Can a bullet start a fire?

In the Army we weren't allowed to fire tracers in very dry conditions. And in the worst conditions the range went cold entirely. Even FMJ bouncing off a rock, steel etc can cause a spark. Is it common to cause a fire? I've never seen it.

Copper fmj can throw sparks.
The steel jacketed bullets really do.

Both of the ranges I belong to have a lifetime ban in place for anyone
caught shooting tracers (obviously) or any ammo with a steel core.
The steel core ammo was definitely the culprit for several range fires before the ban went into effect.

During the driest of times, the ranges try to keep an after hours fire watch in place.

JT

I had cast spark when hitting a rock. Always best to be careful in dry conditions.

Short answer is YES

I know tracers will. I was shooting in a NRA Across the Course match at a National Guard Range, in a very hot and dry summer. Everything was dry, like crunchy bone dry. A National Guard unit was blasting away, over to the left, with their SAWS, and tracer ammunition. They set the dry brush in the forest on fire, fire trucks came, we civilians were booted from the range, and treated like criminals. We were lucky the National Guard were caught red handed with tracer ammunition, because the National Guard range officials wanted to blame us for the fire!

I don't see how lead bullets could cause a fire, impacting on the ground. But, steel core, or steel jacketed, possibly, maybe. Darn sure tracer will.

Shot steel as it was getting dark. I saw sparks regularly, I assumed the kinetic energy created enough heat to make the bullet fragments glow. I would think in the right environment it would be a fire hazard.

I would be concerned about it. I wouldn't think about it like sparks from the jacket. I would tend to think about 180gr going from 2500fps (as an example) to zero in very little time. In the case of heavy hardened steel plates, they budge (swing) little transferring limited energy to the plate and the idea is not to crater or deform the plate. The energy has to go somewhere, its the near instantaneous braking and working (deforming) of that bullet. You end up with some hot pancakes at the bottom or slightly behind depending on the plate situation.
I think lead (vs jacketed) do have far less of a chance but it's more due to the splattering effect transferring excess energy as velocity in fragments 360degrees or all over.

I never tested it, tempted to do some math. I know rifles can start old car doors on fire. However you have almost a "bushcraft" situation given the car door interior materials.

Copper is spark free. Ampco metal is a copper based metal that is spark free. It can be made into tools that require a spark free environment.

In that movie, "The Jackal" with Bruce Willis, a sniper had to blow up a parked car. So he shot the gas tank first, which caused the gas to start leaking out. Then he shot the asphalt under the car, which caused a spark, igniting the gas which in turn blew up the car.
Seriously, I suppose a regular, copper jacketed lead core bullet might make a spark if it hit the right kind of rock, but I don't know for sure. I do know there was a rather large wildfire about 10 miles north of here a few years back, and it was blamed on some guys shooting Tannerite targets - which I thought was a danged fool thing to be doing. I mean, it was the middle of summer for crying out loud, and those hills north of here are nothing but cheat grass, sagebrush and junipers.

Have witnessed many times steel jacketed (Russian) ammo throwing sparks upon impact. Lead/ copper never.

If you are in an area that has any form of granite, any projectiles with enough force can cause pieces of granite to impact each other to cause sparks! Think FLINTS!

Here in Southern California fire country you can get thrown out of a rifle range for shooting at rocks, even at places which forbid steel. Apparently more than one fire has been started by copper jacketed bullets striking the right kind of rocks.

I could see if the conditions were right, that friction would be a culprit. Shoot enough and the right combination of tinder in dry conditions.

I have personally seen fires started on military ranges with M855 steel tip rounds and of course tracers. There were times at Ft Irwin Cal. that we were not allowed to use tracers. We would also have the occasional range fire when I was stationed at Ft Leonardwood Mo too.

with tracer, steel jacket, or steel composite jacket (legal for pistol, so fairly common), but copper or brass jacket or lead is not likely. Consider its the common materials used to hammer open fuelpumps in gastanks full of fumes, and has never started a fire that way (lead hammer on a brass punch). I suppose a FMJ hitting a rock into another rock is conceivable, but its mostly just a way for the government to take one more overstep, at least here.

I vaguely remember awhile back my outdoor range was not allowing people to place targets further than 100 yards on the main range (the only one I use, don't know if they had rules at the other ones) because conditions were so dry. (I am in Arizona.) At that time shooting on public land was also banned.

Very difficult IMO but possible. That being said I do not shoot blackpowder when it’s dry.

Obviously tracers by their composition and heat could spark a fire. While it is possible it is unlikely that FMJ, JHP, and lead bullets might start a fire. A fire is caused by a continuing exposure to heat. high enough heat to create combustion, or the bullet would have to hit a surface that could make a spark when hit by gear force. So if a bullet hit powdered magnesium or similar element or compound it night do it. Otherwise it would have to hit a surface that caused a spark. But even then there would have to be an accelerant involved. A round hitting paper is not going to cause ignition. A round striking the metal of a can if gasoline might ignite the gas.

I don not think a typical copper jacketed bullet is much for causing sparks directly. Hitting rocks can cause rock to rock impacts and/or fracturing of a rock. Either of these are spark potentials. The ammo itself can easily "spew sparks".

With an area in a high fire potential situation, clearing off most all combustibles from the shooting point to the backstop is called for.

I set a dozer pile on fire once with Tull from my Sport II. Only took 3 or 4 rounds into an old truck rim, but the two gallons of gas I poured on it helped.

When my reserve unit showed up at Ft. Dix one weekend to shoot, all they had was belted MG ammo, which we had to take apart and put into our M-1 Garand clips.

The included tracers promptly started a fire down range, base FD had to be called. End of shooting session.

The indoor range I frequent won’t allow Russian steel ammo, worried about a spark setting off unburned powder flash in front of the firing line and shredded rubber at the backstop catching fire.

Yes. We almost missed seeing the smoke, then flames !

I once started a fire due to a steel target frame in weeds maybe 6-12” high . The entire area was tall grass.

September was extremely dry, about seven years ago- around the Memphis area.

We were starting to leave (!! ) and a Buddy saw a very small Bit of SMOKE with his binoculars (300 yard target).

It spread so fast I said “Call 911”, and a rural DeSoto County Fire Dept needed over 10min to hose the acre or so of burning weeds.

The bullet was a typical, modern commercial fmj from my Lee-Enfield (.303 British).

—Don’t do it if grass or weed (etc) -covered land is really dry—

I've seen it.

It's mostly if the berm has tinder available--like scraps off paper and cardboard targets, dried grass and weed cuttings; even thatch from mowed grass.

There's just too much "stuff" at the target end of a used range. Gravel bits, discarded nails & screws from stands (bit of nails shot off from same). Bullets are decelerating from significant velocity on hitting a target and the target's berm.

Worst fires at ranges I've been present for were a range using steel-belted radials for a "berm" (burning rubber is a smell you just don't forget, either). Another was just dried grass on the berm lit off and the wind got ahold and went for a couple hundred acres until the VFD could get a water truck all the way out to the range. Dumbest range fire was actually the one where a cigarette butt was pitched into a trashcan casually. That sob burned hot enough to glow, especially since there was no way to slow the thing down. A $20 wallmart extinguisher in one of the cars could have saved a trip by the entire VFD. Lesson learned.

Be careful out there mes amis, fire is fine confined to a pit or grille; loose in the open it's not nice at all.