• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Well, I got shot today....

H

Hammer

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
448
Location
Skagit Valley, Washington
OK, I overstated it. It was a ricochet.
I've been stuck with a knife, shot at, but never hit with a bullet before.
The circumstances:
I was shooting the concealed bowling pin match, and a ricochet came all the way back from the target table and hit me right in the middle of the forehead. I was bleeding, but not bad. I knew it was something from the target area, and another shooter looked down and there was the slug!
My wife has said I'm hard-headed (where's Bear- he'd agree!) but I didn't think it was this bad.
Gave me a headache for an hour or so....
Don't think it'll leave a permanent scar, but it makes something to tell about!
Good reason to wear safety glasses! It'da put an eye out for sure!
OC relationship- I wear my usual OC rig, not a CC rig.
 
amlevin

amlevin

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
5,937
Location
North of Seattle, Washington, USA
sudden valley gunner said:
Holy....Shysta!!!!!!
Glad you ok.
Click to expand...

Was the caliber by chance a .45acp? For some reason this seems to be a popular caliber for this type of ricochet according to the rangemaster where I shoot lots. You probably got nailed by the jacket, or a piece of it after it shed the core on whatever it hit.

I usually get them in the leg for some reason. Just enough to break the skin.
 
H

Hammer

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
448
Location
Skagit Valley, Washington
amlevin said:
Was the caliber by chance a .45acp? For some reason this seems to be a popular caliber for this type of ricochet according to the rangemaster where I shoot lots. You probably got nailed by the jacket, or a piece of it after it shed the core on whatever it hit.

I usually get them in the leg for some reason. Just enough to break the skin.
Click to expand...

No, it was a 9MM, and it shed the jacket alright, but it was the lead that hit me. I have the slug as a memento.
I get hit with lead spatter all the time at the steel matches. It's usually hot, but just stings a bit. Won't even break the skin. This flat out HURT
I could actually see it coming. It was too fast to do anything about it, but I saw it. I'll have to weigh it, to see what it weighs out. Over 100 grains, I'd say....
 
V

VegasGeorge

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Messages
50
Location
, ,
That gives a whole new meaning to the expression, "right back atcha!"

Glad you're allright.

PS: It's a good thing it hit right in the center of your forehead. If it does leave a scar, you can say it's one of those third eye thingamajigs. :)
 
Last edited:
SargentMac

SargentMac

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
100
Location
Vancouver, Washington, United States
Glad to hear you're feeling okay but I hope you got checked out at a hospital. A hit in the forehead (even a minor one) can be deadly. If you had a headache for a couple hours, it's better to be safe than sorry.
 
T

Trigger Dr

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
2,760
Location
Wa, ,
A couple years back a shooter lost an eye at a bowling pin match at Kitsap Rifle and Revolver club. They no longer have bowling pin shoots. Seems there was a law suit over it.
 
OrangeIsTrouble

OrangeIsTrouble

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
1,398
Location
Tukwila, WA, ,
Trigger Dr said:
A couple years back a shooter lost an eye at a bowling pin match at Kitsap Rifle and Revolver club. They no longer have bowling pin shoots. Seems there was a law suit over it.
Click to expand...

What's the point of signing those waiver sheets if you can still file a suit??? Unless it wasn't against the club, but the actual shooter??? Any more details on that?
 
Aryk45XD

Aryk45XD

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
513
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Maybe he sued the bowling pin.

Anyway, glad you're ok. I got hit a few times shooting plates too. Lucky it was just small fragments, but I bled from the head anyway.
 
H

Hammer

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
448
Location
Skagit Valley, Washington
Poosharker said:
What's the point of signing those waiver sheets if you can still file a suit??? Unless it wasn't against the club, but the actual shooter??? Any more details on that?
Click to expand...

Abouit that:
1. We don't sign a waiver
2. It is well known and accepted that one cannot sign away a right. The waiver may help dissuade someone from exercising their right to file suit, but that's about the most it can do.

Interesting comment from Trigger Dr that someone lost an eye. I had the same thought. If this projectile had hit my eye unprotected it would surely have put it out. I have good quality safety eyewear that would have held against this slug, but might have given me a black eye from slapping the glasses against my eye & eyebrow. The club prez was concerned and going to look into things in general. Pins are shot close up and there tends to be a lot of lead flying. We discard many pins per shoot that get too heavy or decayed.

And no, no one uses frag rounds. The point is to knock the pin off the table, and to do that the bullet needs to carry its mo, not frag.
 
B

Butch00

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2009
Messages
215
Location
Alaska
I was hit by a bullet at a bowling pin shoot, any time you shoot hard targets that can happen.
I was standing 20 ft behind a woman shooting pins with a 45, hard cast round nose lead.
The bullet ricochet off the pin, two dirt backstops, and hit me in the chest coming from the right.
It hit with a loud thud, glad it didn't hit me....in the head.
I've shot steel plates to, and at a minimum wear good wrap around safety glasses.
It's also a good idea to wear a shooting jacket.
 
H

Hammer

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
448
Location
Skagit Valley, Washington
Slidell Jim said:
what was the target distance? 50 yards or less?
Click to expand...

Tho I haven't measured it, I believe the pin table is at 10 yards to the front edge of the table. The table is 4' front to back. Most pins are placed 3' back from the front edge. That'd make the pin 11 yards from the line.

Following up on the weight of the slug, it was 155 gr. It was a nominal .35 caliber. There were at least 2 shooting .35 cal wheelguns. One was a fairly hot loaded .357. I'm sure that was not in play at the time. The other was a .38 with light loads. I now think that may have been the culprit. Low velocity projectiles are more prone to ricochet, as they maintain their weight instead of fragmenting on impact. Doesn't haveta be absolutely true, but in general....
 
J_Douglass

J_Douglass

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
86
Location
PBC, FL
I was hit in the forehead with the jacket of one of my rounds from my .40 xd subcompact when I had it and was at an indoor range. Felt a slight sting that was it. Recovered it off of the floor and kept it in my range bag for a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top