I just watched a guy shooting factory Hornady ammo blow up a Ruger M77/17 (17 WSM).

The case split.

The rifle’s gas deflection design worked. The gas was directed down into the mag well. The mag well was ejected, the left side of the forend and grip blew off, and the mag well on the left side blew out.

The action and barrel are fine.

The blow up starts at 19 minutes and some change. Blow up might be a strong word given the action and barrel held, but still discerning event.

The guy can be a little goofy, but still.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IdSh8e4lHMY

"I guess I should've had my glasses on". " I guess my eyes are ok". Duh!!!

I’m not giving him a hard time for the absence of wearing shooting glasses.

I’ve never went hunting wearing glasses.

His rational for what happened bring the claw pierced the rim creating a channel for gas to vent back into the action sounds probable.

I hunt with self bow
One time thing blew up and big piece missed my eye by 1/4”
I agree, who wears glasses hunting

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I agree, who wears glasses hunting

Those who need them for good vision

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Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

I agree, who wears glasses hunting

Those who need them for good vision

I have worn glasses so long that I do not think I still have the reflexes to protect my eyes from brush whipping from the hiker ahead of me. I have one pair of safety glasses with a dent in the lens from a disintegrating Dremel cutoff wheel. Contact lenses would be a hazard now.

Unless I missed something the guy wasn't hunting. He was on a range.

True, but what’s the difference.

I sometimes wear glasses chasing pheasant, never waterfowl, and never rigid game.

The hull would have blown regardless of he was at the range or set up shooting groundhogs.

I’m not going to kill a guy for not wearing glasses. Few do or can all the time such as in hunting. The lack of glasses has nothing to do w the failure of the case. Yes, it would have protected his eyes. The action design protected him more than anything.

The case would have blown in any situation we find not wearing glasses acceptable. Thus, to kill him over glasses is hypercritical.

I did not wear glasses chasing grouse.

Should he had, had glasses on. Yes. Is it practical to wear glasses all the time no. It has zero effect on t on the hull blowing out the mag week and stock. The

I wore glasses from about 20 to 45 as a must to see.

I had lasik about then no more need for glasses.

I found that when out in the brush I missed them as eye protection.

Against getting slapped in the eyes from brush.

One thing nice is when you don't need them one can take them off. Or put them on.

Safety glasses have save my eyes more then once.

Even through I don't need them to see I wear them a lot just for the protection.

That rational cannot be argued with. However, few and far between use safety glasses when hunting. Had this happened when he was shooting a groundhawg no one would be trying to kill him over glasses. That is because few wear glasses for such shooting.

You started to because it was necessary for your vision.

If we want to have a discussion that we should be wearing safety glasses in all shooting activity. That is cool, but I see it as a distraction to critique him not wearing safety glasses to shoot a scoped rifle with factory ammo. The majority simply do not. It is not seen as practical by the majority of shooters to wear safety glasses in a hunting scenario with a scoped rifle. I would not like using glasses w a scope. I would not like being blinded more I am sure.

I think his explanation at the end of the video makes sense. That in single loading w that claw extractor he punctured the rim with the extractor. This made an area for the ignited gas to vent bs k into the action up ignition.

If the manual warns against this single loading practice, Ruger’s liability is significantly lessened on a theory of “failure to warn.” Failure to Warm is a products liability concept. Was the brass at the rim directive by bring too soft, out of spec?

None of the above withstanding his damages are minimal.

The action worked as designed diverting escaping gas into the mag well.

Do a search. You will find the 17 HMR has been rupturing cases for years now in a variety of rifles.
Most seem to lay the blame on the cases, as it's not even the same brands each time.
I have not heard of any injuries, but savage magazines blown out and ruined, and stock damage on other rifles. Not just in the USA but other countries as well. Sounds like all the rimfire cases on the 17's need upgrading.

He's done some decent Youtubes over the years. Wonder if he will rethink eye protection after that incident. It's easy to underestimate the pressures generated by rimfire ammunition. I had an old Stevens Favorite years ago that was looser than I realized on the lockup. A friend was shooting it when a piece of rim blew out from the top of the block and hit him in the eyebrow. Boy that little brass fragment made him bleed.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just watched a guy shooting factory Hornady ammo blow up a Ruger M77/17 (17 WSM).

The case split.

The rifle’s gas deflection design worked. The gas was directed down into the mag well. The mag well was ejected, the left side of the forend and grip blew off, and the mag well on the left side blew out.

The action and barrel are fine.

The blow up starts at 19 minutes and some change. Blow up might be a strong word given the action and barrel held, but still discerning event.

The guy can be a little goofy, but still.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IdSh8e4lHMY

Ruger’s gas system worked as intended – that’s why we buy overbuilt actions for hot cartridges. Still, Hornady needs to hear about this (.17 WSM doesn’t tolerate flaws). Check your ammo for swollen case heads!

quote:

Originally posted by M.Shy:
I hunt with self bow
One time thing blew up and big piece missed my eye by 1/4”
I agree, who wears glasses hunting

I wear safety glasses when hunting, for two reasons:
1. I once fed a 7 STW round into a 300 RUM; that case ruptured and sent gas and powder into my face. I was wearing hard contacts at the time. I went to my eye doctor who examined the lens and said, "I don't even need to put this in the machine to see it is chipped. This likely saved your vision." (Note: I wasn't hunting at the time; I was shooting both of these rifles in the desert at long range - should have paid better attention.)
2. I was hunting in BC and had a branch snap back and hit me in the eye. Hard contact flew out.

