[DadOfThree]

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/1/039728-7841-009.html
A bullet from a private shooting range ended up a mile away in the lap of a woman sitting in her sport utility vehicle near a Crawfordsville Road shopping center.

Police said a stray .45-caliber bullet went through the closed passenger window of the Pontiac, struck an air-conditioning vent and ricocheted onto the lap of Linda K. Shearer, 52, slightly bruising her right thigh.

She and her husband, James, were stopped in traffic Monday near a Goodyear tire store at the Speedway Super Center. Paramedics treated her at the scene.

Shearer said she had no hard feelings about the incident but was still scared by the bullet's force -- it blew her husband's hat off into the back seat. Once she realized she was OK, she said, "I just dropped to my knees and thanked God for my guardian angel."

Police -- considering the type of bullet and proximity to the Marion County Fish & Game Association firing range -- determined the round was fired at least a mile west of the shopping center, from the group's facility at 7052 Crawfordsville Road.

Speedway Police Chief Jeff Dine said the bullet passed over both sets of lanes on I-465.

Police said two people at the range were firing handguns at 2:30 p.m. when a malfunction sent the bullet over the backstop.

Gregg A. Feigh, 44, Carmel, said his pistol had malfunctioned.

"It was definitely an accident -- everybody's in shock," Feigh said, "and we're working with police to rectify what went on."

There have been no other reports of trouble at the range. No charges will be filed.

[Blackhawk]

Police said two people at the range were firing handguns at 2:30 p.m. when a malfunction sent the bullet over the backstop.Yeah, sure.... The turkey missed the backstop! :rolleyes:

[keyhole]

Long way for a .45 to travel, but have to agree, he missed the berm. Lucky people. I remember reading about a woman who was killed while driving near a coastal highway( back in the 70's). A guy had been shooting, while on a boat, ( not safe to begin with), and a round had richochet, and traveled, probably close to a mile, and entered the drivers side rear window, and struck this gal, behind the ear. Very much a fluke, and took officers some time to ferret out the information.

[Jedi_7.62]

I'm no balistics expert, but isn't that kind of far for a handgun round to travrel? I would have thought the drop would have put it in the ground long before a mile?

Any word as to what kind of malfunction it was?

I wonder if someone was shooting in the air or something equaly dumb?

It's right in my neck of the woods so I keep hearing the news blurb but no details.

[cratz2]

Man, I used to shoot there all the time. It is situated in such a manner that you are shooting directly towards the back of a grocery store that I don't think is a mile away and they (the grocery store) used to report bullet holes and bullets from time to time. Of course, the shooting range has been there longer than the store.

They used to have lots of rules - no hi powered rifles (22 Hornet and up) no magnum handguns including 22 magnum. I heard they later allowed magnums.

If the gun hangfires and, like an idiot, you point it up to check it out, bad things are likely to happen. On the other hand, I've seen more than one person take a shot at a bird or squirrel in a tree or on a line.

I do find it suprising that a bullet from a 45 could travel a mile then sail right through the window of a modern vehicle and then be deflected by a probably plastic vent and still have enough energy to knock a hat off someone's head.

And a durn good thing it wasn't a 9mm, huh Wild Romanian? Damn car would have blown up and killed every one at the intersection! :p

[cratz2]

Authorities considered the type of bullet and proximity to the Marion County Fish and Game Association and determined the round was fired at least a mile west of the shopping center, from the group's shooting range.

Police said two people at the range each were firing handguns Monday when a malfunction apparently caused a bullet to go over the backstop.

"It was definitely an accident _ everybody's in shock, and we're working with police to rectify what went on," said Gregg A. Feigh, one of the shooters who said he had the firearm that malfunctioned.

Club operators also were investigating, Feigh said.

There have been no reports of previous trouble at the shooting range. Police do not expect to seek criminal charges.

The association maintains a 100-yard shooting range where members may shoot .22-caliber rifles, muzzle-loaders, shotguns, air guns and handguns.

http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/7/039665-4367-127.html

[Norton]

I heard this on NPR this morning (I know, I know....NPR :barf: , but I get tired of listening to nothing but traffic reports on the way to work) and this is the second gun panic type of thing that NPR reported this week. I've forgotten what the exact context of the first blurb was but it sure seems as if they jump on any opportunity to put an "oh, my God....another gun incident!" on the "news".

