Shooting 4x4 Blocks

[redryder]

A friend and I were shooting at a 4x4 block about a foot long at ten yards with a berm right behind our target. We were shooting 45 light target loads. Another shooter came over and told we were shooting unsafely and that shooting that block could cause a ricochet. Were we being unsafe? It was a 4x4 block of wood.

 

[SEIndSAM]

4x4 Concrete or Wood??

 

[1775usmarine]

 

[Leadeye]

I have see pistol rounds bounce off of wood planks at shallow angles, hit squarely, no. Maybe that's what he meant.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I have see pistol rounds bounce off of wood planks at shallow angles, hit squarely, no. Maybe that's what he meant.

Yep...I could see, if the 4x4 were at angle to the shooter and the bullet hit at a side that was at an angle, yeah, it might not go where you think it will.

 

[BFR50-110]

As said above it could if it hit at an angle. I've never seen it happen personally. The last time I shot a 4x4 wood block it was with a .44 mag. Turned a big portion of it into splinters.

 

[churchmouse]

Especially a light low energy round. If the block were a hard piece of wood.

 

[sharpetop]

Bullets change their path when hitting bone in living objects, why wouldn't a chunk of wood change the path, unless hit straight on?

 

[redryder]

So what about shooting bowling pins at ten yards.

 

[Twangbanger]

So what about shooting bowling pins at ten yards.

Bowling pins are fantastic bullet deflectors. One of the worst things you can shoot at, due to the tough, continuously curved surface. Bullets can bounce off bowling pins at ten yards and come right back at you...perhaps not with anything near full energy, but enough to get your attention. Having other pins laying sideways near them increases the opportunities. The saving grace is that the bullets tend to spin wildly, and convert much of their kinetic energy into rotation. That's why you may not hear about people getting killed at bowling pin shoots, but if you spend enough time at them, you will definitely see somebody get popped. It's a real wake-up. People tend not to talk about it much, likely for fear of the shoots getting shut down.

 

[churchmouse]

So what about shooting bowling pins at ten yards.

Good point.

 

[Sniper 79]

Yes a slow moving 45 can deflect if not hit square. I could also for see problems being that close and if the wood was real hard. I like shooting soft bullets for that reason that I load myself in the .45.

Bowling pins are horrible to shoot anything at except rifles at long distance or I guess I have taken a few apart with 12ga slugs.

 

[amboy49]

Bowling pins are fantastic bullet deflectors. One of the worst things you can shoot at, due to the tough, continuously curved surface. Bullets can bounce off bowling pins at ten yards and come right back at you...perhaps not with anything near full energy, but enough to get your attention. Having other pins laying sideways near them increases the opportunities. The saving grace is that the bullets tend to spin wildly, and convert much of their kinetic energy into rotation. That's why you may not hear about people getting killed at bowling pin shoots, but if you spend enough time at them, you will definitely see somebody get popped. It's a real wake-up. People tend not to talk about it much, likely for fear of the shoots getting shut down.

Ive never taken a physics class ( nor stayed at a Holiday Inn Express ) but I fail to see how the curved surface of a bowling pin could cause a round to change direction 180 degrees and come back at a shooter. If a directly centered hit I would assume the round would penetrate the bowling pin. If the hit was on a "glancing blow" how would that turn the round around back at the shooter ?

"Bouncing off" - perhaps inadequate power factor is the issue.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Just pony up the cash and get some of these... same fun of reactive targets but without the risk of bullets going where you dont expect them to go...

http://www.amazon.com/Do-All-Outdoo...im_200_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CK5R0S66ER6XY45AS5Q

 

[Nam1911]

I have personally had a 230 grain 45 acp FMJ bounce back from a laminate wood beam and hit my SUV behind me.

IT CAN HAPPEN. I have shot at a telephone pole with my pellet gun and had a pellet come back at my face. Luckily I dodged it.

the only wood I will shoot is anything thinner than 1.5 inches and not a hardwood

 

[Litebow]

I have personally taken a thump in the chest from a round that bounced off a bowling pin at a bowling pin match. Surprised me but it did n' t hurt. I was watching, not shooting at the time.

 

[matthewmaze]

i have had 45's bounce when they didn't hit square.i have been using golf balls lately you see how you missed plus you feel good when you hit one.and they really don't get torn up

 

[obidya]

Just pony up the cash and get some of these... same fun of reactive targets but without the risk of bullets going where you dont expect them to go...

http://www.amazon.com/Do-All-Outdoo...im_200_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0CK5R0S66ER6XY45AS5Q

these look like a lot of fun

 

[singlesix]

Ive never taken a physics class ( nor stayed at a Holiday Inn Express ) but I fail to see how the curved surface of a bowling pin could cause a round to change direction 180 degrees and come back at a shooter. If a directly centered hit I would assume the round would penetrate the bowling pin. If the hit was on a "glancing blow" how would that turn the round around back at the shooter ?

"Bouncing off" - perhaps inadequate power factor is the issue.

Not so much the pin itself but all the bullets inside the pins after being shot at for a while, I've seen, first hand, this happen, round came back didn't hit the shooter but the RO behind the shooter.

 

[PGRChaplain]

I've been hit by Shot while shooting Trap, try to figure that out. My shot, not another shooter.