Ever have your scope hit you in the face?

[Founder]

I’ll admit, I’ve been hit by a scope after taking a shot at least once—maybe more. It didn’t give me a black eye, but it did draw blood. Usually, it happens when I can’t get into the ideal shooting position and need to take a quick shot. Those “hit the dirt, get the crosshairs on target, and fire fast” moments.

Take the poll, and if you’ve got stories or pictures to share, let’s see and hear them!

 

[Snoopdogg]

I think 2 or 3 times in 30+ years. One time, drew blood and always while shooting at odd angles.

Nowadays, most scopes have generous eye relief so that hasn't happened in a bit.

 

[heartshot]

I did once. I was laying down for a shot that was enough uphill that I didn’t realize the gun butt was moving below my shoulder as I moved the gun upward to aim. The dripping blood was not a big deal. But losing some pride was tough to swallow.

 

[heartshot]

My nephew’s friend was scoped by a .177 pellet gun.

 

[HIcountryman]

I came upon a last afternoon buck in fierce winds and crouched over a low boulder for a rest. I waited for a good angle through the brush as he was feeding head down straight on. As soon as he stepped to his left and offered a shot to shoulder/vitals, I squeezed trigger without really gripping the gun at fore end. Being crouched over so low and not having a good hold to manage recoil the rifle jumped up and scoped me pretty good. Also can remember doing it as a kid... due to staring in the scope waiting for the shot. When the opportunity then presents, easy to just pull trigger and discount the recoil that is coming!

 

[huntin50]

120 grains of black powder with a 1 power score sighting in a white. It kicked worse than a mule. Lesson learned. Had to get some glue on that one.

 

[wetmule]

Have you even hunted if you haven't received the Weatherby award at least once?

 

[iowacity]

I had a combination shotgun/rifle with a scope fire both barrels at the same time. It was the equivalent of a 50BMG going off in a 6.5lb gun. I had my world rocked. I didn’t know what happened at first as it hit me so hard I was in a daze for a moment. I got a deep cut on my forehead from that scope.

 

[nfh]

My first elk at age 12 i got scoped.

basically i broke my wrist so was down to one hand. My dad had to tend to me. put me on the horse and do it all.
Well got on a bull. shot. next thing is my dad is waking me up. Most important the bull was down. blood all over my face. hard to shoot with one hand but we put the rifle on a tree limb i used my one hand to squeeze the trigger.

Well we were 14 miles in the backcountry. Riding back to camp i kept passing out which was a 3 mile ride from the elk. My dad wanted to take me to hospital and i refused. thinking maybe a good concussion cause i did throw up later in the night.

Got a solid 320 inch bull and the next week i had school pictures which gives me a story to tell when my kids see my old pictures. LOL!!

 

[littlebull209338]

I was showing my oldest son how to shoot from a bench rest. I warned him about the recoil. It was a Weatherby 300 Mark V...I am giving him a demonstration..and I'll be darned...it got me.

 

[Founder]

Just found one of them! You can see the blood run down my forehead.

 

[smokepoll]

We always called it welcome to the "half moon club." Done it several times and as said, it's usually shooting weird angles.

I have had co-workers come back to work after a hunting trip with the scope mark and neither of us had to say a thing, we just laughed...

 

[eelgrass]

Nope, but only because shotguns don't have scopes. I've taken some weird angled shots with a shotgun where I've been hit with the vent rib. Even got a couple cuts. All in a day's work.

 

[wetmule]

Buddy of mine was a Weatherby nut and he asked me if I wanted to shoot his new 460 WBY Mag... got me good even shooting offhand. I got him back on the same outing when he went to shoot my old Hawken .54 Cal and got a hang fire, he had just lifted his head off the stock when it went off. Not sure what part of the gun got him, maybe the hammer, but we were both leaking blood. Lol

 

[Robin_Hood]

Just found one of them! You can see the blood run down my forehead.
View attachment 163525

I watched that video just the other day again.

Sorry, but I had to chuckle when I saw you'd been "scoped".

Wonder if thats the same as hitting your arm with archery? I've seen some really big bruises.

Kevin

 

[Gadjet]

Just found one of them! You can see the blood run down my forehead.
View attachment 163525

If you kill a buck of that caliber it cancels out the scope eye!

 

[Gadjet]

I got hit pretty hard by a scope while shooting a 7 mag at the age of 15. It created a flinch that took years to get over.

 

[Stillwater165]

You betcha ……… 50 cal muzzleloader stuffed full of powder, leaned in just as far as I could at last light ! Stitches !!!!!

 

[Focoelkman]

I’m not a good story teller. But this post made me belly laugh.
High school days ; My buddy was shooting his dad’s .270 for the first time and bit him hard. He pulled off looking at me wide eyed wondering what the F happened with a half moon gash bleeding like a stuck pig and I darn near peed my pants.
Quite a few years ago now. Son’s buddy was shooting his hoped up pellet gun out back, it was scoped, they were 8 or so. I came downstairs wondering why the boys weren’t outside shooting ? to find Cole with a big swollen right eye sitting on the couch worried he was in big trouble by his mother.

And my ol elk hunting buddy got bit by the Browning .300 win mag (sharp angle) but the bull went down. I’m sure I got the picture of that somewhere.

Good times!

 

[12pointer]

I was 17 and had a Browning auto 7mm mag with a Montgomery Ward's 2&1/2 by 7 scope. It had less than 3 inches of eye relief. I laid down to shoot at a coyote trotting across a field and got belted. The scar was there for years.
I only shot once.
I missed the coyote.

 

[HORNhunter7]

If I'd of know you were gonna start a thread about "getting scoped" I'd of taken a picture of my tooth today before and after I went to the dentist and got it repaired again!

Sometime in the late 70's I got addicted to coyote calling and spent all my vacation and free time doing so. Fur prices were sky high at the time so it was pretty easy to convince my now x wife that we needed the extra money so I was gone most of the time.
(We really did need the extra money as I think my gross pay per month was about 650 bucks.)

One day I'm set up blowing my faithful Circe rabbit call and one came in on the dead run and caught me off guard a little.

I shot and missed and somehow managed to scope my upper lip. It bled a little bit but not to bad.

When I got back to my rig I looked in the rear view mirror and somehow that scope had managed to
perfectly cut a toothpick width section out of one of my upper front teeth. About a third of the way up the tooth.

My then wife was training to be a dental assistant at the time so after looking at me for a week or two she insisted I get it fixed.
She also made a coupe references of not wanting to be seen with someone who looks like a Jack of Lantern.

I was an obedient husband and got it repaired. Dentist felt sorry for a couple broke newly weds and didn't charge us anything.

Fast forward about 47 years to November 9th 2024.

I just got home from an evening hunt and finished dinner. I was sitting in my easy chair picking my teeth with a tooth pick when I felt something wrong with one of my front teeth.

I knew instantly what it was as I'd kinda been expecting it to happen for years. I got up and went to the mirror and sure enough it looked just like it did 47 years ago the day I did it. I wish I could say that for the rest of my body parts.

Went to the dentist today and got it fixed again. Different dentist but I told him the story. I also told his Hygienist I didn't think I needed the expensive 47 year fix job this time the cheaper 20 year fix would be just fine. She kind of grinned.


Don't know what fix job I got but whatever it was it costs me $235.00 with the senior discount. Looks good as new though!

 

[t_boneking]

I think I did once, but I can’t really remember