Body armor for hunters?
- Thread starter Matt1911
- Start date
- Status
Sleeping Dog
Member
A hardened concrete deer blind? Camo-painted, of course.
Some of the things I carry are a gps, cell phone, first aid kit.
Some of the things I leave at home are the insurance policies and a will.
All in all, I think it's a pretty safe activity. I'd worry more about the drive to and from the hunting area. Accidents, breakdowns, getting stuck in mud or snow, those are far more likely dangers.
Regards.
Some of the things I carry are a gps, cell phone, first aid kit.
Some of the things I leave at home are the insurance policies and a will.
All in all, I think it's a pretty safe activity. I'd worry more about the drive to and from the hunting area. Accidents, breakdowns, getting stuck in mud or snow, those are far more likely dangers.
Regards.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Prior to current military vests (Level IIIA with a level III or IV full frontal plate), vests served not so much to stop actual slugs shot at soldiers, but the other types of potential damage from shrapnel, ricochets, and non-projectile shrapnel such as wood spliters from trees or rock splinters from brick, rock, mortar, etc. In that case, a vest might be helpful for protecting against secondary types of wounding and you would not need more than soft armor (highest rated is IIIA).
For bird hunting, armor would likely be a nice addition. Unless up really close, the armor should stop shotgun BBs and pellets that had lost enough velocity down to around no more than 1200 fps, or pistol velocity range.
Regardless of ballistic protection, for winter hunting, a ballistic vest offers something else as well, WARMTH! They can be quite toasty.
Would a ballistic vest be helpful to hunters? Probably not as much as you might think unless they work the full Level IV stuff that is pretty bulky and can be uncomfortable. Even then, it is limited in the protection to being just the body. A local kid here was shot by a 30.06 by his uncle while he and his father were approaching the uncle's tree blind. The kid was lucky that all that resulted was a mangled nasty looking arm. It functions, but isn't pretty. The idiot uncle, realizing they had run out of time and still had yet to land a deer shot at movement in the brush. The uncle never actually had a visual on an animal, otherwise he would have realized the movement was by the orange vest wearing nephew and brother.
For bird hunting, armor would likely be a nice addition. Unless up really close, the armor should stop shotgun BBs and pellets that had lost enough velocity down to around no more than 1200 fps, or pistol velocity range.
Regardless of ballistic protection, for winter hunting, a ballistic vest offers something else as well, WARMTH! They can be quite toasty.
Would a ballistic vest be helpful to hunters? Probably not as much as you might think unless they work the full Level IV stuff that is pretty bulky and can be uncomfortable. Even then, it is limited in the protection to being just the body. A local kid here was shot by a 30.06 by his uncle while he and his father were approaching the uncle's tree blind. The kid was lucky that all that resulted was a mangled nasty looking arm. It functions, but isn't pretty. The idiot uncle, realizing they had run out of time and still had yet to land a deer shot at movement in the brush. The uncle never actually had a visual on an animal, otherwise he would have realized the movement was by the orange vest wearing nephew and brother.
goosegunner
Member
What will be a good idea is for all hunters NOT to shoot before they know their target
(edited for poor spelling)
(edited for poor spelling)
Poodleshooter
Member
Hard armor is the only real protection. As a rule people usually get purposefully shot at in deer season and turkey season. Most turkey season wounds are to the unprotected head or extremities, and most deer season calibers are too powerful for soft vests.
There's really no point. The odds are against it anyway.
The best defense is prevention by wearing orange in season, and not hunting near others.
There's really no point. The odds are against it anyway.
The best defense is prevention by wearing orange in season, and not hunting near others.
Doc
Member
00 Spy your summary is spot on.
However, I find that I am always cold,
so another layer while deer hunting here
in the great white north is always welcome.
I wear my vest with the ceramic plate in the front ballistic plate pocket.
I note that the plate has a warning
that it MAY stop centerfire rifle rounds
fired from nominal rifle distances (ie > 300 yds)
and those which impact tangentially.
So, since it keeps me warm
and I would rather a round go thru the plate and or the vest
before it goes thru me I choose to wear mine
However, I find that I am always cold,
so another layer while deer hunting here
in the great white north is always welcome.
I wear my vest with the ceramic plate in the front ballistic plate pocket.
I note that the plate has a warning
that it MAY stop centerfire rifle rounds
fired from nominal rifle distances (ie > 300 yds)
and those which impact tangentially.
So, since it keeps me warm
and I would rather a round go thru the plate and or the vest
before it goes thru me I choose to wear mine
stevelyn
Member
Body armor for hunting? My advice is if you need to wear body armor where you hunt, you either need to hunt someplace else or consider shooting back.
Body armor warm? Uncomfortably hot and clammy is more like it. I have to wear the stuff everyday and would rather not have anything to do with it when I'm out in the woods.
