I Found Out That against Steel Rounds Actually Can Come Straight Back.

D

Driz

Joined
Sep 23, 2007
Messages
1,113
Location
Northern New York
I know all about ricochets and thought I knew exactly when and where they occur. I was wrong. They normally go somewhere off to the side , up or down someplace anywhere but straight back. Well not always. I was shooting some light loads at an old boiler expansion tank a while back in front of my favorite giant hay bale. Id been plunking the things for a while lately so the center was dented up pretty well. 2" Smith 642 with 3.5grains Bullseye pushing a 158 grain lead home cast bullet. Not a hot load by a long stretch. Some penetrated but a few made it inside .
Most of my shooting is at 50 feet but this time I did a quick draw at 30 and cranked two off in rapid succession. The last one came straight back and bang punched me right in the pocket of the shoulder. It felt like getting punched with a knuckle and didn't even put a noticable dent in my canvas coat but I sure wouldn't; want to catch one like that in the eye. Yet another good reason to wear safety glasses
 
About 30 years ago I was out shooting,, believe it or not 3.5 gn Bullseye powder load and 158 gn semi wad cutters 38 special load from a 4 inch Ruger Security Six and after the shot I watched this huge Horse fly flying towards my face . When the horse fly was about 3 feet from my face I realized it was a ricochet and jerked my head and instead of hitting me in the eye . I did have safety glasses on it hit me on my upper lip. It really hurt and I thought I would see blood etc. I ended up with a fat lip. I still fear horse flies and remember the event well.
 
One winter the range had a pile of logs to shoot into. For whatever reason I was shooting some low power CB loads for fun. Not enough to punch into frozen wood I guess, and after I heard a ricochet I changed to something with more umph. Started giving ice more respect after that.
 
I have had it happen when using an AR at short range. It was on a friend's property and I was on round about 5 or 6 when I noticed things flying back at me. Luckily nothing was behind me, nor was anyone hit.
 
I was shooting at an outdoor club range around 10 years ago, steel bullet traps in back of targets. BUT traps get tired and bent and worn - especially old school not so well designed traps. It was not unusual for a bullet to roll back at your feet. So one fairly busy day at the range, I'm plinking away and next thing I know there is a thoroughly PISSED guy, red in the face, just screaming at me. Yes, please call cold range, if someone has anger going.

No way of knowing, but this guy was certain I was the guy - a bullet, .357"ish in diameter had hit him on the shoulder. It bruised him. Probably did hurt like heck. BUT I was not the only one shoot 38ish bullets...............he stormed off, never saw him again. No complaint lodged that I ever knew!
 
I've been too close to a proper steel target and gotten slagged. Lead melted as it it the target and a small piece came back and hit my left shoulder, small hole in the fabric, no broken skin.

Did you recover the round? I could have been just a piece, but dangerous no less.

The thinner target you were shooting at could have deformed on impact and changed the angle of reflectance.
 
When I was 10 years old my cousin who was 17 years old shot me with his bb gun and the bb stuck flush into the skin above mu belly button I was upset and wanted revenge so I told my Aunt about it. I found out a few days later it wasn't a good idea to tell on your older Cousin.. Even better a few years after that one of my friends was showing off his new pellet gun to me the conversion started to lean to how powerful the rifle was and would it go through a wind shield. He shot his dad's pickups windshield his dad was really pi$$ed .
 
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I shoot steel every weekend and my cast bullets seem to break up.

The jacketed montana gold or exstreme jackets seem to find me bare skin a small blood spot no big deal always wear glasses.

Its all the 9mm glock shooters LOL
 
I’ve been hit by a FMJ 9mm in the forearm standing behind a friend shooting at the swinging targets that flip up and then you shoot the top one and it flips them back down. Pretty good cut in my forearm but no stitches needed. Glad I had safety glasses on though.
 
Steel need to be AR 500 smooth, flat and undamaged. Rifle pockmarked junk steel can throw back hunks of bullets a long way

And anyone who tests Rifle AP ammo on steel closer than 100 yards is risking injury. If those tool steel cores don’t penetrate?...they often return towards the shooter with considerable velocity. Bounce a ball bearing on a steel plate..same reaction.
 
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