Dangers of Ricochets?

[Benjamin]

I've been shooting quite some time but I really don't know much about bullet ricochets. I think it would be beneficial to myself and maybe others if someone could suggest information sources or post on:

The dangers and effects of bullet ricochets.

Different bullets types as they relate to bullet ricochets.

Target types as they relate to bullet ricochets.

Necessary precautions (if any).

Anything else that might be important.

 

[AFA1CY]

Can't offer much in what you request but I do have a story. I was shooting on a friends farm (.38 special). I was using a wood/brush pile as a backstop. Every so often I would hear a zing sound after I shot. Finally investigated and found a heavy metal electrical box buried in the brush. The zing was the ricochet.

 

[jmemmert]

I always use a half mile of cornfield as my backstop in the summer. it should do a good job. I know sometimes when my neighbor is shootin, I'll hear a zinger. Freaks me out man. I've got another neighbor that only shoots bullets that break up on impact.

 

[standeford]

All I can really offer is that if you are shooting steel you want it to be flat and hard. That gives you the best chance of either disintegration or a mushroom that falls more or less straight down. With a target your bullet will pass through, make sure your backstop is free of rocks or anything else hard.

Ricochets actually happen a lot, you just don't always hear them. If you shoot something quiet, like subsonic 22LR with a can, at something as innocuous as the ground, you'll hear more than you imagine.

 

[WileECoyotee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPZyBLv0ijc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cqAffzjUrU


It's amazing how easily they can happen .

 

[ATF Consumer]

I'm just a bit curious about ricochets on the sound aspect of it.
Do they really sound like they do in the old westerm movies...like this...
Gunshot ricochets, wave files, sample wav sounds, sound wav files

 

[WileECoyotee]

I always use a half mile of cornfield as my backstop in the summer. it should do a good job. I know sometimes when my neighbor is shootin, I'll hear a zinger. Freaks me out man. I've got another neighbor that only shoots bullets that break up on impact.

What if someone is walking in that 1/2 mile cornfield ?

Or ride thru on an ATV ?

Can you stop shooting in time ?

I always make sure there is a backstop of some form before shooting , a corn field sounds kind of risky to me .

 

[andyrping]

I'm just a bit curious about ricochets on the sound aspect of it.
Do they really sound like they do in the old westerm movies...like this...
Gunshot ricochets, wave files, sample wav sounds, sound wav files

Actually they can sound pretty darn close to that, usually a bit more low pitch when they ring out. More like a "Whew..."

I was hunting Atterbury this deer season and while pushing through the thick stuff on my way out to my Jeep, some a_s shot close by in my direction and I heard one buzz up in the air over my head. Not sure if I pushed something out or if the tard was shooting at noises. Never will be hunting there again.

 

[techres]

Had a 9mm jacket bounce back into my chest at an indoor range once. Cut me through the shirt just enough to bleed a few drops. I was young so I played it up at school.

There is a reason for eye protection.

A guy at the 1500 selling flachettes told me of his experience with ricochet from hitting a metal fridge at 20 yards with a shotgun load of flachettes...

He did not do it a second time!

 

[GlockRock]

What if someone is walking in that 1/2 mile cornfield ?

Or ride thru on an ATV ?

Can you stop shooting in time ?

I always make sure there is a backstop of some form before shooting , a corn field sounds kind of risky to me .

Exactly what I was thinking. Growing up on the farm I was always out and about on the ATV on the farm riding or checking the fields. I wouldnt ever think that shooting into a cornfield would be a safe option.

 

[gmiller]

I think the best way to get an idea of what ricochets do is to watch tracer rounds. You'll only hear the ones that are close to you. I had fired some .223 tracers into the trees on the hill at Knob Creek and was surprised that most of them bounced around quite a bit.

When shooting handgun steel matches, it is very common to see and feel the fragments hitting you and others. But they're such low velocity by then, and so small fragments that they pose no real danger other than them getting into your eye. But, of course, all of the targets are specifically set up so that they get hit square on the face.

Here's some video from the machine gun shoot showing lots and lots of ricochets:
YouTube - Knob Creek Night shoot

 

[rex soldier]

i've been hit by a Ricochet from A air rifle that shots .177 at 1,000 fps.
i've had .22 and .17 hmr Ricochets but i've only had one that ever came back at me ( most Ricochets usally go off the sides ) . it missed me but hit my moms house.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABGIJwiGBc


Let's not forget this beauty... Long distance directory assistance with a friggin' 50 cal!!







.

 

[DRob]

Ricochet story

Many years ago I was doing some research on target carriers, bullet traps, and ventilation systems for the renovation of the range in the basement of IPD HQ, in the City-County Bldg. At the time, there was a commercial indoor range just west of Expo Bowl bowling alley, south end of Beech Grove. I called, told them what I was doing, and asked if I could come in to see their equipment. Nice guys but apparently they didn't realize that when you knock over a steel silhouette, the bullet may ricochet more or less straight up. I noticed insulation hanging down from the range ceiling and asked if they had roof leaks. They had leaks, OK. They'd been shooting little steel critter targets sitting on pieces of log in front of the target line and the bullets were ricocheting out through the roof!

The outfitters I shoot with don't allow FMJ in prairie dog towns due to the danger of ricochets. And I'm talking WIDE OPEN SPACES out there.

DRob

 

[standeford]

I just remembered I have a lead pellet in the dangly part of my ear. Just checked and it is still there.

It came off a clay that I shot about 30 yards away.

 

[thompal]

At the time, there was a commercial indoor range just west of Expo Bowl bowling alley, south end of Beech Grove. I called, told them what I was doing, and asked if I could come in to see their equipment. Nice guys but apparently they didn't realize that when you knock over a steel

"The Gun Room." I used to shoot there frequently. I was sorry to see it go.

 

[JohnP82]

I used to frequent an indoor range here in Ft. Wayne and I have actually been hit a few times by fragments. Once was enough to draw a little bit of blood since it scraped my cheek. The cause there was because people would hit the steel plate that holds the targets and it was angled right towards the floor. It was actually pretty scarey, the last thing I want to do when shooting is get hit by something!

 

[techno.m3]

I used to frequent an indoor range here in Ft. Wayne and I have actually been hit a few times by fragments. Once was enough to draw a little bit of blood since it scraped my cheek. The cause there was because people would hit the steel plate that holds the targets and it was angled right towards the floor. It was actually pretty scarey, the last thing I want to do when shooting is get hit by something!

which range in fort wayne is this and do you know if this is a problem at other ranges?

 

[Militarypol21]

I was hit in the leg at FNS by a fragment in late spring of last year. It made no sound nor was it anymore than a peck on the leg. Just felt something hit me and bent down to see what it was. It was the one and only time I've been to FNS (not the reason I haven't been back). As for the sound, it is a whistling sound. Myself and JsHarmon7 were duck hunting a few months back and someone in the woods behind us was shooting randomly (they said they were squirrel hunting) and their rounds were ricocheting off the trees and coming right over our heads. We both ducked down in our chairs like it would have made a bit of a difference.

 

[tyler34]

there was plenty of lead splashing at NFA day, none did any damage but you could feel it.