Rossi Rifleman

During the 4 seasons I shot IHMSA I never experienced in return bullets on any of the ranges and we shot all three categories. The only problem I ever heard of was a range that used rail road track for their target stands and didn't remove the rail head. If you look at a cross section of rail you can see where it might be just possible for a strike to hit on the inside of the rail head and then follow the web and exit in a return direction. It would take that chance just right hit but with the number of rounds that were expended on those ranges it's possible you could get one.

Make smoke,

Also another thought from high school physics. Angle of incidence is equal to angle of reflectence. A hanging steel target or any target who's surface is perpendicular to the line of flight will in all likelihood result in a bounce back toward the shooter. If it's rigidly mounted the chance is even higher. Swingers and fall overs will in the micro seconds of contact change the angle a wee bit.

Make smoke,

Angle of incidence only equals angle of reflectance in an ideal scenario where there is no lateral deflection nor loss of velocity. Light off a first surface mirror acts like this as does a pool ball bank shot, but in both of these examples, little velocity is lost and there is no damage to the projectile (light or pool ball) during the impact.

Steel BB's off of an unyielding surface at a low incident angle are about the only thing that is predictable. They don't hurt the substrate nor do they become damaged at their velocity.

Doesn't mean you can't get hit by a ricocheted bullet, but the ricochet will almost certainly come from a direction that is unanticipated...

BBs off plywood will often return TOWARD the shooter regardless of angle of incidence.

I've rarely seen whole bullets returned off steel targets that are set up right but I admit to having seen a lot of steel set up any which way. I have seen both with steel droppers set at about a 30 degree angle off vertical top tilted toward the shooter AND with steel sheathed indoor ramped backstops hard cast bullets shatter and return to the firing line to the sides of the shooter.