Ricochet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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. Ricochets will almost always continue on a somewhat diagonal trajectory to their original trajectory, unless it is against a flat surface perpendicular to the angle of incidence (or approach), in which case, it will usually reflect at an angle dependant on many things, covered in the next paragraph. Although it is rare, ricochets can return to the shooter. This requires the object it hits to possess enough resistance withstand the impact of the bullet, and for the surface to be perpendicular to the shooter. Some bullets are designed to deform at the nose (or ogive), which is the main reason for the bullet ricocheting at such an extreme angle and returning in the shooter's direction.
While bullets are more likely to ricochet off flat, hard surfaces such as concrete or steel, a ricochet can occur on almost any surface including grassed soil. The likelihood of ricochet is dependent on many factors, including bullet caliber and length, nose shape, velocity, and the angle of incidence. 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 behave more like a hollow point bullet, causing a larger wound cavity or even fragmenting.
