So I was at the gun range. And we almost killed someone.

So me and a friend were at the gun range today, in some trailor park dirty place. But basically the only gun range within a 20 mile radius in tampa. So she was shooting, and next thing I know, the guy in the lane next to me taps me and says "Dude, your bullet hit me." Yes. You read correctly. The actual bullet, not shell. Apparently it bounced off the back wall and hit him in the arm. He didn't know that it was a bullet at first. He said he just felt something hit him and looked down and noticed th actual bullet on the ground. he was ok and it obviously didn't come back with any power. But I am still amazed at what happened. Good thing no one was hurt. He wasn't mad at me or my friend because obviously it wasn't our fault. but needless to say he went to the workers and let them know how he felt.

Now here is the next important thing. I still have 2 hours of prepaid time there. SHould I go and use it?

Is this a club that allows paid range time for non members? If so most clubs have some maintenance weekend. I'd mention it to the operators. If it's an outdoor range it could be as easy as finding the exposed rocks that shooting has uncovered and / or adding some dirt or sand.

Since its the only range convienient for you I'd see what they are going to do about repair before you shoot there again.

It is an indoor range. They don't have membership. They just have pre paid time and a la cart time.

Sounds like they don't have a bullet trap either. :mad:

I have seen a .22 lr bullet bounce back, but that was out hunting. No injuries, but quite a suprise. I would make sure their bullet trap is in proper working order before shooting there again.

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Originally Posted by rocky

I have seen a .22 lr bullet bounce back, but that was out hunting. No injuries, but quite a suprise. I would make sure their bullet trap is in proper working order before shooting there again.

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If you're not an employee, how could you do that?

I woudn't worry that much, though--There's a big difference between a bullet bouncing off someone and killing them. Wear eyes and ears of course.

I have been hit many times with bullets at Cowboy action shoots and at the Army National Guard indoor range .As long as you have your glasses on it should be OK.

Sounds like you were at the Indoor Shooting Company over on Fowler. What a dump that place is. I wouldn't shoot there on a regular basis. I have been there on occasion for a bowling pin shoot.

There are much better ranges around -- try Tenoroc or Wyoming Antelope Club for outdoor ranges.

Bullet bounceback is not unusual on an indoor range. I shoot at St. Pete Police Pistol Club and have many times seen deformed .45 ACP brass come back at the firing line. Usually it is skidding across the floor, but it will come back. It should never come back fast enough to hurt you. The problem is probably exacerbated at that range because its is so short -- isn't the max depth like 15 yards?

Use up your prepaid time and then look for something better.

that sorta thing is fairly common. I was concerned when it happened to me the first time also.

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Originally Posted by DDGator

Sounds like you were at the Indoor Shooting Company over on Fowler. What a dump that place is. I wouldn't shoot there on a regular basis. I have been there on occasion for a bowling pin shoot.

There are much better ranges around -- try Tenoroc or Wyoming Antelope Club for outdoor ranges.

Bullet bounceback is not unusual on an indoor range. I shoot at St. Pete Police Pistol Club and have many times seen deformed .45 ACP brass come back at the firing line. Usually it is skidding across the floor, but it will come back. It should never come back fast enough to hurt you. The problem is probably exacerbated at that range because its is so short -- isn't the max depth like 15 yards?

Use up your prepaid time and then look for something better.

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Yes!!! That place is a dump. I remember how scared I was when I first went in there. And I thin th max length is 15 yards. I know back home in Jackonville I go to a range that has about 20 stations and the range is at least 30. And all you have ot do is sweep the brass forward, not sweep it up and throw it away.

The rifle range at the USMC base in 29 Palms had a bullet trap installed at great cost to save the dirt berm from the devastating effects of lead contamination. They installed it at the wrong angle, and it would deflect lead into the pits. Since there can only be a limited amount of safety 'incidents' per month, it would end up being shut down like half of every month when enough ricochets would strike Marines pulling targets.

Your tax dollars at work.

AX

lol. Well I guess those Marines were getting a taste of "incomming fire" early on. I hope at least the rounds had lost enough energy not to seriously hurt any of them.

Yup, it's more common than it seems. I've personally known a couple of people who caught ricocheting bullets in indoor ranges. One guy had some stitches on his face. A few inches over and it would be his eye, but good think he was wearing safety goggles. (Lesson)

This kind of thing happens occasionally ...regardless how clean or dirty the place is (or how well maintained the equipment is) you occasionally get a bullet (or more likely, a bullet fragment) coming back to the firing line. Almost never has enough steam to do serious harm (the times I've seen it happen the returning bullet or bullet fragment didn't even break the skin).


Yet another reason you dress appropriately and wear your eyes and ears.

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Originally Posted by cpmiv

lol. Well I guess those Marines were getting a taste of "incomming fire" early on. I hope at least the rounds had lost enough energy not to seriously hurt any of them.

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Yup, just big red welts. Luckily, no one caught one in the eye. I did see one of my guys take one on the forehead, though. We thought he'd been stung by a wasp.

The bullet trap is gone now, by the way, replaced at great expense by the same old dirt.

The trap also made it REALLY hard to tell when your target received a shot...it didn't always spark, unlike the little dirt puff you see on the sand berm.

AX