CAPT LISTENING TO ATC BY HIMSELF MISINTERPRETS ASSIGNED VECTOR.

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WE WERE ENROUTE FROM ACT TO ILE ON ACT R195 AT 4000 FT. AT APPROX 30 DME THE FO CALLED IN RANGE ON COM 2. AT THAT TIME THE GRAY APCH CTLR GAVE US DIRECTIONS TO 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT; TURN R HDG 240 DEG VECTORS FOR THE VIS APCH AT KILLEEN.' I READ BACK THE XMISSION AND BEGAN A TURN AND A DSCNT. WHEN THE FO CAME BACK ON COM 1 I RELAYED THE INFO TO HIM. WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT THE RESTRICTED AREA WAS ACTIVE; AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT AN ODD VECTOR THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE US THROUGH THE RESTRICTED AREA (R6302B). ABOUT THAT TIME WE SAW FLASHES AND TRACERS AHEAD OF US AND HEARD A THUMP AS SOMETHING HIT THE ACFT. WE BEGAN A L TURN TO HDG 180 DEG AND QUESTIONED THE CTLR ABOUT OUR VECTOR. HE STATED THAT HE HAD GIVEN US A HDG OF 240 DEG OFF LITLE INTXN (35A-ACT 195R) AND GAVE US A HDG OF 180 DEG. AFTER LNDG AT ILE WE INSPECTED THE ACFT AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAD EXPERIENCED A BIRD STRIKE WITH NO ACFT DAMAGE. ALTHOUGH WE CAME CLOSE TO THE RESTRICTED AREA; WE NEVER ACTUALLY ENTERED IT. NEXT TIME I WILL QUESTION A VECTOR THAT DOES NOT SEEM APPROPRIATE.