The ricochet

[theallcineyes]

In the dense woods of the Northeast, i wondered about something. I'm going to "assume" that ricochet is always a concern, whether you hit the animal you were aiming at, or not.

How real is the potential for ricochet? If "10" is a very dangerous thing in hunting, and "1" is hardly worth being concerned about, where does the potential for "ricochet" lay in that graph?

 

[jepp2]

How real is the potential for ricochet?

When I shoot, I am responsible for insuring the bullet causes no harm to anything I don't want to shoot.

Given that, hunting bullets designed for big game animals are very prone to ricochet. They don't come apart as easily as bullets designed for varmints (and those can ricochet). So just take your hunter safety training and put it to good use. In dense woods, there are things that eventually will stop the bullet. And if there are hills, even a better backstop. Don't shoot where you don't know where your bullet could go. Don't shoot at anything sky-lined on the top of a hill.

And to answer your question, I experienced a "10". I was hunting antelope in WY in a walk-in area that was a flat alfalfa field. A section+ that had about 200 head of antelope being moved around on it by hunters. During opening day, several times I heard the whine of a ricochet go past me. I can never tell exactly how close a bullet is when I hear it go by, but it is kind of un-nerving.

 

[dolek]

If you are talking about balsam swamps and beaver meadows not much chance of a ricochet,even in the open hardwoods and slash still not much of a chance . Much bigger chance of something bad happening by a hunter not knowing whats in the background...especially dangerous when the deer are being driven . Folks lose all common sense in the heat of the moment when it comes to deer hunting .

 

[AckleymanII]

In the dense woods of the Northeast, i wondered about something. I'm going to "assume" that ricochet is always a concern, whether you hit the animal you were aiming at, or not.

How real is the potential for ricochet? If "10" is a very dangerous thing in hunting, and "1" is hardly worth being concerned about, where does the potential for "ricochet" lay in that graph?

Do you actually hunt?

 

[Ballisticboy]

Ricochet is always a big problem in any shooting activity. There have been many large trials in many countries carried out to try to assess ricochet, particularly countries with high population densities and relatively small firing range safety areas. One of the jobs carried out in my department early in my career involved a child killed by a .22 bullet from a ricochet. Later on I was involved in looking at the case of a boat receiving a glancing hit from a naval shell outside the safety area. This one was due to the shell bouncing off the sea. Bullets can ricochet off just about any surface material if the impact angle is small enough, even to the extent of entering soft ground and coming out again at 90 degrees to the original trajectory. Impact angles of less that about 30 degrees have a risk of ricochet, and ricochet ranges can be very long.
In terms of the original question, based on my own experiences in all kinds of shooting, ricochet must rate a 10 at all times.

 

[Barlow]

I will not shoot steel targets. Barlow

 

[rammac]

1

 

[rogn]

Any fired round is a potential 10, with the value number decreasing with the stability and predictability of the background/backstop. Any ricochet is a 10 and we have to make the assumption the path it will take is probably the most disastrous. The naval projectile finding another boat at sea, the probability of that projectile finding another boat , an infinitessimally small area as compared to open ocean.

 

[bluealtered]

While cutting logs in a timber sale i have had bullets slam into the trees i was felling, (falling to us). This was in hunting season and my saw was running at speed and a active sale. The last time this happened i was mad enough that i slammed the saw to the ground and chased the s.o.b. all the way back to his rig, he managed to get away before i could open the truck door, i looked for that truck and driver for a few years after that but never saw him again. Certainly not a ricochet, just another stupid hunter with a gun and hunting where he shouldn't have been.

 

[dolek]

If you asked this question here in NE NY at a camp or tavern in the Adirondacks you would be laughed at and have to buy the next round...these old hunters/loggers have hunted thousands and thousands of hours in these woods . Just saying...

 

[Milo 2.0]

When one is responsible for every bullet coming out of what you are firing, I myself would be concerned about it.
I helped build or supply a steel range, we had steel at every 100 yards from 2-1200 yards. Originally, no berms or backstops were put up. Let me say, I am no expert on ricochets, but I do know, in dry periods, you end up seeing way more goings on than in damp, taller grass situations. Enough so, berms were constructed, and it cuts down on a lot of wayward shots.
I have seen ricochets veer up to 60 degrees from the direction fired which is scary. Common sense says the more a bullet bounces off the ground, the less lethal is becomes, but I watched a 300 gr Berger from a 338 snipetac crawl up over a hill hitting 3 times faster than one could blink, at 2000 yards.
You can either dismiss, or pay attn to what may happen.

