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All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: Snaab9-2 on March 17, 2011, 08:06:19 PM

Title: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Snaab9-2 on March 17, 2011, 08:06:19 PM
What is the furtherest ricochet you have witnessed?  Thinking back to when I was in my teens and shooting in my basment at 25 feet with a ~ 500 fps gun, I got hit by ricochets that must have been going ever bit of 100 fps or so as they stung a bit.  A few of them hit very close to my eye after bouncing off the target... should have been wearing safety glasses for sure.  That being said, a lot of them were off of rubbery plastic toys I was shooting at.

I have been shooting outside quite a bit recently with my 2100 and I started to think - if a pellet is to hit a branch or whatever... how far do you think it could ricochet and with how much force?  I would guess the heavier the pellet - the more potential there could be.

When shooting a few days ago, after hitting a branch I head a loud buzz/twang noise of a ricochet as it flew off into the distance- I have no idea how far it went but I wasn't too concerned as I was shooting away from any houses and the nearest one was about 150 feet away.  That being said, it got me thinking.  The NPSS will be significantly more powerful and I am going to have to be extra careful... I suppose.  Don't think I would be wanting to shoot a 900+ fps gun in the basement at 25 feet - that is for sure.  I would think that it may not ricochet too much worse than my other weaker guns as the pellet is going to crush more upon impact - but hard to say I guess.

So what are the worst pellet ricochets you have witnessed?  Lets hear them.  
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: yote300wsm on March 17, 2011, 08:45:29 PM
Go to a local lake or river and find out. Do this at sunrise or sunset when the water is calm. Toss a stick 20-30 yds out and take a few shots. You will get the initial splash then watch for the next splash farther out. Kind of like skipping rocks.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: longislandhunter on March 17, 2011, 09:01:47 PM
I don't know the mathematical answer to the question but it's a great question to post as ricochets should be something we are all concerned about when we hunt and target shoot.    I'm looking forward to some of the more mathematically gifted members giving us the answer but in my case I can tell you that while target shooting in my backyard range I've had a few pellets ricochet off a metal spinner target and a second later heard the pellet hit the large plastic tarp that covers my boat which is up on blocks 40 yards from the target.  It's only happened a few times but each time I inspected the boat hull and thank God I've never found any damage.

Jeff
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: gene_sc on March 17, 2011, 09:25:59 PM
A couple years back I decided to make a golf ball spinner. They were free spinning on stand. I worked for a couple hours making the stand and doing the balance thing with the golf balls. I new they would richoche but could not believe what happened after I set it out to 40 yards and took my first shot..

First shot with a RWS-34 .177 and it ricochet back at me just over my right shoulder. It was so close I could hear it and then it hit the outside wood panneled wall in back of me. It penitrated.....

That was the last time I ever shot a golf ball at any distance. I retired the golf ball spinner..:(
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: yote300wsm on March 17, 2011, 09:34:51 PM
The golf ball ricochet more than likely was due to the natural stored energy of all golf balls.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: gene_sc on March 17, 2011, 09:41:31 PM
Here is a seriouse ricochet....
http://www.youtube.com/embed/0ABGIJwiGBc (http://www.youtube.com/embed/0ABGIJwiGBc)
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Bullit on March 17, 2011, 10:19:10 PM
Go to a local lake or river and find out. Do this at sunrise or sunset when the water is calm. Toss a stick 20-30 yds out and take a few shots. You will get the initial splash then watch for the next splash farther out. Kind of like skipping rocks.

Please don't do this on a public lake.  The pellet, as I understand, is potential to over 200 yards with many of today's A/Gs.  
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: northern lights on March 17, 2011, 10:23:39 PM
I did the same thing with golf ball but I just drill a hole thur middle an hung with wire . I shot about a dozen shots then a heard the pellets whizzing off to the sides a couple more shots an I retired the golf ball for good. I think a pellet if hit right will ricochet a very long distance. But if you hit dead on I dont think they travel to far. a side defector will help alot
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Jman on March 17, 2011, 11:02:28 PM
Go to a local lake or river and find out. Do this at sunrise or sunset when the water is calm. Toss a stick 20-30 yds out and take a few shots. You will get the initial splash then watch for the next splash farther out. Kind of like skipping rocks.

