This is the reason we wear eye protection.

[red87930]

I had a great time shooting steel plates last night and in the next to the last relay the buzzer went off the other shooter fired his shot I felt the sting of a splatter bounce back. But it felt a bit more painful than normal and got me a little flustered so I did not even take a shot but felt my cheek instead and had a little blood on my finger. No big deal I have been hit by splatter a bunch.

Wipe it off and go out for chineese food with some of the guys. Great time. When I get home notice a pretty good glob of dried blood back on the cheek so I clean it up again. I notice that it is pretty sensitive to the touch so of course I keep poking at it. What do I see in the cut but a little black dot and call the wife in with the tweezers. She pulls out a piece of metal about 1/8 inch long. This little bugger was below the skin.



Don't go to the range without your eyes on. This hit me just below my safety glasses about 1-2 inches under my eye.

 

[richc]

Recently at our range one member was not wearing any eye protection. He was wrapping up for the day. I was shooting steel plates with pistol and shrapnel is ALWAYS flying back. I politely reminded him of the need, and he told me not to worry about it.

I told him I DID worry about it, and that I would feel awful if one of my shots cost him his eyesight. He walked away a bit miffed, but in my book it is not an option. I was prepared to stop shooting for the day.

He may not care about his eyesight, but I do.

Thanks for the reminder.

Rich

 

[Dirtypacman]

Thanks for the reminder - it only takes one mistake on the range to leave you a lifetime of regret.

 

[drgrant]

you sure that's steel and not lead?

Yeah I was gonna say... gotta be lead chunks, or chunks of copper/brass jacketing.

-Mike

 

[red87930]

you sure that's steel and not lead?

Changed original post until I do the magnet test. Meant to do that last night. Looked more like steel but will check tonight. Left it out with a note to remind son to wear his eyes. They may have tossed it by the time I get home. No matter what it is the message is to protect the peepers. Because all kinds of crap flys back and some of it does not just bounce off.

 

[MFP4073]

I always love when people get pissed at you for telling them they have to wear eye protection when on the range. Even better is when they rebut with the "I'm not shooting right now" comment.

 

[Bill Nance]

Eye protection is like carrying a CCW. 99% of the time it's true, you won't need it. But that one time you DO, you'll be very sorry if you don't have it.

 

[fencer]

I always love when people get pissed at you for telling them they have to wear eye protection when on the range. Even better is when they rebut with the "I'm not shooting right now" comment.

That is when you give him the Three Stooges double eye poke. " Why I oughta"

 

[Underwhere]

Good thing you're ok.

You can shoot while ugly but you can't shoot without eyes.

 

[owningpeoplesince1984]

That is when you give him the Three Stooges double eye poke. " Why I oughta"

 

[red87930]

Good thing you're ok.

You can shoot while ugly but you can't shoot without eyes.

Hey, I resemble that remark

 

[MFP4073]

That is when you give him the Three Stooges double eye poke. " Why I oughta"

Just mademe LOL. Thanks!

 

[lord1234]

Absolutely. Yesterday at the range, I was talking to Person A while my wife was shooting. Person A had brought a friend "B". I noticed that B walked up(after my wife had just dropped hammer on 6 or 7 rounds) and had NO ears on. No earbuds, no muffs, no nothing. I told him to put his ears on and asked why he wasn't wearing ears. He starts telling me how it's none of my business. I told him that I just was more concerned about him not doing permanent hearing damage, and unless he was deaf, he should be wearing ears(if he didn't want to be deaf).

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Recently at our range one member was not wearing any eye protection. He was wrapping up for the day. I was shooting steel plates with pistol and shrapnel is ALWAYS flying back. I politely reminded him of the need, and he told me not to worry about it.

I told him I DID worry about it, and that I would feel awful if one of my shots cost him his eyesight. He walked away a bit miffed, but in my book it is not an option. I was prepared to stop shooting for the day.

He may not care about his eyesight, but I do.

Thanks for the reminder.

Rich

Rich,

No need for you to curtail your shooting there and I highly discourage you from doing so because of a member like that.

Next time get his badge number(off the board if necessary), call cease fire, flip the light switch and buzzer and tell him he's done for the day or until he puts on glasses. Eye protection is not optional, it is posted on the range that eye protection is "REQUIRED" to use the range. If he can afford dues and ammo, he can afford a $2 pair of glasses.

 

[Coyote33]

... call cease fire, flip the light switch and buzzer and...

"Cease fire"?

Must be an indoor range has a light switch and buzzer? What does the buzzer do?

Not being a wise guy, but most ranges I go to are outdoors and not much more than some benches and a roof, and a lot are just glorified picnic tables. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "cease fire" at a range, ever. Is this a police or military range?

 

[fubar]

Yup. DFG steel range has a very serious policy on Eye Pro. Every one polices everyone else on that. You want to go deaf , go ahead. But you will not " Just watch , or Just be a minute " without glasses. ever.

