Steel plates, fun, but not at close range
Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 1:22 pm
One day, about 30 years ago, I was plinking away at a friend's steel target setup just like shooters do every day. All was well, save for how safe those 6 inch plates seemed to be at 25 yards that day. I pinged a few, I missed a few, I was disappointed but the plates weren't shooting back, at least not at first. It wasn't a bad day to miss targets, save for embarrassment and damage to unworthy self's fragile honor.
Then, I thought I was on a roll. Bang, plink, bang, plink, bang, plink - what in the heck happened?
I felt a poke in the jaw and my face went numb. Careful, gentle, superficial exploration at the wound site found blood.
My face was still numb, which I figured was going to be nice as long as it lasted. Keeping whatever remained of my teeth and jaw absolutely motionless, lest I miss the benefit of even a second of shock-induced numbness, I stepped over to my truck and adjusted the outside mirror so I could see the damage.
At best case, I figured I could tell Mom she didn't have to worry any more about those times I skipped brushing my teeth. Worst case, I didn't want to think about.
But I got good news. About two thirds of a cast lead .45 round came flying back, socked me good, but gave me no more than a couple of very minor cuts. It had enough velocity to numb my face when it hit but I didn't get much bruising. Just a little black-and-blue. The blood was from sharp edges on the flattened bullet fragment.
No doubt my scraggly beard helped cushion the impact, but that wasn't all good news. The sharp edges on the bullet fragment crimped themselves around hair. I got a new bald spot.
A good laugh was had by all. My buddies theorize I flinched, hitting a metal fence post supporting the steel plates. I'll never know. The plate lurched over like I hit it, but maybe I hit the springy fence post.
As for the "never again" part, I learned the rule that says always be sure of your target includes being sure of how your target is going to absorb or deflect the bullet's mechanical energy. If I had taken that round an inch or two higher, in the shooting glasses, they might be calling me Ol' Squinty, if I were around to be called anything at all.
Steel plates aren't close range targets, and for me, they aren't targets at all. I think most folks wouldn't think 25 yards is close, but somehow I sproinged a bunch of lead back at myself in a 50 yard round trip.
If I were to shoot a steel target, it wouldn't be at short range, and I would want to know there was nothing to hit - like a springy metal fence post - that wouldn't deflect the bullet in a safe direction.
And I probably still wouldn't shoot steel. I know, I'm a weenie. But I've shot myself in the face with a .45 - sort of - and I don't intend to do that again. I don't shoot steel, steel doesn't shoot back at me.
I take pains to be a safe shooter, and I fully understand that what I don't know or can't control can bite, hard. For the record, when I got hit with the lead splash, the first thing I did was set the thumb safety on my .45 and put the gun on the shooting bench, muzzle downrange. I thought about opening the action, but I was using one hand to explore first aid needs. I took care of opening the action as soon as I found I wasn't seriously hurt.
Then, I thought I was on a roll. Bang, plink, bang, plink, bang, plink - what in the heck happened?
I felt a poke in the jaw and my face went numb. Careful, gentle, superficial exploration at the wound site found blood.
My face was still numb, which I figured was going to be nice as long as it lasted. Keeping whatever remained of my teeth and jaw absolutely motionless, lest I miss the benefit of even a second of shock-induced numbness, I stepped over to my truck and adjusted the outside mirror so I could see the damage.
At best case, I figured I could tell Mom she didn't have to worry any more about those times I skipped brushing my teeth. Worst case, I didn't want to think about.
But I got good news. About two thirds of a cast lead .45 round came flying back, socked me good, but gave me no more than a couple of very minor cuts. It had enough velocity to numb my face when it hit but I didn't get much bruising. Just a little black-and-blue. The blood was from sharp edges on the flattened bullet fragment.
No doubt my scraggly beard helped cushion the impact, but that wasn't all good news. The sharp edges on the bullet fragment crimped themselves around hair. I got a new bald spot.
A good laugh was had by all. My buddies theorize I flinched, hitting a metal fence post supporting the steel plates. I'll never know. The plate lurched over like I hit it, but maybe I hit the springy fence post.
As for the "never again" part, I learned the rule that says always be sure of your target includes being sure of how your target is going to absorb or deflect the bullet's mechanical energy. If I had taken that round an inch or two higher, in the shooting glasses, they might be calling me Ol' Squinty, if I were around to be called anything at all.
Steel plates aren't close range targets, and for me, they aren't targets at all. I think most folks wouldn't think 25 yards is close, but somehow I sproinged a bunch of lead back at myself in a 50 yard round trip.
If I were to shoot a steel target, it wouldn't be at short range, and I would want to know there was nothing to hit - like a springy metal fence post - that wouldn't deflect the bullet in a safe direction.
And I probably still wouldn't shoot steel. I know, I'm a weenie. But I've shot myself in the face with a .45 - sort of - and I don't intend to do that again. I don't shoot steel, steel doesn't shoot back at me.
I take pains to be a safe shooter, and I fully understand that what I don't know or can't control can bite, hard. For the record, when I got hit with the lead splash, the first thing I did was set the thumb safety on my .45 and put the gun on the shooting bench, muzzle downrange. I thought about opening the action, but I was using one hand to explore first aid needs. I took care of opening the action as soon as I found I wasn't seriously hurt.