Ricochet

For other uses, see Ricochet (disambiguation)}}}.

A ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off of a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. Ricochets are one of the main dangers of shooting because after bouncing off an object the bullet that ricochets poses an unpredictable and serious danger to bystanders, animals, objects, or even the person who fired the shot. Ricochets are often more common with low power calibers such as .22 or .177 calibre which can have trouble penetrating some materials, though it is important to note that a ricochet can occur with any caliber. Anecdotal evidence describes an incident where a bullet which penetrated a 3 inch steel pipe came back to the shooter. In this case, the lead portion went though the pipe, shedding the copper jacket, returning to the shooter's leg. This is a rare occurrence, however.

Bullets are more likely to ricochet off flat, hard surfaces such as concrete or steel but can occur on almost any surface including grassed soil. Water is notorious for inducing ricochet. Published military tests have shown that full-metal jacket 9 mm bullets fired from a machine-rested Uzi submachinegun penetrated water to an average maximum depth of 22 mm before rising, creating a track 66 mm long. The likelihood of ricochet is dependent on many factors, including bullet caliber and length, nose (or give) shape, velocity, and the angle of incidence (or approach). The angle of departure, both vertically and horizontally, is difficult to calculate or predict due to the many variables involved, not the least of which is deformation of the bullet caused by its impact with the surface it strikes.

In case the deformed projectile manages to hit a bystander or another target it can become very dangerous. Instead of cleanly travelling through the "body", the bullet will rip through it, causing massive internal damage.

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