This was asked a few weeks ago. I was just reading the Sept newsletter.

 

During the August steel plate match a .22 caliber bullet bounced off a plate and hit the score keeper in the upper arm damaging his artery. The flowing and pulsating blood was quickly tended to by club members by applying pressure bandages and tourniquets. The police and first aid squad were immediately called which resulted in medivacing the injured person to Jersey Shore Medical Hospital where he was given excellent care. Within a few hours he was released and allowed to go home.

The club members who responded with such speed and knowledgable care are to be congratulated for their good work and thanked with great appreciation. It is comforting to know and believe that should similar accidents to oneself there are fellow members you can rely on.

wow.. here is to the members..:clap:

wow.. here is to the members..:clap:

 

Except for the one using plated ammo I assume?

It was a 22 LR round. They are not plated.

wow.. here is to the members..:clap:

 

Agreed! It's reasons like this I keep a tourniquet in my range bag. You never know...

Good to know he's OK.

 

Do you, by any chance, have more information regarding the incident, such as distance to the target and steel type of the plate?

That was all the printed

+1 to CJ members who were able to take care of it and glad he is ok.

The person that rendered first aid is a friend. IIRC he said it was around 10 yds. As I understand it the plate was properly angled. The thought was his round caught a weld or something for the freak ricochet.

Stuff happens. Life isn't perfect.

That's why you don't shoot at steel plates when other people are present. If you want to show off....go into the woods by yourself and have a blast. I don't know....but there are far too many accidents involving shooting at steel plates.

Hard to have a steel plate shooting competition by yourself :roll:

But fun when it bounces back and knocks you right between the eyes....oh yea ...thats fun.

Hard to have a shooting competition by yourself :roll:

At least you know you'll always win.

Well Docwalt, theres always knitting. Those needles look awful mean though, maybe oragami works for you? Ahh paper cuts your right.

After seeing the carnage that 7.62x54R creates at 200 yards at steel, you gotta be flippin crazy to shoot steel at 10 yards.

difference being reactive targets. As long as not attached, would keep going.

 

Myth busters did an episode about ricochets... It was only at some stupid angle would it have enough force to keep on going. This was a freak accident, however yes... this is more dangerous than shooting at a target that passes a bullet through 200 yards away. I am sure the guys shooting Steel Plates have an idea that it is more dangerous.

Show up at the match with body armor...lol!

Body armow would not have helped he was hit in the arm.

I saw Sirsloop @ Dix yesterday...

 

So, since it's been brought up, what exactly are the do's and don'ts of shooting at plates? I've only shot at plates twice - once at an intro USPSA class, and once at a shotgun class - both seemed safe to me... but don't really know much about plates...

So, since it's been brought up, what exactly are the do's and don'ts of shooting at plates? I've only shot at plates twice - once at an intro USPSA class, and once at a shotgun class - both seemed safe to me... but don't really know much about plates...

We were never allowed to engage pepper poppers with slugs, only buckshot when doing 2 gun shoots. The reason we were told was a slug would dent the steel and the concave dent could cause a 45 ACP FMJ to ricochet back at us.

 

I shoot spinners all the time with 22's.

 

I shoot spinners all the time with 22's.

 

You know what is REALLY funny, shooting the US DOD Door Breacher slugs at steel spinners at ~15 yards. Holy hell do those things spin around like you've never seen before

We were never allowed to engage pepper poppers with slugs, only buckshot when doing 2 gun shoots. The reason we were told was a slug would dent the steel and the concave dent could cause a 45 ACP FMJ to ricochet back at us.

Interesting - never would've occurred to me

 

I shoot spinners all the time with 22's.

I forgot about silhouettes and spinners when I made my original post - shoot those all the time at CR and never had any issues.

So, since it's been brought up, what exactly are the do's and don'ts of shooting at plates? I've only shot at plates twice - once at an intro USPSA class, and once at a shotgun class - both seemed safe to me... but don't really know much about plates...

 

I would reccomend NOT using jacketed bullets. If you shoot a Glock, then Reload with Berry's plated bullets so you avoide the Leading issue. other wise, as long as the target isnt rigidly at 90 degees, and is either angles slightly, or can move freely, such as a spinner, duelling tree, or falling Plate rack, it isnt an issue really IMO. Yes the potential exists for a problem, but the probability is pretty low. That said, Anyone who does not have at LEAST a basic First Aid kit standing by when they shoot is an Idiot. There is no crystal ball to say "Today everyone is going to be SAFE". People get complacent, People act stupid, and sometimes, Accidents really DO "Just Happen".

I have shotthe steel match at CJ and they don't restrict you to lead or plated bullets.

That said, Anyone who does not have at LEAST a basic First Aid kit standing by when they shoot is an Idiot.

Amen.