So, every night when I come home from work, I grab the XDM 9 and shoot a couple hundred rounds. I do this with every firearm I get to ensure my familiarity and proficiency with it. I shoot paper, cardboard, and steel. I have been doing this for a couple weeks with the xdm.
Last week, a buddy of mine gave me some targets. They were the "popper" style targets that sit on the ground, and fall over when shot. These particular targets were worked over at close range with an ar15... heavily worked over. They were riddled with holes. A red flag went up. Mistake #1 was ignoring the red flag. I figured I would just stay a "safe distance" away from them when I shot them. I've shot them about 300 times probably, and as with all the steel I shoot, I angle it away from me so ricochet's go somewhere else besides at me.
Tonight, I stepped up to 25yds from the targets, and started in on my practice session. 5rnds into the magazine, *BANG* *ting!* *WHACK* "YEEOWW!"
Sure enough, a piece of that bullet came back and hit me in the leg, just above the ankle. Within a few seconds, I could see I took a good deal of the round, and that it was more than a light abrasion. I could still feel everything, and all my toes, ankle and what not still worked fine. It stung a bit, to be sure, but it appeared that nothing major was going on. No heavy bleeding, and no "numbness." I can walk on it, though I figure it best to put it up and leave it alone for a while.
I scrubbed the wound with peroxide as well as anti bacterial soap and water. Put on some antibacterial cream and a bandage. Hopefully that will take care of it. I figure I'll go to the doctor tomorrow and get a tetanus shot... since I haven't had one for a while. Other than that, I'll keep and eye on it to make sure infection doesn't take hold.
Stupidity hurts sometimes... but I'm not so prideful as to not share the experience in the hopes that someone else may benefit from my stint of temporary retardation. Bottom line is this: If you are going to shoot at steel, it better be HARD (ar500 or better) and it better be angled away from you and not have ANY dimples or imperfections. Certainly no HOLES through it. I did NOT do my duty as a responsible shooter in this case. I got a little too lax in my range setup and did not fully think the situation over. Thankfully nobody was hurt but me, and thankfully it doesn't look too bad. However, a gunshot wound is not that fun... this I can assure you. Use your head boys and girls. This could have been avoided, if I would simply have taken notice to what I already knew.
This sucker penetrated about 2" of my flesh and exited, hitting me in the shin as hard as anything ever has. I shudder to think what the result would have been if taken in the neck, or chest... or anywhere else... for that matter.
Makes me wonder how those guys that do the plate racks in pistol competition at such close range can get away with not catching some lead!
Humble pie, is just a little more bitter than I recall.
Fire away gents... although it appears my skin is nowhere near as thick as I originally thought. hahaha Be that as it may I assure you whatever comments you have, I'll be able to take. The pictures were after it had been cleaned up a bit. It looked very much more "hollywood cool" prior to that.
Last week, a buddy of mine gave me some targets. They were the "popper" style targets that sit on the ground, and fall over when shot. These particular targets were worked over at close range with an ar15... heavily worked over. They were riddled with holes. A red flag went up. Mistake #1 was ignoring the red flag. I figured I would just stay a "safe distance" away from them when I shot them. I've shot them about 300 times probably, and as with all the steel I shoot, I angle it away from me so ricochet's go somewhere else besides at me.
Tonight, I stepped up to 25yds from the targets, and started in on my practice session. 5rnds into the magazine, *BANG* *ting!* *WHACK* "YEEOWW!"
Sure enough, a piece of that bullet came back and hit me in the leg, just above the ankle. Within a few seconds, I could see I took a good deal of the round, and that it was more than a light abrasion. I could still feel everything, and all my toes, ankle and what not still worked fine. It stung a bit, to be sure, but it appeared that nothing major was going on. No heavy bleeding, and no "numbness." I can walk on it, though I figure it best to put it up and leave it alone for a while.
I scrubbed the wound with peroxide as well as anti bacterial soap and water. Put on some antibacterial cream and a bandage. Hopefully that will take care of it. I figure I'll go to the doctor tomorrow and get a tetanus shot... since I haven't had one for a while. Other than that, I'll keep and eye on it to make sure infection doesn't take hold.
Stupidity hurts sometimes... but I'm not so prideful as to not share the experience in the hopes that someone else may benefit from my stint of temporary retardation. Bottom line is this: If you are going to shoot at steel, it better be HARD (ar500 or better) and it better be angled away from you and not have ANY dimples or imperfections. Certainly no HOLES through it. I did NOT do my duty as a responsible shooter in this case. I got a little too lax in my range setup and did not fully think the situation over. Thankfully nobody was hurt but me, and thankfully it doesn't look too bad. However, a gunshot wound is not that fun... this I can assure you. Use your head boys and girls. This could have been avoided, if I would simply have taken notice to what I already knew.
This sucker penetrated about 2" of my flesh and exited, hitting me in the shin as hard as anything ever has. I shudder to think what the result would have been if taken in the neck, or chest... or anywhere else... for that matter.
Makes me wonder how those guys that do the plate racks in pistol competition at such close range can get away with not catching some lead!
Humble pie, is just a little more bitter than I recall.
Fire away gents... although it appears my skin is nowhere near as thick as I originally thought. hahaha Be that as it may I assure you whatever comments you have, I'll be able to take. The pictures were after it had been cleaned up a bit. It looked very much more "hollywood cool" prior to that.