Please don't do this on a public lake.  The pellet, as I understand, is potential to over 200 yards with many of today's A/Gs. 
I've done this on a private pond backed by woods. Pellet skipped a good 4 times over 100-200 yards...
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: RedFeather on March 17, 2011, 11:07:24 PM
Usually one foot further than you wish it would, like when it busts your car window.   :D  Seriously, you need to consider (everyone does) the area you are shooting in.  Not only for potential damage by skipping pellets but who will be using the area.  Kids?  They like to play in the dirt.  Pets?  Don't want them ingesting lead.   Selling your house soon?  You might be surprised that a potential buyer can be put off if they think there is a source of lead in the yard.

You CAN shoot your NPSS in the basement at 25 feet.  Just be sure you have a very good backstop and a generous one (large).  You would be amazed at what some people shoot indoors.  And I like that you now wear eye protection.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: aack73 on March 18, 2011, 12:49:43 AM
Go to a local lake or river and find out. Do this at sunrise or sunset when the water is calm. Toss a stick 20-30 yds out and take a few shots. You will get the initial splash then watch for the next splash farther out. Kind of like skipping rocks.

thats my favorite for pistola practice. toss a bottle cap in and try to point shoot it. instant feed back = better point shooting. almost like playing a video game. ;D ;D
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: stacycfi on March 18, 2011, 12:56:37 AM
I have had a ricochet hit my BBQ grill that was right behind me after barely nicking a spinner at 20 yds.
I heard it go up and toward me.  It actually gave me enough time to hear then identify that it was coming
at me and the time to make the decision to duck when I realized it was getting really loud.  I imagine about
a 40-50 foot arc over the top of me.

  On another note I hit myself with a .38 pistol slug when I made a target mounted on top of a garage door spring.
I welded a piece of strap steel to the spring and a metal stake to the other end to stick in the ground.
My teenage mind thought that when hit the bullet would law the spring over and the bullet would continue pretty
much along the same path.  It didn't.  I hit the target straight on at 10 yds and got an immediate surprise.

BTW I do demand safety glasses to all involved in or near the activity.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: newguyontheblock (Nathan) on March 18, 2011, 01:16:37 AM
i do believe like others have said that golf balls are bad ricochet devices. my brother and i were shooting from two deck chairs with a glass table between us. we werent more than 3 feet apart. we shoot a golf ball with my disco at 25 yards, the pellet hit and then came back between my brother and I, made two holes in the screen door, one entry, one exit then the last ding we heard was it hitting a tree that was off at the apropriate angle 15 feet away

we now wear safety goggles and only shoot towards things we know will absorb the impact
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: r1derbike on March 18, 2011, 01:42:13 AM
Hit a small tree branch.  Heard the ricochet and was amazed at the right angle it took after passing through the branch.  I'm guessing 50 yards or so of ricochet, to my left.  Very loud.

Reminded me of years ago foolishness with .22 LR cartridges.

Charles
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Onebaddj on March 18, 2011, 07:54:16 AM
I used to put pasty targets on a 2x10 and shoot at it until one night it bounced back hit the wall behind me and the pellet landed in my tasty beverage. I stoppe for the night and built my ammo can pellet trap. Have not had 1 bounce out of it yet.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Karl der Grosse on March 18, 2011, 03:50:26 PM
I think everyone has beat mine.  But here is a warning ...

I bought one of those spinning "self-sealing" gopher targets.  Great fun with a .22 RF but it just zings an AG pellet right back at you.  My experience was 25 yds. but it was stopped by the aluminum siding.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Earl of Squirrel on March 18, 2011, 04:29:29 PM
I think everyone has beat mine.  But here is a warning ...

I bought one of those spinning "self-sealing" gopher targets.  Great fun with a .22 RF but it just zings an AG pellet right back at you.  My experience was 25 yds. but it was stopped by the aluminum siding.