Here's a firearm, likely being used for a legal purpose, at a legal range and an accident occured. Thank goodness it was not more severe....however, how many people were killed or injured yesterday from legal cargo falling off of legally operated trucks while they were driving down the road? How many people were were hurt while legally using power tools for their intended purpose?

Surely there were hundreds of people injured/killed this year by accidents involving legally owned and operated devices, yet it's stories like this, involving firearms that the media seizes upon......:banghead:

[Chipperman]

Now what were those Four Rules again?

The malfunction was between the guys ears.
:rolleyes:

[tech]

I have had a 45 double on me and send the second shot up and out. I also had a ak that would go full auto for 3 or 4 shots the last couple going up and out. It would seem to me that at a range with the firearm pointed downrange you are following the 4 rules. Sometimes mechanical things malfunction.

Mike

[ball3006]

over both lanes of traffic on an interstate. I gotta get me some of those........geeeeezzzzz........must have been two cops at the range. They are the only ones that I can think of that can miss a backstop. Thats why we won't let the cops shoot at our club because they always shot holes in the roof and baffles.....chris3

[El Tejon]

I told the club years ago, I tell them now, add to that &^%$#* berm or you'll have some joker miss it or his sear will break and he won't know what to do. "Oh, no, I've BEEN AROUND GUNS ALL MY LIFE. Something like that will NEVER happen, Mr. Freeman." Yep, I don't know a thing.

Good lesson for those of you building your own range: Always triple (at least) the size of your berm. Just because something has not happened yet, does not mean that it will never happen. Problem #2 exists even though you refuse to believe in it.

[45R]

Police said two people at the range were firing handguns at 2:30 p.m. when a malfunction sent the bullet over the backstop.

Poor Form......... what happen to aim your firearm in a safe direction?


Speedway Police Chief Jeff Dine said the bullet passed over both sets of lanes on I-465.

How high was this guy aiming his .45ACP? At 100 yards we have to aim pretty high to hit targets with ball ammo.........

[Art Eatman]

Don't take this as an absolute belief on my part, but I've read in various sources through the decades that the max range of hardball from a 1911 is one-half mile.

Rifle or pistol, the optimum angle is around forty degrees, +/- some amount I don't know. It would be 45 degrees but for wind resistance.

Art

[JohnKSa]

I have had a 45 double on me and send the second shot up and out.
That was my immediate thought.

And, yes, a .45 will go a LONG way if you lob one up at a decent angle. A mile doesn't surprise me in the least. I doubt that there are any popular firearm cartridges that won't carry for at least a mile under the proper circumstances. Maybe not the .25ACP...

[Johnny Guest]

I was under much the same impression as Art - - - that the absotive, posilute maximum range of .45 ACP was WELL under a mile.. Ooops!

I checked my copy of Hatcher's Notebook Third Edition, Second Printing. Julian S. Hatcher, Major General, U.S.A., Retired, wrote in his foreword to the 1962 edition, that the chapter on how far bullets travel was newly-added. Of course, this information is still over 40 years old . . .

A .45 ACP bullet, ballistic coefficient .16, fired at 820 fps from a pistol has an extreme range of 1640 yards, or .93 mile.

Same bullet, from a submachine gun, velocity 970 fps, goes 1760 yards, of 1.0 mile.

Since the only factory ammo available at that time was FMJ ball, certain target loads, and the metal penetrating bullet, I assume the above is for standard hardball. Of course, we don't know wht kind of ammo was fired in the reported incident, bullet weight or type, factory or handload.

Surprised me, too. I was frankly pretty dubious before I rread the above, but it wouldn't take much of a tailwind to boost such a bullet to a mile . . . .

Best,
Johnny

[cratz2]

I'f very familiar with that area and in all honesty, I don't think the firing line is a full mile away from the Supercenter... Probably closer to half a mile. Of course, I've never flown over it with a helicopter so what do I know.

I admit I had an unintended double tap with a 9x23 on that very range no less but I'm certain it still don't clear the berm. I honestly think the guy was taking a shot at something in the tree... most likely event that could lead to a bullet being sent off at that sort of angle.

[larry_minn]

Keyhole. I recall that case

"... I remember reading about a woman who was killed while driving near a coastal highway( back in the 70's). A guy had been shooting, while on a boat, ( not safe to begin with), and a round had richochet, and traveled, probably close to a mile, and entered the drivers side rear window, and struck this gal, behind the ear. Very much a fluke, and took officers some time to ferret out the information"
IF I recall correct there was a Officer behind her at the time and I thought it was pass window in rear the bullet went thru? It was also a Rifle he was shooting.