Answer.........Honestly

[potato_sniper]

Ok, here’s a question for y'all. Have any of you expert marksmen and lifetime shooters ever suffered from the dreaded scope-eye/scope-forehead?

I was down at the range the other day, shooting from a bench. Here’s what I think happened:

A too-loose shooting grip
+ A too-high seat(I was leaning down over the rifle)
+ A too-cheap scope(tasco-target)
+ Scope was turned all the way up(40x)
+ Fairly powerful kick of my .300Win Mag.
--------------------------------------------------
Wham! Right in the face! Center of the forehead!

I bled all over a napkin for ten minutes before it stopped. Now I’ve got a nice little pink scar to show everyone just how dumb I am. Plus, I had to come home and retighten my scope.

Now, I know that all of you are expert marksmen that could hit a nickel at 100yrds, shooting from a standing freehand position, with a bullet that you loaded yourself for your sub-compact .22 rimfire pistol.

But, at some point you all had to be learning to shoot and at least a few of you had to have been self taught. So, the question remains. How many of you have been hit in the face by your rifle scope at some point?

Best of luck to ya’ with this one fellas.

[Xracer]

Hi Potato Sniper......and welcome to TFF!

I can honestly say that it never happened to me.....but maybe because I haven't shot that many highpowered rifles with 'scopes.

I will, however, admit to several cases of "M1 Thumb".

[steelshooter]

Hi all, yep another new guy.

With that warning. I too have had the unpleasant experience to have had a scope pop me a good one. I had just bought my first 300 win mag at the budding age of 17. (This goes back a few years to be sure.) As I remember the rifle was based on an Interarms Mark X action which sported a Douglas barrel and I think it had an old Weaver V-9 on it. Anyway there I was getting ready to sight in my new baby, had her all sandbagged in and hunkered down. Just a little pressure on the trigger and WOW!!! A new lesson learned. When shooting magnums one must HOLD ON and one must watch the scope. That thing came back and just blasted me, right at the eyebrow. Man that hurt. As the gray hair has piled up over the years that is one lesson that I have never forgotten.

[Smokin Guns]

Welcome steelshooter! Glad to have you around, sharing your experience!...

potato-sniper, I'd have to say that I fit into the self-learning crowd here. Haven't been *boinked* by a scope yet, but have been bit by the slide and trigger on just about every semi-auto pistol I've ever had...

[riderbob]

Tato sniper
Welcome I hope you enjoy this great bunch of people here, I sure have.
I can honestly say not me, but i have had the chance to see both of my little brothers get the "shooting scar" They both had to shoot my Ruger #1 in 7 mag. ( at diffrent times) And needless to say they both ended up not holding the gun tight and got smacked. (Man those head wounds sure do bleed alot)
They were both teens @ the time. They were warned...

There is a lot to be said about scopes with a lot of eye relief.

Rider

[Marlin]

Hi and welcome, Tater Snipe!

I was well over sixty before ever looking into a scope. Never have been hit but my youngest son was when trying a centrefire (Ruger .270 M77 LH) the first time. It had an inexpensive gift and the eye relief was short, an accident waiting to happen.

Replaced the scope and he's done fine since.

Yup -

Back in the early '60's I acquired a Winchester Model 70 in 300 H&H. First rifle I ever handloaded for and in those days the loading manuals had some pretty hot loads. Was enjoying myself so much addling my brains with the stiff loads, forgot to watch out for stock creep - those old Lyman Alaskan scopes could sure cut a doozie of a mark!!

[pickenup]

First off, a Welcome goes out to potato_sniper and steelshooter.

Not that I want to admit it, but I am a member of that club. Quite a few years ago a friend offered to let me shoot his Weatherby 300 Mag. What he neglected to tell me is that he had the stock cut down, (he was a small guy.) This was my first experience with a Magnum caliber AND a cut down stock. Put a nice little crease over my eye when I touched the round off. I swear to this day, that he knew it was going to happen, because he just stood there chuckling. I would never do that to anyone, on purpose.

[bigboom338]

Welcome to TFF Potato Sniper
First off that would be a running nickle.
Second, No after a few thousand rounds of center fire rifle ammo sent down range (mostly magnum and all with a scope) I have not gotten scope eye yet. One reason is because I have not moved up to the nitro express rifles YET !
I am sure my time will come though, my brother in law shot my 7 mag and I told him to hang on (you know the routine) anyhow he touched her off then he turns and says "wow that does kick a little" as a half of gallon of blood ran down his face. I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants, he was otherwise un injured But when we got back to the house his wife saw his face and all the blood and she thought that i had shot him.Any way thats my story and I'm stickin to it.

[bigbore]

Hi,
not me but my cousin (sp?) who shot my M96 6,5x55
could tell you a story ......

I was hurt 2 times in 27Years of shooting,
1) when i crossed the thumb of my left hand over the thumb of my right, as i used to do with revolvers, the slide of my new (first auto) S&W M41 made a nice scar into the skin.
2) trying to clear a steel cable of the target machine i got a heavy blow by the tool when the cable came free unsuspected easy.

BTW: if i plan to shoot my FN HP a lot i place a bandaid between
the thumb and the indexfinger BEVORE it hurts.

[armedandsafe]

Been whacked a time or two. As an instructor, I get to shoot _everybody's_ piece. Was out last Fall teaching a little 5'2" gal how to sight in her .308. Took one look at that puppy and went to the car to put a couple of bandaids on my eyebrow. I knew it would and it did.

