.22 ricochet (close call)

[Stocker]

I shot a steel plate with a 22-250 and had a a frag come back and hit me in the cheek, bled like a stuck hog. I started paying a little more attention after that because it was close to my eye.

 

[OldManOnTheMountain]

It probably sounds like BS, but this really happened when I was in college. A friend and I went to a new area to scout turkeys. I brought along my Colt woodsman, not really expecting to use it. Miles into the woods we spotted a highway mile marker sign that someone had dragged into an old clear cut where we had decided to stop and listen. I mentioned that I wanted to shoot at the marker, and he said "Don't do it--it will ricochet," and I just laughed. I believed the sheet metal was much too thin to stop a high velocity long rifle slug and told him so. At this he decided to stand directly behind me and just peer over my shoulder. At the very first shot he hollered and held his hand up to his forehead. I thought he was full of beans until I pulled his hand away and saw the welt almost directly between his eyes. It turns out that the slug had struck just at the point reinforced by the post and barely dented the sheet metal before flying straight back over my shoulder.

I cringe at all the stupid things my friends and I did when young. Of course, we had all heard the admonitions, but without context had no real understanding of the risks. No doubt that is still true in many ways, so I guess it is good to share experiences.

 

[BenP]

I forget how young I was but had a BB gun but was not shooting the .22lr yet. I shot our tree house and hit a knot and watched as the bb came back at me and hit my forehead. Learned then that it's best just not to shoot hard objects with any gun.

Have never shot a metal target a never plan to, know too many people that have had issues.

 

[FairWeather]

glad everyone’s ok. Bet the boy remembers this for life. He’ll probably be the safest one on the range for the rest of his life too.

Where I grew up in Ohio there was a range that used old tractor tires as the backstops & target stands. I took my sister out shooting one time, after having just bought my first shotgun. I loaded up a round, and fired at an old target on the tire about 20yds away.

About half a second later we hear what sounds like rain on the tin roof of the shooting stalls, and feel a few little impacts on our jackets. Almost like flies bumping into us. Only took a second to realize it was the shot pellets bouncing back at us. Very glad I had used some weak & light clays range ammo! Buckshot, we might not have been so lucky.

 

[MTGomer]

My cousin shot himself in the arm trying to shoot a lock off a gate. I like him but if anybody deserves it, it would be him for that.

In college I was shooting at a make shift target on top of a U shaped reflector post. Kind of like with the barrel LuleTheDog described, it spun around and came back at me. The core broke my jeans open, welted my leg and drew a little blood. The copper jacketing stripped off and was laying at the bottom of the post.


Scared me pretty good

 

[brockel]

A long time ago a friend and I were shooting .22's standing about 10 feet apart. We were shooting empty 12 gauge hulls at maybe 20 yards. I caught a ricochet in my shin, shot from buddies rifle. About half the bullet and it buried flush with my skin. Took a pocket knife and dug it out of my shin. Barely even drew blood.

Friend and I were doing the exact same thing. He took one to the stomach. Luckily it didn’t go in far

 

[brockel]

My sons friend made (ho-made) a 22 short single shot pistol and we took turns trying it out on a log pile at about 15 yards. Yep, my turn came and the ricochet shot myself right in the junk. No permanent damage to report

I’d tell the story that 4” got shot off in the accident.