Ricochet - Sometimes it hurts.

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Steel targets are an acceptably safe target to shoot with handguns, even at relatively close ranges, so long as they're in good condition.

However, once they show serious signs of wear and tear (the target bowing in like a bowl, or showing serious cratering from heavy use), the chances of something like this begin to climb.

Why is this? Bullets not hitting a flat surface or something like that? I've never looked too carefully at the steel I've shot, guess I need to.

OP, thanks for posting. I've gotten bits and pieces of ricochet before but that looks pretty bad.
 
Why do you think you need a tetanus shot? Did it go through your pants?

I haven't had one since 1998.
The target had a bit of rust on it.
I don't know for CERTAIN if the bullet skipped off the ground first.
Lots of other reasons that I can't think of, and none of which I want to risk getting lock-jaw and dying over.

I just got the shot, and I know I'm good for a while. :)
 
>I shudder to think what the result would have been if taken in the neck, or chest... or >anywhere else... for that matter.

I was at a range and I asked the firearm instructor I was taking a lesson from about whether we could open fire on some of the steel targets.
He shook his head gravely, and told me that the jacket could easily ricochet back and do serious damage.
He told me that some years back a fellow ignored the "no rifle shooting at steel" rule, and a jacket punctured the neck of the person right next to him. Let's say that Tom Savini would have been hard pressed to do an arterial spray as spectacular as this one.
The fellow lived through the ordeal, but it was a pretty stark reminder of the necessity of following the rules.
 
A nurse told me tetanus shots were only needed if whatever punctured you had at some point contacted fecal matter (animal or otherwise).
 
Why is this? Bullets not hitting a flat surface or something like that? I've never looked too carefully at the steel I've shot, guess I need to.

Technically, I'm not sure. To take a wild guess, I'd assume that once the surface of the target becomes bowed, it's more likely to allow the bullet or fragments to enter/leave at an angle, rather than hitting straight on and causing the bullet to disintegrate evenly.

Same could be said, presumably, for steel that's heavily pockmarked from many impacts, or close-range rifle hits.
 
I became lazy about wearing safety glasses. That changed when I was standing behind my truck watching a kid shoot cans with my 12 ga when all of the sudden
WHACK! a pellet bounced off and nailed me on my eyelid. Good lesson for me and him.
I was about 20 yards away he was about 15 yard away, using #6 game loads.
 
just scrub it out with some Hoppes and your .22 bristle!

But seriously, My dad tried my Schofield with soft loaded FMJ, at 50' A fleck of copper half the size of a dime hit my glasses, just shrapnel from the backstop.

I've only shot steel with my .22's at very long range, I think I'll alternate sides to keep them even.
 
I had a similar experience a long time ago with a .357 and a rail road plate.

I had shot the plate with a .30-06 and that left craters in the metal. Then the .357 bullet hit the edge of the crater and part of the bullet shaved off on the crater edge then followed the circular path of the crater right back at me.
 
Thanks for sharing. It helps reenergize the "safety first" instinct. ;-)

BTW, you should have a tetanus booster shot every 10 years, as my doctor has informed me. Every year that ends in a 5, I get a tetanus booster shot (easy way to remember).
 
I took a nice ricochet to the left leg last summer while Dove hunting. As we were leaving I decided to do some target practice with my .38 special that I had brought out. The 158grn LRN bullet completely mushroomed against a Mesquite tree and came back hitting me in the left ankle. Luckily it didnt break skin and only left a good bruise. I keep it on my "gun desk" as a reminder along with my ND bullet.

Pics of the .38.

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Yes indeed. Safety is something that needs practiced always, not just when you have time or the money.
 
Mmm. You may want to get that looked at by a doc just to rule out the chance that there may be some little fragments still in the wound that could cause infection. Glad that you are (basically) okay.
 
We shoot steel as close as 25 feet with pistols using frang. Even with frang you can feel some of the "sand" hitting your ankles after bouncing off the concrete floor. It's fun but a little pricey
 
I actually caught a ricochet bullet. I was shooting at a quarter placed in the bark of a tree stump at about 25 yds shooting a 1911 .45acp hardball.

I hit the quarter on the third shot,and saw it ricochet up and back toward me in a high arc, glinting in the sunlight, I reached out my left hand and did a fly swat motion and caught the quarter which was HOT! and dropped it to the ground , to find out it was the bullet!
 
That nurse must not be very bright.

Deep puncture wounds (as I received) can easily lead to a tetanus infection.

OK, point A: A ricochet is unlikely to produce a tetanus infection as the propellant energy and air friction are likely to generate enough heat to 'sterile' the ball.

Point B: once the skin is broken any matter introduced could possibly contain the tetanus bacteria. This could be a deep penetrating wound or a pinprick. The bacteria does not need fecal matter to be present although that is the most common manner of transmission. Rusted iron is an ideal environment for the bacteria.

Point C: Booster shots are inexpensive, commonly available and take little time. It's only common sense to keep boosters up to date.
 
Glad to hear that you are OK. I would still go to the doctor, though. I hate going to the doctor's office too, but that looks bad.

I think what people shoot in steel matches is lead bullets. Personally, I would never shoot a FMJ at a steel target. I have shot computer hard drives (aluminum) with FMJ rifle cartridges and high velocity pistol cartridges, but 9mm would not be on that list. You might be better off shooting steel with lead bullets.
 
Steel Targets

Steel targets are an acceptably safe target to shoot with handguns, even at relatively close ranges, so long as they're in good condition.

Lets not forget that these steel targets must be set up at a proper angle to deflect the bullet downward.
 
No problem getting a tetanus booster, but that's about the last bacteria I'd worry about in this case. Clostridium tetani is anaerobic and is killed by O2 and heat. But there are a lot of other germs that lurk around your skin and all kinds of other surfaces that can take advantage of a wound like this to give you a nasty infection.
 
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