I got shot in the face yesterday!

[Brian D.]

(Thought that title was a little catchier than 'Wear your eye protection at the range, always!' )

Was running the timer for another shooter yesterday, his last target to engage was an 8" steel plate that hangs down from a frame. Target surface is used but in no way pockmarked or otherwise flawed. We were maybe 10 yards away, slightly off angle from straight in front of the target. The handgun was a 9mm semi auto, 115 grain full metal jacket ammunition, not +P or the like. Shooter's bullet struck the target close to the center. I could see a big chunk of something headed my way, but of course not in time to move out of its path. Turned out to be a flattened out sliver of the copper jacket, maybe about a fourth of the total jacket material. Left a welt and small cut below the bottom of my shooting glasses, 1.5" below the left eye. To be honest I've probably cut myself worse while shaving, but then again I don't push the razor towards my face at 200-300 feet per second or so like that bullet sliver was doing.

Given the fact that we weren't perpendicular to the front of the target, the frags should go elsewhere, right? No, you Geometry Geniuses, that isn't always the case at all. Just the fact that the bullet spins while traveling makes any real prediction of splatter direction after impact a big old question mark. You can take a good stab at where it should go much of the time, but that's it.

This has re-renewed my insistence that everybody at a shooting range with me WILL wear their glasses, period. If you come to the OFCC Fun and Gun at TDI this year, and get in the squad I'll be helping to run, be advised: You take your eye protection off at the wrong time, expect the next sensation you feel to be my foot on your backside, doing its best possible impression of an NFL placekicker trying to break the record for longest field goal.

[pirateguy191]

Glad you're ok. Are you going to ask the offender at the F&G to lay down first so you can boot 'em?

[Brian D.]

Glad you're ok. Are you going to ask the offender at the F&G to lay down first so you can boot 'em?

Nope, gonna get one of the other range safety officers to act as holder...John Benner would do great at that job...just like in the NFL.

[Sevens]

be advised: You take your eye protection off at the wrong time, expect the next sensation you feel to be my foot on your backside, doing its best possible impression of an NFL placekicker trying to break the record for longest field goal.

Always the right idea to wear glasses if you are ANYWHERE near shooting.

Also a good idea: don't kick guys in the butt who are carrying loaded guns and may not be expecting a kick in the butt!

[Brian D.]

be advised: You take your eye protection off at the wrong time, expect the next sensation you feel to be my foot on your backside, doing its best possible impression of an NFL placekicker trying to break the record for longest field goal.

Always the right idea to wear glasses if you are ANYWHERE near shooting.

Also a good idea: don't kick guys in the butt who are carrying loaded guns and may not be expecting a kick in the butt!

For purposes of the Fun 'n' Gun, the TDI ranges are run "cold". Hence unless you're on the firing line itself, about to shoot, I can kick without fear of instantly lethal repercussion. But thanks for the advice.

[carmen fovozzo]

I AIN'T going......

[TSiWRX]

I wear glasses *and* I squint.

Oh, wait....



Glad you're OK, Brian D..

I betcha that felt like one of those moments when you can see the paintball spinning as it's ready to crash into your goggles.

[Stryker74]

Wow - definitely a fine example of why to wear your eyes while shooting.

I actually had to take mine off for the briefest of moments yesterday at the range. The range was quite warm yesterday, and my glasses were not ventilating well enough. Given that I look through the top half of my glasses, it was a problem that they were starting to fog in that area.

I slightly pulled them away from my face, just so they would not fog due to the proximity to my (sloping) forehead.....


4 shots later, I took a .22WMR shell directly down my glasses in that precise space I provided between glasses and forehead. Mind you, they were still touching my cheek - so the that very warm shell stopped at my cheek.


So, I snatched those glasses off for a moment to remedy that problem and replaced them again. So, I finished out my range time - but I am looking for a better ventilated pair of glasses that will not fog up so easily.

[mreising]

Wow - definitely a fine example of why to wear your eyes while shooting.

I actually had to take mine off for the briefest of moments yesterday at the range. The range was quite warm yesterday, and my glasses were not ventilating well enough. Given that I look through the top half of my glasses, it was a problem that they were starting to fog in that area.

I slightly pulled them away from my face, just so they would not fog due to the proximity to my (sloping) forehead.....


