Scary Range Stories

At an indoor range in Fort Worth, I was shooting with some clients

I was hit by a ricochet on the forehead

It made a small dent and started to bleed, but it was small.

My clients were still having fun, so I thought.... whats the odds of that happening again????

In 5 mins, I am lining up for a shot and ANOTHER ricochet hits me on the end of a knuckle. (Think ball peen hammer.......)

Hurt like a mo mo........

We all left immediately after a word with the owner


The back stop hadnt been cleaned for awhile was my guess...... but I will never go back.
 
At my local shooting club (outdoors), I had just setup my targets and realized that the target in the next lane was a steel dueling tree setup only about 7-yards out for what looked like a couple newbies. I was just about to go tell them that the dueling tree was a little too close to the firing line when BAM!!!, I was struck in the forehead by a large bullet shard. It had plenty of energy and weight to break the skin and leave a bit of a scar.

Needless to say, I was pretty ticked and just packed my gear and left with a bloody brow.

Ouch!
 
Many years ago when a friend and I went to a indoor range in Maywood that looked like a converted warehouse, a guy appeared to be using hot loads with a Ruger Security 6. I felt spatter on my face with a corresponding hole in the wall behind me.
 
When I was an Army JAG, I reviewed a lot of investigations. Range accidents are quite common, and sadly some people just do really, really criminally stupid things.

I'm aware of a handful of incidents 2nd and 3rd hand where "trust" games were played. A trust game is where two guys are messing around with a weapon and one points it at the other and pulls the trigger, and the shootee trusts the weapon is unloaded. Sadly, many times it's loaded resulting in death and court martial. You would think people would know better... but they just don't think the rules apply.

A more traditional range accident, one of our SF operators was using a short barreled M4 and got his support arm and hand too far forward, and the muzzle blast injured his finger or thumb - can't recall which now. Nasty burn injury though.

Lots of soft steel targets generating spall - make sure your targets are not soft steel and/or you're not too close to them.

Then there's the famous .50 BMG ricochet that's almost too hard to believe is true. Nothing unsafe, just a reminder that bullets can and do behave very unpredictably. Probably the only man in history to be hit with his own .50 bmg ricochet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QokV7HzJhG4


And lastly, this 22 minute Forensic Files is a good watch with excellent range safety lessons. Short version, a poorly designed range where the pistol and rifle ranges actually FACED each other, resulted in the tragic and foreseeable death (albeit at really random occurrence) of a Dallas teenager in the 1990s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czfF-Bn6ZkI
 
I clearly recall that tragedy in Texas that took the life of that young man.
Our local club range underwent a thorough investigation due to the incident to make sure nothing like that could happen.
Our backstops were increased in height and reinforced with railroad ties.
Many possible short comings in range design are often overlooked, until something like that happens.
 
I was at a open-to-the-public, you-pay-and-you-play type indoor range. An old gent had an equally old box of military surplus ammo. I didn't even know that there were .45 ACP tracer rounds. Neither did the old gent :(

Yup, he set the backstop on fire. Some sort of loose rubbery stuff covered the hard part of the backstop, and that stuff can burn.

There was a whole lot of "cease fire" yelling and a scramble for the fire extinguishers. I'm rather glad the sprinkler system stayed asleep :eek:

Bart Noir
 
Is it my imagination that I feel like I am getting a revolver like splatter from a local range that has steel targets at 7 yards? Is 7 yards too close for steel targets?

I am familiar with the splatter feeling from shooting next to revolver shooters at the same local range that does not have dividers between the lanes. I avoid shooting next to revolver shooters if possible at ranges without solid lane dividers.
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Back splash can be common at CAS matches. Most targets are steel plates getting peppered by spatter was a regular occurrence. A few years ago I was shooting in a SASS Club match up in the northwest. We had enough shooters that day that we broke the group into two posse's with one posse shooting on the next lane to the right of our group. I was at the loading table and next up to shoot when I caught a nearly intact .44 or .45 slug in the side of the neck. The impact was enough to leave a nasty bruise but didn't break the skin. This was from a near side ways ricochet that came from one of the 10 yard rifle plate targets on the next lane. The bullet traveled over an 8 foot berm before hitting me. I was very lucky that most of the bullets energy was spent before it got to me.
 
I was very lucky that most of the bullets energy was spent before it got to me.
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But think of all the "well, I got shot last weekend" stories you could have told.

Heck, you probably did. :D

Bart Noir
 
But think of all the "well, I got shot last weekend" stories you could have told.

Heck, you probably did.
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One of the other shooters on my posse found the bullet that hit me on the ground. I still have the bullet.
 
scary in another

we have to requalify every year to hunt moose

the test is 3 approved series on a running track

first shot target is stationary, the targets moves and you shot once more
and the same going back. so for shots in the heart/lung area is an approved series

it took the dude over 70 series to become approved, and that dude is allowed to hunt:eek: he missed the target sometimes when it was standing still!
 
I was at the range Monday zeroing my new MVP at 100yds. Our rifle range at the private club has an access road that comes up in front of the firing line for loading and maint. The policy is you have to walk to the firing line get a declared cold range before bringing your car up to unload. I was on my scope as the only person at the range thus the range officer. No sooner had I squeezed the trigger on my third grouping round and a car pulled right up in front of me and I was staring a an older gentleman through my scope. I swung my barrel away from him safed my gun then proceeded to inform he I had just about shot him because he failed to follow the safety policy. He was a 90+ vet of WW2 and was apologetic but not all that concerned. Later when I walked down to him to secure a cold range to move my targets he informed me that because our fields were split by a small berm that both could be hot. I asked him to turn around and read the large red sigh he was in front of that clearly states all riffle ranges must agree to cold range before crossing the firing line. He was nice enough but it really bothered me. Two real issues in under an hour at a private club where we are required annual safety training to re up.
 
zach_ said:
Is it my imagination that I feel like I am getting a revolver like splatter from a local range that has steel targets at 7 yards? Is 7 yards too close for steel targets?



I am familiar with the splatter feeling from shooting next to revolver shooters at the same local range that does not have dividers between the lanes. I avoid shooting next to revolver shooters if possible at ranges without solid lane dividers.
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Elm Fork? I've had several come back at me at the 1st bat right of the cowboy action bays. Kept the bullets.
 
joshobrien77 said:
Our rifle range at the private club has an access road that comes up in front of the firing line for loading and maint. The policy is you have to walk to the firing line get a declared cold range before bringing your car up to unload.
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Your access/unloading road is in FRONT of the firing line? Nobody at the club sees this as a problem? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
 
The distance isn't always as important as the quality and set up of the steel targets.
And what is being shot at the steel, of course.
There's plenty of steel targets being engaged with all kinds of guns and ammo every weekend without anyone being damaged.
Most are at less than 25 yards.
Many are at no more than 10 yards.
 
45_auto said:
Your access/unloading road is in FRONT of the firing line? Nobody at the club sees this as a problem? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
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I dont disagree. Was that way before I became a member. First time in 5 years I have had an issue. I plan on emailing the range safety officer this weekend. Don't want the old guy in trouble but I don't wanna see someone shot either.
 
I think its a good idea for range masters and instructors to wear body armor to the range. There is that familiar red external vest Ive seen around a few ranges. It might be a good idea for a shooter to wear some type of armor too. A lot more people at the range these days with varying levels of experience and younger persons want to experiment.

Range masters should be somewhat strict with the regulations and let people know whats acceptable and whats not either through a verbal briefing, signed disclaimer or signage or all of the above. If someone does something unsafe, the range master should not be shy. If you are at a range with a shy range master leave and find another range.
 
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