My second trip to the range...and first grazing!

[Orthonym]

NRA Instructor, I think you have it!

I believe it may be a function of (OTBE) velocity. Fred Barnes mentions in "Cartridges of the World" , (referring to the 41 Short Derringer Rimfire),

" The 41 rimfire Short is so under-powered as to be worthless for anything but rats, mice, or sparrows at short range. Fired from the average derringer at a tree or hard object 15 to 25 yards away, the bullet will often bounce back and land at your feet."

My own experience: I had a moderately high-velocity air rifle pellet bounce off from a plywood backstop 20 feet away and sting me a good one just above my eybrow.

I betcha nobody has this sort of problem with high-velocity bullets because

A.One tends to shoot at things farther away; and

B.High-velocity projectiles tend to go to pieces on the spot.

 

[Phil Ca]

Years ago when i was working for a federal agency in SF, we were about to test some polycarbonate glazing material for use in a control center. I told the person in charge of the facility who happened to be an appointed(annointed?) type and he said he wanted to go to the range and see the testing. I agreed but told him I would be gone for a few days and the testing would be done when I returned. I was the range officer and knew the hazzards of testing materials.

When I returned from my days off I heard that Mr. C------ had been hit with a riccochet and was a bit traumatized by the incident. I asked how that had happened and was told that he could not wait for my return and took the block of Lexan to the range and set up a test. He fired straight at the test block and the spent bullet came back and hit him in the chest. I guess he thought he was going to die. Anyway, I never heard a peep from him again about wanting to be there when I tested bullet-resistant material again.

We ended up making an entire 40 inch by 84 inch door from the material. It was a tad expensive but well worth the expense. We could see out and knew that no ordinary handgun could defeat the door.

 

[longtom4570]

A couple of years ago iwas at a cowboy shoot and was online to shoot when the stage next to me opened up and hit me with a piece of lead in the forehead, talk about ruining your concentration it bled a little but no big deal

 

[Mike Irwin]

Fun, isn't it?

Last time I was at a falling steel match, earlier this summer, I got clocked in the mouth with a large chunk of bounce back, large enough that it drew blood on my chin right over my lower eyetooth.

When it hit I really thought that it had broken my tooth.

 

[lostdog]

ouch

SWAT comp. last year in SC. A guy got hit in the mouth by a .45 frag from a steel plate. er cleaned him up, sent him home. Next day he still had pain, and they x-rayed it. Most of a .45 slug in his soft palate.

 

[280PLUS]

i remember,,,

a friends 12 yo kid in another kids back yard, other kid shooting his new birthday bb gun at a tree, bb ricochets into friends kid's eye! and lodges behind it.

kid spends 2 separate 6 month sessions 24/7 strapped on his stomach on a table at a 45 degree angle with his head down (first session didnt work) because there was an air bubble behind his eye and it had to heal with the air bubble in just the right spot

never regained full eyesight either, maybe 50% IIRC

diiferent but similar in nature, if you catch a fragment in the eye, you could be seriously laid up for quite some time,,,

 

[Sunray]

Rick, as in Rick O'Shea. This is why eye protection is required any time you're on any rage, shooting or not. I've been hit with a .45 on the leg and bouncing down to my ankle. Drew blood. Carried it around my neck for several years in a wee leather pouch on a kevlar string. Didn't help as I got hit with one shotgun pellet not long afterwards. A buddy of mine took a slice of lead through his hat brim into his forehead. It hit and hit his skull and bent back and grabbed a bit of the hide. Had to have X-rays and minor surgery to get it out. He was all worried about getting lead poisoning. Terrible pity I wasn't there. Have Swiss Army knife. Will do surgery. His is the worst I've ever heard of, but if I had been hit in the eye by that .45, I'd likely have lost it.

 

[Mal H]

Yep, not as uncommon as you would think. I got hit in the shin about a year ago at a bowling pin match. The bullet was a .45 ACP FMJ. I'm sure of that because it was down at my feet still spinning around. I picked it up and it was very warm. There appears to be a definite trend showing up here - lots of bowling pin mishaps and a lot of them are with a .45 FMJ.

I was with Mike Irwin when he caught one in the mouth. As he said, he was hurt more than the usual amount (namely none). After we assured him all of his teeth appeared to still be where they should be, he was ok.

This makes you start to wonder how many undetected bullets actually fly back towards the firing line. Since the people standing there make up a relatively small area compared to empty air, I'll bet it happens a lot more than we know about.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"I was with Mike Irwin when he caught one in the mouth. As he said, he was hurt more than the usual amount (namely none). After we assured him all of his teeth appeared to still be where they should be, he was ok."

Hey! Look who's back from vacation.

And far too soon, too.

As best as I can recall, that was the first time I ever had a bounce back draw blood.

It wasn't a lot of blood, just a small smear that immediately stopped bleeding, but the tooth bugged me for some time.

 

[meathammer]

NRA Instructor said: "And come on guys, always wear eye protection."


I WAS and always do wear eye and ear protection. The ricochet incident only happened that one time, out of many range sessions there.

As far as using only lead or non-jacketed ammunition, there is no rule posted.

In my opinion even a lead bullet striking a hard surface at the right angle COULD possibly ricochet, right?

Regardless, I will be sure to bring this up to the guys running the shop the next time I go there. Maybe it is a more common occurence and they need to make changes to the range/rules.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"In my opinion even a lead bullet striking a hard surface at the right angle COULD possibly ricochet, right?"

Absolutely. It could, conceivably, come straight back at you.