SHOT BETWEEN THE EYES - A TRUE STORY by BEN "REDNECK GENIUS" BAKER

Shot between the eyes - a true story
Ben "Redneck Genius" Baker

Walrus, who lost his mind and moved back to California, was down for the weekend to hunt. Finding deer proved to be as fruitful as usual. Hogs were also noticeably absent.

So, we decided to holler up some varmints on the family farm.

First set, nothing. So we moved to another farm and set up on the road side of a central pivot at the center point. Five minutes into a distressed rabbit and we have eyeballs shining back at about 100-125 yards at the edge of the woods.

Walrus lifts his .223 lever action and draws a bead on the eyeballs. I'm standing on the other side of his truck. He is facing away from me. This is important. Some 4 yards and a 4x4 separate us and he facing away from me. Remember this.

BLAM!

Something hits me an inch high and just barely to the side of between the eyes.

I've been shot. Literally shot. In the head, between the eyes.

"Ya missed," I say.

"You sure?" he asks.

"Positive. Now come here and see if I'm bleeding."

"What?"

"You shot me."

Expletives deleted for the easily offended.

Walrus' crosshairs may have been centered for a 125 yard shot (the jury is out on that one as he once missed a bobcat at 30 feet). The line of flight for the bullet coming out of the barrel at 3 yards was a bit low.

So low that it hit angle-on, a piece of the angle iron frame of the pivot hub. The bullet broke apart, sending fragments everywhere, including one between my eyes. The initial impact was three yards away from the barrel and fragments bounced back 7 yards to catch me in the head.

The dent in the angle iron is still there for anyone who wants to see it.

Lots of people will tell you they can still see the dent in my forehead and this explains a lot.