Hello Everyone,

When last I wrote to the forum, I was anxiously awaiting delivery of my CZ .458 Lott. Well, I received my rifle about 2 ½ weeks ago and I have a story to tell.
Day after picking up my rifle, I went to our county cabin to give it a try. Loaded up the CZ with a 500 grain .458 win mag as a first test – fired at the steel plate boar – and proceeded to catch a ricochet bullet in the abdomen. I’ve sense learned that shooting a steel plate with a FMJ is bad news - wish I’d known that before I made my stupid mistake.
Being hit by a bullet, even one that has spent most of its energy on a target, is a terrifying experience. It is the most surprising thing in the world to look at your belly and see a hole that wasn’t there before. Feels like being hit by a baseball bat in the stomach. Not a sharp or stabbing pain, but a “wallop” like getting kicked by a horse. Anyway, to make a long story short, I had emergency surgery that afternoon to remove the bullet that had penetrated 7 to 8 inches into my abdomen. Fortunately and luckily for me, my major organs were for the most part missed by the bullet. My stomach was perforated and the abdominal artery was nicked but, I should fully recover in several weeks.
One of the worst parts of the whole experience was the phone call the wife received from the local law enforcement. Naturally, it scared her to death. Will likely be a while before she lets me shoot again.
For now, I’m at home recuperating and regaining my strength. For what it’s worth, I hope my mistake can prevent someone else from having the same accident.
Take care all and be SAFE.

-Vlad