I no longer wear contacts (had LAL surgery) but I wear safety glasses whenever I shoot (or sunglasses).

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just watched a guy shooting factory Hornady ammo blow up a Ruger M77/17 (17 WSM).

The case split.

The rifle’s gas deflection design worked. The gas was directed down into the mag well. The mag well was ejected, the left side of the forend and grip blew off, and the mag well on the left side blew out.

The action and barrel are fine.

The blow up starts at 19 minutes and some change. Blow up might be a strong word given the action and barrel held, but still discerning event.

The guy can be a little goofy, but still.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IdSh8e4lHMY

That’s a concerning incident, but it’s impressive the rifle’s gas deflection system worked as intended. Case splits can happen even with factory ammo, though it’s rare. It might be worth checking the ammunition lot number and contacting Hornady—they’ll likely want to know about this for quality control. Glad the shooter wasn’t seriously injured, and it’s a testament to Ruger’s design that the action and barrel held up. Thanks for sharing the details; it’s a good reminder for everyone to stay vigilant even when using factory loads.

I used to not wear glasses when hunting back when.

If they are a problem (which they were then, in my mind) then I would suggest that you need to see a good optician.

I started shooting competitions and the rule was eye protection is mandatory.

I then had trouble with the glasses.

Fortunately I had a good optometrist working in my office and complained to them.

Turns out they have options and glasses fit make a big difference.

I since have had a number of events happen that have made me go to glasses with any shooting or outdoor activity. I have had shot break lenses.

As TB40 points out, this has been a known issue with .17 HMR. (To be honest, it actually sounds like it’s always been an issue with rimfire cases forever, just the usual .22 LR is not high enough pressure that you noticed it very often).

If you put yourself in the public view as being an expert, then it is incumbent on you to be a good role model.

I’ve listened to some LR rifle guys go on about their “not seeing as well” and frankly think it’s BS. If you are shooting competition you do. If you are just doing videos, well, you should be demonstrating better behavior.

Learning to shoot from the nondominant side doesn’t come easy. Loose an eye, and there you are.

I view this as more being a lack of education for folks who refuse to do so.

Trying to defend the behavior is silly. I’m not saying we should make it illegal, but it is stupid.

Shoot enough and you will eventually have a mishap.

So, yes, calling out “celebrities” and “experts” who do not model appropriate behavior should be done.

That is fine.

Like I said earlier, if one wants to have a discussion that we need to use shooting hlassss in hunting situations w scopes, go for it.

The fact is very few use shooting glasses during hunting.

I will not be on Monday hunting geese. I probably will put on a pair when our shooting dives later in the day if only because of the sun.

I tend to protect my eyes, as I have had some military close calls. Eye glasses are an extra strong window layer protecting your eyes.My wife is an OD eye doctor. She also likes my opinion on contact lens use...don't wear them. Nothing but trouble and they may not protect your eyes against foreign particles, i.e. powder, brass pieces, case and bullet fragments. Pressure excursions. I hand load rifle cartridges. Tough glass lenses work. Enough said.

Interesting that you say very few use them while hunting.

My experience is that it used to be very few did, but now most do. Usually some kind of sunglasses, but most are wearing things, at least up here.

It may be a side effect of gun safety training emphasizes it, and I think the fact that the next generation uses them because most of them have shot high school trap up here now and it’s required.

In my ROTC days (and this is dated now, I’m closer to retirement than college) we were required to use eye protection when shooting. The army makes folks use it.

I’ve seen a grade schooler talk his grandpa into putting them on.

I really can’t understand defending not wearing them. What’s the upside of not using them?

Glad the Army requiring now. They did not back in the day.

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I really can’t understand defending not wearing them. What’s the upside of not using them?

Having to wear glasses for the better part of my life.

They do have down sides step into a building or vehicle on a cold day fogging can't see.

Rain causes all kinds of problems, getting them hooked on brush and they go flying off. Pulling a head net off and losing them.

Exercising in cold weather causes them to fog.

Try wearing certain gas mask's with them PITA.

I much like the option to wear and or not to wear them now.

I do try and wear them as much as I can but certain times they do come off.

A few years ago, we were pheasant hunting in South Dakota. Wild birds not a preserve. 3 of us were blocking a drive when a rooster got up and headed my way. The bird was low and one of the pushers fired at it. I was about 80-90 yards away and was hit with about 8 #6 pellets.

6 hit my chest area (no penetration thru outer clothes and vest), one hit my forehead and went under the skin on my skull and one hit my left eye. I always wear shooting glasses when bird hunting. If I wasn't wearing them that day, I would be blind in my left eye.

Clear or colored, wear them! The only time they are a pain for me is when turkey hunting. They can steam up under a face mask.

Be safe and wear shooting glasses.