 

[JDubs]

This one thudded in front of me this summer when I was shooting my 1911. I ALWAYS wear glasses, took this home to show my friends that are not always as smart about it.

 

[Spanz]

You do not have to be shooting steel plates to get blowback. Sometimes revolvers will spit back shards of bullet casing. You can be standing behind the shooter and still get dinged.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

"Cease fire"?

Must be an indoor range has a light switch and buzzer? What does the buzzer do?

Not being a wise guy, but most ranges I go to are outdoors and not much more than some benches and a roof, and a lot are just glorified picnic tables. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "cease fire" at a range, ever. Is this a police or military range?

Outdoor covered range with shooting tables, flashing strobes and buzzers to get people's attention on the line, in addition to eye to eye contact and acknowledgement that the range is going cold....for whatever reason, target tending, malfunction, unsafe handling practices of a shooter, animals on the range,ect.

Cease fire is a standard command on every range I've ever set foot on....and anyone can call it for whatever reason they deem necessary at any point in time and you are obliged to obey it.

 

[djo]

Noob question: I wear glasses everyday. Are those sufficient eye protection or should I:

a. Wear safety glasses over my specs
b. Just get prescription safety glasses

Thanks!

 

[Sir_Macadoo]

i wear glasses that are molded such that they wrap around for side protection and almost sit flush on my cheeks to prevent things coming up from beneath or if my head is titled back for some reason.

 

[Scrivener]

Noob question: I wear glasses everyday. Are those sufficient eye protection or should I:

a. Wear safety glasses over my specs
b. Just get prescription safety glasses

Thanks!

Your call as to which, but you really want good side protection. It is an absolute necessity if you are shooting steel.

 

[RichM]

Noob question: I wear glasses everyday. Are those sufficient eye protection or should I:

a. Wear safety glasses over my specs
b. Just get prescription safety glasses

Thanks!

Eye glasses may provide some protection, but a far better choice would be prescription glasses that provide ballistic protection.

The Army provides a list of glasses and goggles that meet their standards. The list is the Authorized Protective Eyewear list. Lenses must meet the American National Standards Institute Z87.1 standards,(http://visionrx.com/library/enc/enc_ansi.asp). Approved spectacles must stop a 5.8-grain fragment projectile traveling at 640 feet per second. Approved goggles must stop a 17-grain fragment projectile traveling at 550 feet per second (approximately twice the energy impact as the spectacle).

All commercial eye wear products listed on the APEL meet stringent ballistic protection standards. Program Manager-Clothing and Individual Equipment (PM-CIE) provides an updated authorized protection eye wear list at http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nostra/FramesLenses/Documents/APEL.pdf

 

[red87930]

Noob question: I wear glasses everyday. Are those sufficient eye protection or should I:

a. Wear safety glasses over my specs
b. Just get prescription safety glasses

Thanks!

Safety glasses over my glasses. I look like an idiot but stopped worrying about being fashionable a long time ago.
See Underwhere's previous post #11

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I wear glasses everyday. Are those sufficient eye protection

Many modern glasses are, but they leave the sides unprotected.

If you wear RX glasses, any decent optical shop can get industrial safety glasses - they look like regular glasses; are impact rated, and have detachable side panels you can take off when using them off range. I use a pair made by Wolverine, since I have a moderately heavy RX (-5/-06) that does not do well in wrap-arounds without an Rx insert, and I don't like inserts under wrap arounds (4 optical surfaces to get dirty rather than 2).

 

[Scrivener]

I think NOT wearing hearing or eye protection is as absurd as not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Then again, the only person who suffers is the one who made the decision NOT to act prudently.

My club recently imposed a rule requiring ear and eye protection for all on the range. Nanny-ism? In a way. An example of people having to be saved from their own negligence because of the (alleged) cost it imposes on others.

The same logic that gave us mandatory seat belt laws.

 

[Marcus5aurelius]

I used to have a bloody cheek everytime I took the SW500 to the range. A few pieces are still right below the skin but it's no big deal, normally you can pick them out. Glasses are always necessary, couldn't imagine one of those shards lodging in my eye

 

[Mike-Mike]

I agree they impose the motorcycle helmet rule but if I want to cliff dive off a mountain into shark infested waters nobody would stop me. I hate these "Always rules" If we are the only ones on the range and shooting a suppressed gun why would we need hearing protection? Also, I have shot with a few people who were totally deaf, would they need to wear hearing protection?

 

[Bob J]

You do not have to be shooting steel plates to get blowback. Sometimes revolvers will spit back shards of bullet casing. You can be standing behind the shooter and still get dinged.

Same for me..... Have been hit several times with bits of lead from revolver shots....

 

[Lopro]

If you came to the Hanson Rod & Gun you would see it is setup just like that lights buzzers the works inside and out and if you don't follow the rules you are asked to leave the way it should be. I woul rather be safe than sorry .

Remember it's all fun till you loose an eye.