A grandfather targeted in an apparent random shooting played dead as a man unloaded rounds into his head and chest.

Kelvin Tennant, 72, was in sheer disbelief as the gunman opened fire at him as he rode his bike on the Myrtleford-Everton rail trail in Victoria's north-east last Saturday, the Border Mail reports.

Kelvin Tennant at The Alfred hospital with his daughter Natalie and granddaughter Imogene.

Speaking publicly for the first time since the attack in Everton, the calm and polite retired schoolteacher said it was "beyond comprehension" he would be targeted.

While he's feeling "really great" despite his injuries, he said the area "is not a safe place to be at the moment".