4 shots later, I took a .22WMR shell directly down my glasses in that precise space I provided between glasses and forehead. Mind you, they were still touching my cheek - so the that very warm shell stopped at my cheek.


So, I snatched those glasses off for a moment to remedy that problem and replaced them again. So, I finished out my range time - but I am looking for a better ventilated pair of glasses that will not fog up so easily.

If you are not already doing so, consider wearing a ball cap to help cover the gap.

[Stryker74]

If you are not already doing so, consider wearing a ball cap to help cover the gap.

The funny thing is - I normally do. I don't recall why I didn't stick my hat on that morning before I left the house.

[Brian D.]

Before anybody hits the firing line at Fun 'n' Gun, one of the safety rules deals very specifically with eye protection, including some details that many newer shooters might not think of. Such as:

--Stand facing straight downrange rather than sideways while shooting occurs as much as possible, especially if your glasses don't have side shields.

--If you do need to take off the glasses for cleaning/defogging/etc. (assuming you're not the shooter at that moment) get further away from the line and turn around 180 degrees before doing so.

--If the glasses tend to droop down your nose, adjust them for better fit or use a head strap to keep them in place.

--As mreising said, a ball cap or other hat with brim is a great bit of additional protection. Ejected brass has a mind of its own at times.

[Brian D.]

I'm about healed up by now, but only after mining one last tiny bit of copper out of my cheek a couple days ago.

Reason I bumped the thread was because yesterday found me on the range at Target World. Bought a handgun out of their used case, which got me an hour's free range time. Place wasn't busy and test firing a secondhand firearm asap is prudent. (That's the only way I'll use TW's range, quickly and for free when it's not crowded.)

Anyhow there were a couple of younger guys a few lanes away generally behaving safely but not wearing their eye protection. I took the time to preach the gospel of only being given one set of peepers, and protecting them is of extreme importance. Having a small fresh scar on my cheek to back up the lecture actually seemed to get the point across extremely well, for once. They even thanked me.

As to my spending money with Target World....it doesn't happen often. But since the store started separating the used handguns from new so you could tell what's what, and they do take lots of trades, once in a while there's really good deal.

[schmieg]

I'm about healed up by now, but only after mining one last tiny bit of copper out of my cheek a couple days ago.

Reason I bumped the thread was because yesterday found me on the range at Target World. Bought a handgun out of their used case, which got me an hour's free range time. Place wasn't busy and test firing a secondhand firearm asap is prudent. (That's the only way I'll use TW's range, quickly and for free when it's not crowded.)

Anyhow there were a couple of younger guys a few lanes away generally behaving safely but not wearing their eye protection. I took the time to preach the gospel of only being given one set of peepers, and protecting them is of extreme importance. Having a small fresh scar on my cheek to back up the lecture actually seemed to get the point across extremely well, for once. They even thanked me.

As to my spending money with Target World....it doesn't happen often. But since the store started separating the used handguns from new so you could tell what's what, and they do take lots of trades, once in a while there's really good deal.

I was over there last week picking up a S&W 460V that I had purchased through GunAuctions.com. I was impressed with the reworking that they did on the range, but I need to work on firing that gun as I'm consistently dropping the muzzle a bit as I fire it. I think it's a matter of getting used to the trigger as opposed to firing my 1911's.

[Brian D.]

Guy who worked at TW many years ago was a revolver wizard on the range, Mike. He taught me the trick of mixing in some empty cases along with live rounds to learn better double action trigger management and alleviate flinch. Think the six shot cylinder was loaded as follows: One live, one empty, two live, two empty. Then you turn the cylinder and swing it into the frame without looking. For the first few trigger pulls at least you don't know what's coming under the firing pin next. It's very helpful.

[schmieg]

Guy who worked at TW many years ago was a revolver wizard on the range, Mike. He taught me the trick of mixing in some empty cases along with live rounds to learn better double action trigger management and alleviate flinch. Think the six shot cylinder was loaded as follows: One live, one empty, two live, two empty. Then you turn the cylinder and swing it into the frame without looking. For the first few trigger pulls at least you don't know what's coming under the firing pin next. It's very helpful.

I don't think it's flinch as much as a heavier trigger pull. The recoil on that puppy is not bad and the noise didn't bother me with the muffs on. I did some dry fire here at home and noticed that I was dropping the muzzle as the trigger broke. Next time I take it out, I'll have to remember that and concentrate on it until I'm used to it.