 

[6MMsteve]

My brother and I had a ricochet once while shooting at 1000yds, on our private range went through a 50 acre woods through a out building hit 2 wash pans, 2 screen doors, into a washing machine and lodged in the washing machine inside between 2 pipes, we were both shooting that day me 7-300 whby,,he a 300 whby mic'd the bullet it was his... scared the chit out of us when the sheriff rolled up and asked if we was shooting..if some would have been standing in front of the washing machine it prolly would have killed them..bullet traveled 2300 yds

 

[Ggmac]

A 22 LR Std vel will penetrate roast beef 3" at 300 yds . I wouldn't of believed it till I did the test . Bullet didn't mushroom much .

 

[jds holler]

I shot a blue jay one time out of a juniper tree. My backstop was a vacant hill side a short distance behind the tree. I nailed the jay, and the bullet glanced off of at least one limb, changing course almost exactly 90 degrees and taking out a window on the house about twenty yards from the tree. 22's are bad bouncers. Full jacket round nose pistol bullets are worse. jd

 

[Monte F]

Had my 5mm air rifle pellet come straight back past me in the back yard from a knot in the railroad tie. Sure glad it did not hit me, may have lost an eye. Hit the window of my living room behind me and made a loud smack. Wood is not always a good backstop to shoot aluminum cans.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I went home for lunch and to let the dogs out. While in the backyard, I heard a rifle shot couple seconds, I hear incoming round strike the yard. Another shot, hear the round catch tree leaves and hit plastic play toys in the neighbors yard. I live a couple blocks in from the country, town about 3000 pop. A couple more shots and I hear one pass over and another strike metal. I get on the phone and call 911 and get my dogs and the neighbors in the garages. I hear more than a dozen shots by the time a deputy rolls up and he is standing out front as a shot rings out. Yelled at him to get close to the house. We did not hear that round. I sent him in the direction where I thought shots came from and he found 2 guys little over a mile away, said they had been target shooting with the target in front of a temporary pond in a farm field. 12 shots from a 243 and 1 308. Later I found 1 243 105 gr sp had struck the neighbors truck, 1 went through the other neighbors garage wall past over their kids play area and hit the garage door and bounced on to the entry steps. He came back before I found the first bullet and said "he told them to be careful". I called him when I found the bullet after my neighbor left for work in his truck, he came back and I showed him the 243, deputy asked if I was sure it was a 243 , I was. He collected it in a evidence bag and left. He went and told the guys charges would come if the failed to pay any damage claims, 600$ hole in neighbors pickup grill. Not sure of the siding bill.

 

[pirate ammo]

IF it can happen IT will happen,YOU and only YOU are responsible.

 

[hogpatrol]

In the dense woods of the Northeast, i wondered about something. I'm going to "assume" that ricochet is always a concern, whether you hit the animal you were aiming at, or not.

How real is the potential for ricochet? If "10" is a very dangerous thing in hunting, and "1" is hardly worth being concerned about, where does the potential for "ricochet" lay in that graph?

Depends on the shooter but for me i'd say it's a "2". Shooting deer from 20' stands with a dirt back stop, I don't worry about it. Groundhogs and crows with a thin jacket, high velocity bullet, same deal "2". YMMV. Up in the mountains with a lot of rocks might be a different story.

 

[johnfred1965]

A 22 LR Std vel will penetrate roast beef 3" at 300 yds . I wouldn't of believed it till I did the test . Bullet didn't mushroom much .

Were you hunting Arby's?

 

[CaptainMal]

In over 6 decades of active and frequent hunting in Pennsylvania, Canada, Colorado, Wyoming, Georgia and Florida, only one experience. During rifle deer season in Pa. I heard something hit into the trees near me during a remote mountain hunt. That's it.

Now at rifle ranges, especially the one at Manatee in south Florida, it's a near daily issue. People shoot off banks, top of banks, side of banks, through wind flags, flag poles , into the ground sighted way below long-range targets etc. Lots of idiotic fools with guns seem to show their stupidity and incompetence at rifle ranges resulting in frequent skips. How frequent? Often dozens each day with police practice groups often the worst offenders. Much safer to go hunting.

I rate hunting a 2.