In most cases of bullets ricocheting from a hard surface, the angle of ricochet is considerably less than the angle of incidence (Tables 4.3 and 4.4).As can be seen from the following tables, with hard-jacketed, high-velocity missiles striking a frangible material such as stone or concrete, it is not always the case that the angle of ricochet is less than the angle of incidence.Table 4.3 Ricochet angles vs. incident angle for various bullets on smooth concrete.Table 4.3 Ricochet angles vs. incident angle for various bullets on smooth concrete. After The actual degree at which a bullet will ricochet from a surface is called the critical angle. When used properly with the right steel targets, ammo, and distance, the risk can actually be safer than shooting directly into a backstop of unknown or dubious material. In theory, it would seem that there should be a higher risk when shooting steel targets, but that is not the case. Some bullets are fired to intentionally ricochet, just as in ricochets of some ball games like The behavior of iron cannonballs documented during the era of The problem with unintentional ricochets is potential damage caused to objects outside the intended path of the bullet. The second bullet fired was a round-nosed fully jacketed bullet which cleanly penetrated the glass narrowly missing the driver.In this instance, the angle of the screen was clearly insufficient to support a ricochet with a round- nosed bullet. * Indicates severe cratering leading to variable results and, in some cases, disintegration ofTable 4.4 Ricochet angle for 0.45 ACP FMJ bullet from various surfaces at variousIt would appear that if sufficient cratering of the surface occurs on bullet impact, the exit plane of the crater will be of greater angle than the incidence angle. The critical angle for a given bullet type/target medium is not velocity dependent. Yes. The critical angle for a soft or hollow-point bullet is lower than that for an equivalent fully jacketed bullet. After ricochetingfrom the surface, the missile will lose a considerable amount of its velocity (anything up to 35% in test firings) and, invariably, lose its stability. Even with hollow-point bullets, it is unlikely that it will be possible to differentiate between a bullet which has ricocheted from water and one which has not.6. The nose was, however, filled with epoxy resin and shaped to give the desired round-nosed profile.NB. Alternatively, the same energy release may melt and/or disintegrate the bullet to reduce size and range of deflected particles. You … Wounds produced by bullets ricocheting from hard surfaces will generally be easy to identify due to the bullet ' s tumbling action. Factors such as bullet shape, construction, velocity and ricocheting surface all have a pronounced effect on the outcome (Figure 4.31).A case illustrating how variable this can be involved the shooting at a taxi in central London by a The front windscreen of a British taxi is only angled back by approximately 15 ° and under normal circumstances, such a low angle would not be expected to support a bullet ricochet.The first round fired at the front windscreen had a hollow-point bullet which cleanly ricocheted from the screen leaving a stripe of lead up the glass. Once it enters the body, the bullet will, due to its inherent unstable condition, tumble end over end, leaving a large irregular wound channel. Such a deflection of a bullet constitutes a true ricochet When you shoot a solid target, the bullet can deflect. High-velocity bullets with a thin jacket, for example, 0.223" or 0.220" Swift, will invariably break up before ricocheting. Ricochet behavior may vary with bullet shape, bullet material, spin, velocity (and distance), target material and the angle of incidence.High-velocity rifle cartridges have higher probability of bullet penetration, because increased energy released by an identical bullet may fracture or temporarily melt the target at the point of impact. 27-34.Nennstiel, R., "Study of Bullet Ricochet on a Water Surface," AFTE Journal, Vol. When a bullet strikes any surface, there is a critical angle at which the bullet will bounce off or ricochet from the surface rather than penetrate. This applies even to water.It is interesting to note that when round shot was used by naval vessels, ricocheting missiles from the water were a recognized form of tactics in sea warfare. Who knows what garbage is stuck in that backstop. If the bullet does happen to strike point first, the misshapen bullet will leave a distinctive entry hole generally with ragged edges. A notable death caused by ricochet was the hostage Katrina Dawson during the Haag, L.C., "Bullet Ricochet from Water," AFTE Journal, Vol. This equates to the bullet striking the surface at a greater incidence angle and therefore a greater ricochet angle.2.

Some of the bullets used in this test were hollow-point. Bullets will invariably lose their gyroscopic stability and tumble after ricocheting. Depending on the angle at which it strikes, a bullet can ricochet off anything, even water. 3, July 1984, pp. By skipping a missile across the water at hull height, it was much easier to hit an enemy ship than to try and calculate the correct elevation for the missile to strike the ship during its trajectory.This method worked well with round shot where the angle of incidence and the angle of ricochet were approximately the same.