Body armor warm? Uncomfortably hot and clammy is more like it. I have to wear the stuff everyday and would rather not have anything to do with it when I'm out in the woods.
Doc
Member
Stevelyn:
Yes and Yes.
I'd love an invitation to Alaska to come hunt
when should I make my plane reservations...
Yep, I would engage hostile targets as warranted under the rules of engagement.
I find my armour TOO warm under a uniform, except in the winter - I really get cold easily.
It's not that I NEED armour, but like I said 'what can it hurt?"
Yes and Yes.
I'd love an invitation to Alaska to come hunt
when should I make my plane reservations...Yep, I would engage hostile targets as warranted under the rules of engagement.
I find my armour TOO warm under a uniform, except in the winter - I really get cold easily.
It's not that I NEED armour, but like I said 'what can it hurt?"
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Doc, if your chest plate in your body armor states that it might not stop centerfire rifle rounds, then more than likely that piece of armor is for dissipating the slug's energy over a larger area of your person. So more than likely, your level of protection is no more than the rating of the soft armor panels.
For those of you who suggest that if folks feel a need to wear body armor while hunting that they should consider hunting elsewhere or not at all, that is a little extreme. Body armor serves as a passive form of protection that does not require the wearer to be aware of a threat in order to make it work. Firearms on the other hand do require active participation to stave off threats.
So you can wear it, even if you don't think you need it, and benefit from it on one of those rare occasions where an errant round is incoming.
Another aspect of the armor is that it can help with thwarting the effects of animal attacks. While not designed to stop knives or other very sharp objects, ballistic vests will largely protect the wearer from being punctured on the upper body by some big buck who has decided to be the aggressor as well as helping to mitigate some of the potential harm that might come from a bear attack. Granted, that is not what ballistic armor was designed for, but it an still be helpful.
While I sometimes wear my armor to the range, I don't wear it because I think I am going to get shot. While I have seen many folks who have no muzzle discipline, I can generally work to avoid some of their stupid mistakes if I see them occur. What I can't avoid are those things unbeknownst to me that go on.
For those of you who suggest that if folks feel a need to wear body armor while hunting that they should consider hunting elsewhere or not at all, that is a little extreme. Body armor serves as a passive form of protection that does not require the wearer to be aware of a threat in order to make it work. Firearms on the other hand do require active participation to stave off threats.
So you can wear it, even if you don't think you need it, and benefit from it on one of those rare occasions where an errant round is incoming.
Another aspect of the armor is that it can help with thwarting the effects of animal attacks. While not designed to stop knives or other very sharp objects, ballistic vests will largely protect the wearer from being punctured on the upper body by some big buck who has decided to be the aggressor as well as helping to mitigate some of the potential harm that might come from a bear attack. Granted, that is not what ballistic armor was designed for, but it an still be helpful.
While I sometimes wear my armor to the range, I don't wear it because I think I am going to get shot. While I have seen many folks who have no muzzle discipline, I can generally work to avoid some of their stupid mistakes if I see them occur. What I can't avoid are those things unbeknownst to me that go on.
gunsmith
member
body armor,great idea !
but you probably don't need it for the hunt.
You need it for the drive to the hunt!
Driving is a very dangerous thing to do
(I have no Idea why liberals think it is ok
for violent felons to even own an assault vehicle)
I read (some where) that cops have been saved by
vest in car accidents then shootings...but I can not
remember where
but you probably don't need it for the hunt.
You need it for the drive to the hunt!
Driving is a very dangerous thing to do
(I have no Idea why liberals think it is ok
for violent felons to even own an assault vehicle)
I read (some where) that cops have been saved by
vest in car accidents then shootings...but I can not
remember where
stevelyn
Member
Second Chance Body Armor has a publication of saves refered to as the Second Chance club using their armor. There have been several saves from car accidents not only w/ SC Armor, but other brands as well.
5ptdeerhunter
Member
If it comes to the point were I need body armor while I am hunting then I quit. It isn't worth your life to hunt. Those people who shot at others need to stay out of the woods. If you can't see you target then there isn't a target to aim at. If you can't see the entire object then don't shoot it, it isn't that hard to wait.
I hate hearing about it. I hunt on private property but I hunt near people who lease and I have heard them shooting in my direction, but they know where I am sitting and I know where they are. A little more time spent talking with other hunters can save a life and isn't that worth it. Carry a radio in the woods and communicate with other hunters. Then body armor should not be needed.
I hate hearing about it. I hunt on private property but I hunt near people who lease and I have heard them shooting in my direction, but they know where I am sitting and I know where they are. A little more time spent talking with other hunters can save a life and isn't that worth it. Carry a radio in the woods and communicate with other hunters. Then body armor should not be needed.
- Status
