma kit at the range, some wounds can be more important and even if it's not that serious you always want to clean the wound anytime you have blood.

Also how far away were you from that steel tree?
I wouldn't shoot FMJs or even other types of bullets too close to a steel target, because things like that can happen.

 

[gglass]

shot in the forehead and you live to tell about it. Amazing!

Nice grouping - were you standing, resting? just curious.

Thanks... I was standing.

Sylvain
Good reminder.
It's a also a good reminder to always have some kind of first aid kit/trauma kit at the range, some wounds can be more important and even if it's not that serious you always want to clean the wound anytime you have blood.

Also how far away were you from that steel tree?
I wouldn't shoot FMJs or even other types of bullets too close to a steel target, because things like that can happen.

I was approximately 17-yards from the Steel Dueling Tree, and the shooters were probably 10-yards away. I was not, and would not shoot at steel that close. I would rather hit the same Steel Tree at 20 to 25-yards.

The whole thing happened pretty fast. The three gentlemen came and setup while I was shooting. I stopped for a bit to see if they would setup a target, and I soon realized that they were just going to shoot whatever was downrange. I just stepped up to the line while they were already sending lead down range, and that is when it happened. Whack! right in the head. The offending piece of lead was probably the 5th round that the other guy fired.

I have been hit before, and it didn't really bother me too much. I really just wanted it to be a teaching moment here on the forums, because I do see people at the range who start slinging lead without anything protecting their eyes... I suppose that is why my local gun club installed free eye-wear dispensers between several ranges... For the less safety minded folks who also like to shoot.

 

[Yup!]

I do have eye protection, and I even have a spare in my range bag, but I'm not sure about their ballistic capability. They are shooting glasses, but I dont know what vendor, or anything more about them. hmmmm..

 

[Sylvain]

Thanks... I was standing.



I was approximately 17-yards from the Steel Dueling Tree, and the shooters were probably 10-yards away. I was not, and would not shoot at steel that close. I would rather hit the same Steel Tree at 20 to 25-yards.

The whole thing happened pretty fast. The three gentlemen came and setup while I was shooting. I stopped for a bit to see if they would setup a target, and I soon realized that they were just going to shoot whatever was downrange. I just stepped up to the line while they were already sending lead down range, and that is when it happened. Whack! right in the head. The offending piece of lead was probably the 5th round that the other guy fired.

I have been hit before, and it didn't really bother me too much. I really just wanted it to be a teaching moment here on the forums, because I do see people at the range who start slinging lead without anything protecting their eyes... I suppose that is why my local gun club installed free eye-wear dispensers between several ranges... For the less safety minded folks who also like to shoot.

Did the guy next to you noticed he hit you and offered his aid or did he keep shooting?
I would have offered medical aid right away, not that it was serious but it could have been (especially with no eye protection), and anytime you get hit to the head you want to be careful (especially when hit by a piece of bullet and when there's blood).

 

[Sylvain]

I do have eye protection, and I even have a spare in my range bag, but I'm not sure about their ballistic capability. They are shooting glasses, but I dont know what vendor, or anything more about them. hmmmm..

If they are shooting glasses they should be fine.

I tested the glasses im using myself (they are impact resistand glasses for bike riding) with a powerful air rifle, the lense didn't break after dozens of impacts at close range.
I tried the same with another regular pair of sun glasses, that was not rated impact resistant but look about the same thickness, the BB pellet when right through the lense and through the cardboard behind it.
I guess they were not polycarbonate like the safety glasses im using.
It was worth getting a second pair just to test them and be sure that they would stop high velocity projectiles.

 

[walker]

Years back Terre Haute had a indoor range. If you were shooting a 44mag with hot loads, you could fill lead splatter hit your body. It had to be the way the backstop was made, paper targets were used.

 

[gglass]

Did the guy next to you noticed he hit you and offered his aid or did he keep shooting?
I would have offered medical aid right away, not that it was serious but it could have been (especially with no eye protection), and anytime you get hit to the head you want to be careful (especially when hit by a piece of bullet and when there's blood).

They knew immediately, since I turned their way and said something like, "hang on guys, I just got hit with some shrapnel". They all just stood in shock. After a couple minutes, I just smiled, wiped the drying blood, and went back to shooting. They just packed up their gear to leave. I'm sure that they just didn't know how to deal with the situation and decided to call it a day.

 

[Sylvain]

They knew immediately, since I turned their way and said something like, "hang on guys, I just got hit with some shrapnel". They all just stood in shock. After a couple minutes, I just smiled, wiped the drying blood, and went back to shooting. They just packed up their gear to leave. I'm sure that they just didn't know how to deal with the situation and decided to call it a day.

Wow if I made someone bleed because of a round I shot I would at least apologize, make sure you're ok, ask if you need any medical help and maybe offer you a drink when it's done.
Looks like they didn't care too much, but maybe you were right and they were just in shock idk.

 

[Bash]

I took one years ago in the eyebrow just above my glasses. Watch the steel targets!

 

[85t5mcss]

Been hit a few times at a match. Most are zero issues but one did hit me in the chest pretty hard (comparable to a small ball been hammer). Nice bruise, but nothing else. Glad you had eye pro on. Just clean it up, maybe some Neosporin and keep on shooting.

I'm sure the other guys didn't know what to think. But they realized you were OK. I wouldn't worry too much. I would talk to them if I saw them again just to let them know it can happen.

BTW, very nice groupings.

 

[gabrigger]

I took a jacket to the jaw once at an indoor range after it rebounded from the bullet trap. The distance was 50ft. It put a nice little slice in my face. If I ever had any doubt about the need for eye protection (I always have used it and always will), that erased it.

 

[Tebow]

Last summer when some friends and I got together to have some airsoft wars, I left my eye protection off when we started. But for some reason, I stopped and put them on then I walked into the woods and right away got blasted right on my eye. If I didn't have them on, I might be down an eye.

 

[s&wluvr]

This is a good reason for a range requiring frangible ammo where steel targets are being used. Glad that it wasn't any more serious.

 

[crispy]

Yup. I took one in the top of the head yesterday at the Steel match. I still don't know how I got hit at that angle.

I had a stocking cap on and I figure that helped somewhat but when I got home there was a bunch of crusty blood up there.

I wouldn't want to get hit that hard in the face.