[NuclearMeltdown]

I am 6 feet tall and I shoot a youth-stocked 7mm-08. The short stock is fine in the winter when I'm wearing a heavy coat, but in the spring/summer/fall months, it seems pretty small. Due to the short stock, I was hit in the eye once when I was shooting at a running deer target...no big pain or mark though.

[CountryGunsmith]

Armedandsafe, I'm still not clear who dotted your eye.... the rifle or the leetle gal?



Some years ago I had a Ruger #1 chambered for .458 Win Mag. That was a whopper! I had loaded some lead-bullet stuff at about .45/70 whomp and was having a good time off-handing at 100 yds (no scope). Of course, big booms draw the onlookers. I kept answering "Ruger, .458 Mag" until somebody wanted to shoot it.... then I slipped in the Winchester 500-grain solid. OH BOY did that loosen a tooth or two! If it would have HAD a scope I probably would have gotten an ER bill.

[rayra]

Damned near tore of my right eyebrow, once. First time shooting a .50bmg rifle.
Major L.A. range, concrete shooting bencher.
Stranger set out his swell Barrett. Has a bipod on it. He doesn't want to scratch it up any, so he's thrown down a horce blanket on the benchtop to protect the rifle's finish.
He shoots a few rounds, then offers it up to others. I jump in.
Was so busy worrying about shoulder-weld (pheer teh recoil!) and hitting what I was aiming at that I didn't set the rest of my body.
Did everything else correctly, >BOOM< >SMACK<
Rifle slides back on the blanket, slicker'n snot.
Took the scope right into my shooting glasses. Silencio one-piece polycarbonate saved me. Right earpiece busted off.
Scope rim hooked my right eyebrow at the bridge-end, tore / cut ~3/8" loose. Nothing bleeds like a head wound.

Been busted a few times myself...after every time" What the hell was I Thinkin???" Problem was that I didnt...too much hurry... not proper attention, etc etc.

A scope cut serves warning that you cut corners and while painful, a reminder that we all need to be careful out there...


swede

[calicollector]

nope, never got me a case of scope eye yet, least that i can remember. ive got some scars in my eyebrows, but those are from other things.... i did knock the crap out of myself on one particular occasion not just once, but twice back to back shooting a buddies 12 gauge 870 Express 3.5" mag... id shot it before, no problems, even with the shortened stock due to its his goose gun. he decided he wanted me to try out his hand loads that day and tell him what i thought. same hand loads he uses to bring down clients geese at 80+ when they just wound em. hes a liscensed guide btw. so with 3 hand rolled shells off i go to take my vengence upon some clays on the side of a hill that id missed earlier in the day. load all 3 shells, suck it up good and tight into my shoulder, hit the trigger, BLAM!!!!!! damn shotgun jumped up out of the pocket, thumb damn near got shoved up my nose, knocked the crap out of my nose and jaw. shake my head to clear it, shuck the slide, reseat the shotgun into the now PAINful pocket of my shoulder. hang on REAL REAL tight this time!! hit the trigger, BLAM!!!!!!!! shotgun jumps up again right out of the pocket, jams my thumb into my nose, beats up my jaw and cheek a tad, and knocks the hot water out of my shoulder. after i shook my head again, shucked the slide, got ready to light off the 3rd and final, lowered the shotgun, shucked the shell out into my hand and returned him his 3.5" 870 and the 3rd shell, thank you VERY F!(*&*(&&ng MUCH!! then went and blew the little bit of blood out of my nose.... lol ahhh that was a fun trip...
i knew the stock was shortened, id shot it before, but man are his handloads brutal!!
Ray in California

[armedandsafe]

Doc,
The rifle dotted my eye for me. As FirstInLine was with me that day, I didn't,,,,uhhhhhh,,,,I think I'll just let that go, now.

[Feral_Goz]

Had a 30-30 Winchester smack me over the eye once. Once was enough. Didn't break the skin but hurt like hell. Fortunately there was only 1 witness who knows better than to tell. I suppose I had gotten too used to my .223 and "forgot" that the 30 had a tad more kick. Hasn't happened again.

[Marlin]

Welcome, Feral_Goz.

Hope you will join us often and post often.

[the major]

Never been Scope Bit yeat, but back in '61 I bought a mail-order 1917 Colt from the Rail Road Express, and while shooting the first 6 shot clip through it, got the pistol up real close so I could take a fine bead, and when she recoiled, that big shark fin of a front sight planted itself right between my eyes!!

[4 eyed six shooter]

Yea, I got bit once. I was leaning into my Ruger 77 338 Win Mag at an odd angle and when I touched off the round, the scope hit me right in the forehead. It only left a red mark. It still faintly there. I won't make that mistake again.
Good Shooting, John K

[91/59]

A friend had a Marlin 1895 .45/70 with a scope and warm handloads.
We were taking turns trying to hit a soda can at 100 yards without any luck.
After 20 rounds or so, I crept up on the scope and fired, managing to nail myself above the right eye. No blood, just a bruised ego, although thankfully I did hit the can.
That was 24 years ago and it hasn't happened since.


91/59

[FN_Project90]

not happened to me ever. but I have done other things like that, both barrels on my maroke 12 gauge went off and knocked my ass unconscoius cause I did not shoulder the gun correctly.