Yup, me too.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: jonnnyboy on March 18, 2011, 04:50:42 PM
I use old plywood for the backing behind my spinners at 20 yards.  This morning, I decided to take a few moments and enjoy the warm weather and plink a few times.  Just for the heck of it, I decided to try to hit a small hole in the plywood as the target to see how close my scope still was.  After the shot and a loud "THWACK" I heard a lite zing and then a thunk followed by a tink.  LOL  The pellet had ricocheted off the weather-hardened plywood, came back and hit the house and finally, hit the side of my AC unit.  It was a double ricochet of at least 25 yards.  Fortunately, it hit the side instead of the coil of my AC.  Talk about a repair bill, Mama would have been miffed to say the least.

My spinners will sometimes lob them back a ways but not like that hard plywood.  I believe in wearing safety glasses at all times.

joe
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: 1377x on March 18, 2011, 06:57:27 PM
20-25 yds for my experience
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: bwana on March 18, 2011, 07:48:37 PM
The answer is "farther than you expected". My friend and I were shooting of his deck at a bunch of cans sitting on top of a log 25 yards away. I shot low and the pellet hit the log and bounced straight back, just over my head. We were only shooting 600 fps guns. After that, I don't shoot at anything hard that isn't at least 40 yards away. I bought a beeman pellet trap and put an old pair of jeans in it to stop the pellets. Works well and no more ricochets.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: dukemeister on March 19, 2011, 12:05:40 AM
You can use chairgun to estimate what speed and energy will reach you on a ricochet; just double the distance to the target. This is probably the safest way to estimate, assuming the target returns all the retained energy.  Some quick estimates show a 12 fpe gun (8 gr at 820fps muzzle) can return 7.5 fpe @ 660 fps from a 10 yard target, about 4fpe @ 450 fps from a 25 yard target, and surprisingly 1 fpe @ 260 fps from 50 yards. Thats a lot of ricochet! 1 fpe is probably enough to break a window, it's about the energy of a steel bb at 300fps (a weak bb pistol or a Red Ryder). :o
Title: Duct Seal for safe indoor non-ricochet trap
Post by: Remo on March 19, 2011, 09:58:20 AM

Sold in 1 lb blocks at big box hardware stores.  Check the electrical section.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: thekid on March 19, 2011, 10:50:37 AM
when I was about 13, I had an air rifle made in czech republic ( unknown type)  and was shooting at my uncles. We were shooting at 15 yards and had glasses on, He said let me try and aimed for spot on fence and the pellet came back and got him just under the glasses and broke the skin.

He danced around for a minute then never tried again.Rob
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: DMikeM on March 19, 2011, 12:29:15 PM
Pellet 10 yards straight back from a knot hole in a tree gave me a third eye for a few days. Hear a few hit some roofs on houses 25 yards away when I hit the spoon spinners.

Worst ricochet was a .22 rimfire shot at a toilet tank that was about 200 yards away. Round came back and hit my Oakley M-Frame glasses on the right eye side. Dented the lens cut and bloodied my nose cut my cheek under my eye and left me with a good shiner. Oakley replaced the glasses for free. I was around 24 at the time so silly me didn't know that porcelain is used in body armor. Used a shotgun with slugs from behind a rock 50 yards away to destroy said attacker. Made me feel so much better.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Furseeker on March 19, 2011, 08:32:03 PM
I had a similar golf ball experience that Gene mentioned above.  I was at my brothers house and he was pitching a few golf balls while I was plinking with the Big Cat. He hit one out to about 35 or 40 yards. I shot it and the pellet came back with vengance, right pass my noggin. I've sworn off shooting at them after that.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: John in PA on March 19, 2011, 09:40:26 PM
About two years ago I was outside one Saturday afternoon practiceing for my freehand shooting competition with my 22 cal TX 200.It was early January and about 30 degrees outside so I would step outside and shoot ten pellets away at my one inch steel swinging targets. Its the target that has four one inch disc on the bottom and as you shoot them they set themselves and then you have to shoot the one on top to reset them. I was shooting away when I heard one hit and go whizzing across the yard.It hit something over close to my garage which was probably thirty yards off to the right. I figured it didn't have enough power to hurt anything so I kept shooting. After I had finished I started to wonder about what the stray pellet might have hit? I stood there looking around and I noticed something moving at my above ground pool.A quarter inch stream of water was squirting out the side of the pool about two feet from the top. There was ice frozen on the top of the pool and I had to chip it away to get my arm down inside to patch the hole. Patch kits don't work very well in freezing cold weather!
 Later that year when we opened the pool I found the pellet. It was smashed completely flat and had flown 32 yards and penatrated the side of my pool. I started respect my airguns a little more after that considering this wasn't a high powered model. John
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Random Plinker on March 19, 2011, 09:57:48 PM
Awesome thread!  I'll never use my Birchwood Casey resetting metal spinner target, in the back yard, again.  Too much neighborhood too close to target.  I've always used soft wadcutters (Peak or TF, versus CP Match) thinking most of the pellet energy would be spent flattening the soft lead pellet.  Reading this thread has given me a healthier respect for what could happen.  Back to duct seal traps in the backyard...


Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Karl der Grosse on March 19, 2011, 10:08:27 PM
I use old plywood for the backing behind my spinners at 20 yards.  This morning, I decided to take a few moments and enjoy the warm weather and plink a few times.  Just for the heck of it, I decided to try to hit a small hole in the plywood as the target to see how close my scope still was.  After the shot and a loud "THWACK" I heard a lite zing and then a thunk followed by a tink.  LOL  The pellet had ricocheted off the weather-hardened plywood, came back and hit the house and finally, hit the side of my AC unit.  It was a double ricochet of at least 25 yards.  Fortunately, it hit the side instead of the coil of my AC.  Talk about a repair bill, Mama would have been miffed to say the least.

My spinners will sometimes lob them back a ways but not like that hard plywood.  I believe in wearing safety glasses at all times.

joe

I hear ya'!  We just had new windows installed last year, so the targets are going farther back into the woods.

My last ricochet was entertaining.  It sounded like one of those spinning fireworks.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Snaab9-2 on March 19, 2011, 11:55:41 PM
I use old plywood for the backing behind my spinners at 20 yards.  This morning, I decided to take a few moments and enjoy the warm weather and plink a few times.  Just for the heck of it, I decided to try to hit a small hole in the plywood as the target to see how close my scope still was.  After the shot and a loud "THWACK" I heard a lite zing and then a thunk followed by a tink.  LOL  The pellet had ricocheted off the weather-hardened plywood, came back and hit the house and finally, hit the side of my AC unit.  It was a double ricochet of at least 25 yards.  Fortunately, it hit the side instead of the coil of my AC.  Talk about a repair bill, Mama would have been miffed to say the least.

My spinners will sometimes lob them back a ways but not like that hard plywood.  I believe in wearing safety glasses at all times.

joe

I hear ya'!  We just had new windows installed last year, so the targets are going farther back into the woods.

My last ricochet was entertaining.  It sounded like one of those spinning fireworks.

That is exactly what my last one sounded like too and it was why I made this post.  I was like hey!... man, that thing was loud and it went for a distance!  :)
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: sshewins on March 21, 2011, 02:11:30 AM
I was sitting in the minivan, door open, classic police style.  I took aim at a 1 X 6 pine board, roughly 20' away.  It was sitting on the ground, propped up against the garage door.  The gun was a gamo pistol.  the pellet didn't have enough energy to actually dent the wood, but it veered up and over, hit a tree, and landed behind my back on the seat.  Learning had occured...
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Addictedtoair on March 21, 2011, 06:58:41 AM
I have had the self healing Champion Prairie Dog target whip .177 pellets back as it spun around and hit against the side of the house behind me. Distance was a good 30 yards.

Brett
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: London177 on March 21, 2011, 07:07:16 AM
Good post :)
I have had them come straight back at me when shooting at anything too soft or too hard. I now only shoot into my wooden pellet catcher box that has a thick carpet backing to absorb the pellet's energy. Even a pellet travelling at a 100fps can penetrate an eye.
regards,
Alan
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Karl der Grosse on March 23, 2011, 01:19:44 PM
I have had the self healing Champion Prairie Dog target whip .177 pellets back as it spun around and hit against the side of the house behind me. Distance was a good 30 yards.

