I actually have a scar on my left shoulder from accidentaly shooting at a steel backhoe blade that was covered by Kudzu in a gravel pit. I fired a 152 gr, 7.62 Nato FMJ from a .308 Winchester into the gravel pit and hit the blade about 20-25 yards away.
The core of the bullet ricocheted and penetrated my shoulder about three inches. The deformed bullet core was stopped by my upper arm bone. I noticed smoke coming from a .30 caliber hole in my shirt, plus, my shoulder felt a burning sensation and blood was dripping off my fingertips. A sign that all was not well!
Since I had been a Corpsman in the Army Infantry, I always carry a Army Field Surgical Kit in my car when shooting. I took a hemostat and removed the bullet and put a dressing on the wound.
Anyhow a lesson learned, the moral of this story is: don't shoot at hardened steel with high velocity, FMJ, centerfire-rifle ammunition, period!
