Centerfire or rimfire for ricochets ?

[Accurat-shooter]

There seem to be a growing number of ranchers here in Oregon who are rimfire only on their land for squeak shooting, because they believe that the small centerfires are ricochet prone. Are my lying eyes and ears deceiving me? I always figured it’s the other way around. Feedback?

 

[chuckshooter]

the best time for seeing ricochets is when the field is freshly plowed, then you can see bullets bounce across the brown dirt. I think rim fire ricochets more, but center fire ricochets farther. when you hear a ricochet, it is generally because the bullet had become deformed and will loose more energy faster. soft copper jacketed bullets, traveling at wrap speed generally come apart after hitting anything. but I have seen just about any bullet ricochet. it's one of the risk we take. less squirrels equals more alfalfa, about 4 oz. per day per squirrel. most ranches understand the math, some don't

 

[Keith Glasscock]

My ranch is the opposite, Hornady V-max ONLY! There are only two places on there that anything else is allowed and those are directly into soft berms. Good luck getting the critters to stand in front of those. The land owner qualifies each combination for use as some cartridges don't make enough velocity to make the bullets come apart.

I've done some testing, and yes, a V-max will bounce occasionally, but the number of shots is very small in comparison to what I get with a rimfire 22.

Moral of the story is to have your backstop figured out so a ricochet won't do any harm.

 

[spencerhenry]

I agree with the previous post. Run a lightly constructed bullet at high velocity. No problems.

My best for ground squirrels is the 17 ackley hornet with a 20gr vmax. Violent on little tiny creatures, and no mass to keep on going.

 

[Accurat-shooter]

I see on different forums that a lot of guys are loading, and shooting fmj in .223...maybe because they’re cheap and feed good in AR’s. Wonder if some guys are using these in the rat fields? That would explain a lot.

 

[chuckshooter]

FMJ is not allowed with any of the groups I shoot with. that would be asking for trouble.

 

[LHSmith]

.17 HMR and .17 HM2 are rimfires. IMO the #1 choice where ricochets are a concern.

 

[rcparker1]

It has been several years ago but a lady was at the Nascar track in her travel trailer/ motor home when a bullet came through and hit her. After being on the news a man came foward and said he was shooting a 50bmg into a berm at a gun range I believe about 3-4 miles away if if memory serves me correctly. After comparing bullet fragments they determined it was from his gun. That's when I sold my m82

 

[CaptainMal]

NRA says you need a good three miles or more behind ranges for safety. I believe it. It is very difficult to keep all projectiles on a range. Backstop height and design is critical. All steel targets must be right in front of a high, perpendicular backstop. Even then it's hard to contain all projectiles.

Hunting on open, flat land would be problematic if not for long distances of nothing.