Brett

Ditto!
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: trapshooter on March 23, 2011, 09:28:52 PM
Self healing spinner target at 20 yds with wadcutter. It came zinging back at me and bounced off the side of the house next to my head. Lucky i wasn't hurt. Learned my lesson the hard way
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Snaab9-2 on May 17, 2016, 02:08:24 PM
Bump for a good thread from several years ago.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Cigarman on May 17, 2016, 07:03:59 PM
Hanging golf ball at 53 yards with 11 FPE .177 can come back at a pretty good clip, you can hear the buzz in time to duck, though...
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Skinard88 on May 18, 2016, 10:17:31 AM
Shot a 10 inch skillet at 65yds. hit the side of the skillet and the pellet did a U-turn and came back to hit the shop I was shooting from.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: redtrucker610 on May 18, 2016, 08:59:22 PM
Baracuda hunter from my Benjamin XL 1100. Shot at a rubberized spinner 25 yards away. Hit the wall behind me then landed on the shooting table right next to my left arm.

(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/320x240q90/922/sNKAPe.jpg)
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Snaab9-2 on May 19, 2016, 11:21:56 AM
Shot a 10 inch skillet at 65yds. hit the side of the skillet and the pellet did a U-turn and came back to hit the shop I was shooting from.

Wow, that is some distance. With the poor ballistic coefficient of a mushroomed or flattened pellet traveling those kinds of distances, it must have had some power behind it at least initially. I wouldn't want to get hit by that say 10 yards from the target!
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Sfttailrdr46 on May 19, 2016, 11:31:16 AM
I had a few come back at me from 10 yards in the man cave thus two silent traps the first was lined with duct seal sort of expensive but lasted 1 1/2 yeard and my new one made with 3 20 lb bags of shredded mulch and a piece of 14ga sheet metal behind the mulch . After over a year of shooting no pellet has made it to the sheet metal
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: farrlarr on May 19, 2016, 12:07:24 PM
As dukemeister alluded to in the original part of this thread, in his post about calculating ricochet with Chairgun, the length of a ricochet and its speed/power will depend on a variety of things, including original velocity of the pellet, weight of the pellet, material composition of the original target and the angle at which the pellet hits the target.  There are probably some other factors but those seem to me to be the most important.  The bottom line is that any projectile can/will ricochet from almost any target, given circumstances, and we all need to be aware of that possibility when shooting anything with anything.
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: just.neil on May 19, 2016, 11:16:14 PM
I've had 2 bounce back at me at around 25 yards or so. One i heard whistle past my ear and hit the glass patio door behind me...luckily it didn't break but it sure scared me. I had some boards nailed together for a back stop and i had been shooting it a lot with no problems. The other hit a plastic cup about3 feet away, i was shooting a target i had hung in a tree. Also been shooting the tree a lot after retiring the boards....so im with the others it depends on a lot of things how far it'll go
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Methuselah on May 19, 2016, 11:46:23 PM
I've had a couple unexpected 15 to 20° down-angled crosman pointed hunter rounds hit dirt (root, rock, or just hard ground) and hear them hit someones front porch furnature twice.  One was a 25 yard shot with a decent bank behind it traveled spent for another 55 yards, the other  ricocheted at 55 yards and managed another 45.

Both hit final destinations with some authority. That from a Daisy 880 maybe what, 680'ish FPS! Needless to say those direction are now no-fly zones  :P
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: Oldgringo on May 19, 2016, 11:56:07 PM
While shooting one of my Daisy 853's at my spinning spoon targets,  I've found flat, shiny pellets at my feet 25 yards back from the target.  These pellets had to come from being flipped back at me by the centrifugal force of the spinning spoon.  I have since reversed the target and now shoot at the convex/back side of the spoons.   
Title: Re: How Far Can A Pellet Ricochet?
Post by: 56S on May 21, 2016, 06:56:47 AM
You would think a rotting log, punky and soggy, dead for 15 years wouldn't reject a .22 pellet shot from nearly 30 yards at over 700FPS.  It did and kindly returned the slightly smooshed Crosman 14.3 landing behind me a good 15 feet.  On occasion we shoot clays from our driveway aiming up into the woods and 7.5 shot will bounce off live Hickory trees and make it back 40 yards where we stand.  You can easily feel shot on the bottom of the pool with your feet too! >:(