[Geezer]

ALWAYS use your personal protection equipment when firing your guns. This afternoon I was shooting my little PA-63 in 9X18. I was shooting steel targets at 25 yards and the entire jacket from the bullet came back and hit me on the cheek. It stung and brought some blood.
I always wear glasses as well as hearing protection. Had I not been wearing glasses and the jacket had hit me in the eye, it would have made for a very bad afternoon.

 

[pokute]

Wow, that's some nasty looking shrapnel!

A hat offers some protection as well. Hot brass behind the glasses is not fun!

 

[Geezer]

Most all of the steel plates are armor steel and haven't been shot with rifles so they are still smooth. There is one piece of steel that has been shot with a rifle many times and it has a lot of craters and dents on it. As I came across the targets, this is the one that shot back at me.
We have some 3/4" steel track plate that has been hit over and over and it still looks like new. Even a .500 S&W at 15 yards will only knock the paint off it. These are falling targets so there isn't much danger in return fire.