Let's Talk About Safety For a Moment

[Frank in Fairfield]

Yesterday in Concord, CA at the monthly Diablo Airgun Silhouette match I was using my personally tuned 1720T. This bad girl is shooting 7.33 grain JSB pellets at 796fps for 10.34 fpe and hits with authority, with the pellets exploding on contact.
We had a new shooter shooting next to me while I was shooting the chickens at 10 yards.
After the match he remarked to me that several times parts of my pellets were hitting him in the face as they exploded on the chickens.
I supposed, hunkered down behind the scope I was immune but....
I wear bi-focals a little less in thickness than Hubble telescope lenses but I still use clip-on safety glasses.
Folks, unlike some of your other important parts, eyes are not normally replaced.
Heed the warnings and wear your safety gear.
Especially our next generation of shooters.
AWTTW

[ezman604]

Excellent point and reminder Frank!!!
Thanks for that. At our annual Fun Shoot, I always bring and supply at no charge, safety glasses and earplugs.
We need to police the line a little better to make certain everyone has their eyes and ears (when needed).
And as always....
SAFE & Happy Shooting!!!!
Dave
 

[Geoff]

I would think that eyeglasses or shooting glasses should be a requirement at the fun shoot.   It would limit the liability of GTA and the hosting location, or so I would think.

Even if you offered them for 1$ each it would be a good deal and GTA would lose less money on them.

Of course announcing in bold letters in advance that shooting glasses or eye glasses are required would be a good idea so there would be fewer complaints.

[nervoustrigger]

Good advice!  I wouldn't have thought the lead splatter would fly back 30 feet.

One day I got a good chuckle out of my rat spinner that is set out at 43 yards.  It is standing on top of a sawhorse and the top of the 2x4 is riddled with thin discs of flattened lead.  Kinda looks like the back of a stegosaurus.

[Bigdog1090]

I only shoot steel at 25 yards or greater, with .22 rimfire or 7.62X38r Nagant.  Haven't tried airgun pellets closer.  I always wear eye protection.
An extreme example of ricochet off steel, but there is a youtube video of a guy shooting a .50BMG at a steel target a hundred yards or more away.  That huge bullet bounces off and comes back to knock his goggles off!  WOWZERS!  He was very lucky!
BBs?  NEVER around steel!!  Those little barstages go weird places.   

[Slavia]

My gun club banned metallic targets altogether.

[Privateer]

Had a good sized chunk hit and land on my arm at the Fun Shoot this year.
I was behind the Guys from Jersey in a chair!

[Hanabata808]

Thanks for this thread.  It's a very good reminder.
Also when shooting at home (because it may be easy to forget), if you have friends or family members in the area, make sure they're protected too. We can easily remember to protect ourselves, but also remind others nearby they should also practice the same safety measures.

[Novagun]

Thank you all who contributed to this thread.
Worthwhile reading.

[Matt15]

Good reminder!!