Hurley's Gold

Distance a ricochet can travel???

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Texas

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • HKShooter65

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Then don't do that....

    YUP!!!

    Though doing it unitnentionally is the danger.

    The original premise, actually occurring, had my buddy and I shooting at 100 and 200 yard paper targets in a rocky 450 yard field with a "safe" lake berm at the far end of the field and Castroville homes a short mile beyond. Sort of kept me awake that night.

    Something any one of us might indeed do on any shooting day out, eh?
     
    Last edited:

    HKShooter65

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Then don't do that....



    A scary thought.
    Looking at Google Earth.

    FWIW
    There is a home with a pool 1.14 miles beyond the 200 yard berm at a very popular range right outside New Bruanfels where I've shot some big guns.

    .............................

    I actually know someone who got a .40 round imbedded in his deltoid while plowing with his tractor about a mile from a law enforcement practice range in the hill country about 10 years ago. Couldn't prove from where the round originated.

    I've always wondered who in their right minds would buy property a mile or two to three beyond a public rifle range.

    .........................

    Stay safe everyone.
     
    Last edited:

    benenglish

    Just Another Boomer
    Staff member
    Lifetime Member
    Admin
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    23,864
    96
    Spring
    I've always wondered who in their right minds would buy property a mile or two to three beyond a public rifle range.
    There is a range in north Houston that faces north towards utterly unusable swamp land. It operated for decades. Then some real estate developer bought the swamp land, hauled in untold hundreds of trucks full of fill dirt, and built a subdivision. The range had to make changes, adding baffles and closing their longer-range firing line, because the folks who bought in that subdivision raised holy hell. This didn't happen until after people started buying houses.

    I'm willing to bet that the developer didn't tell a single home buyer that there would be shooting in their direction. Yes, some home buyers are idiots but plenty of them are just plain ignorant and don't realize that there's a shooting range "just over yonder."

    It's no wonder so many shooting ranges in Europe, even longer ones up to 300M, are fully baffled or indoors. I really think that for any major shooting range to operate near a population center, that's the way to go.
     

    F350-6

    TGT Addict
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 25, 2009
    4,237
    96
    It's no wonder so many shooting ranges in Europe, even longer ones up to 300M, are fully baffled or indoors. I really think that for any major shooting range to operate near a population center, that's the way to go.

    I'd really love to aruge this point with you, but I've been to more than one public range. The real problem isn't the range, but the people who visit it. Even idtiots have guns.

    I've been to outdoor ranges, in the country, and looked up at the cover meant to provide shade and found too many bullet holes to bother trying to count.

    I also tend to ask for the furthest right hand lane against the wall if I go to a public range, as most folks are right handed and if they have a stupid moment after a hangfire or jam, they will turn the weapon pointing left to visually diagnose what they did wrong.

    As for the developers, I can't really blame them. The law is clear about rounds not leaving your property. Just because a range is there, it shouldn't devalue adjacent porperty. If that were the case, then adjacent property owners should have the right to veto a range operation. And we don't want that.

    Just trying to keep an open mind and see both sides of the argument.
     

    robertc1024

    Moderator
    Staff member
    Moderator
    TGT Supporter
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 22, 2013
    20,763
    96
    San Marcos
    As for the developers, I can't really blame them. The law is clear about rounds not leaving your property. Just because a range is there, it shouldn't devalue adjacent porperty. If that were the case, then adjacent property owners should have the right to veto a range operation. And we don't want that.
    But unfortunately, it happens. We had a new range shut down here the week after it opened because of more fear of rounds leaving the range than anything else.
     

    easy rider

    Summer Slacker
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 10, 2015
    31,472
    96
    Odessa, Tx
    But unfortunately, it happens. We had a new range shut down here the week after it opened because of more fear of rounds leaving the range than anything else.
    It was probably snowflakes that didn't like the noise and used the "fear of rounds leaving the range" excuse. Reminds me of the time homeowners tried to sue Sea-Tac airport in Washington. The airport had been there longer than any homes, too bad.
     

    robertc1024

    Moderator
    Staff member
    Moderator
    TGT Supporter
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 22, 2013
    20,763
    96
    San Marcos
    It was probably snowflakes that didn't like the noise and used the "fear of rounds leaving the range" excuse. Reminds me of the time homeowners tried to sue Sea-Tac airport in Washington. The airport had been there longer than any homes, too bad.
    You're right about that. The people who lived on the down range side of it got a huge crew of people with metal detectors to sweep their properties. Surprise, surprise - they found some bullets - out in the county in rural Texas. Of course, they had to have come from the range.
     

    easy rider

    Summer Slacker
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 10, 2015
    31,472
    96
    Odessa, Tx
    You're right about that. The people who lived on the down range side of it got a huge crew of people with metal detectors to sweep their properties. Surprise, surprise - they found some bullets - out in the county in rural Texas. Of course, they had to have come from the range.
    Yeah, because nobody would have been shooting out there before homes were built, right?
     

    benenglish

    Just Another Boomer
    Staff member
    Lifetime Member
    Admin
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    23,864
    96
    Spring
    I'd really love to aruge this point with you, but I've been to more than one public range. The real problem isn't the range, but the people who visit it. Even idtiots have guns.
    Not trying to start an argument, here, and I don't think you are, either.

    I was just pointing out that while idiots on public ranges can do stupid stuff, a fully baffled range can prevent any shot from leaving the property. It won't stop an idiot from shooting the guy next to him but it will prevent any round, fired in any direction, from leaving the property.

    Or, to put it another way, if there's the slightest possibility that there are people on the other side of the berms within reach of a bullet, the range should look something like either of these 2, both of which are 200 meter ranges. The first picture is from Germany, the second from France. While more aggressive ground baffles are probably needed on the French range to prevent some incredibly freaky ricochet from going over the berm, both ranges are about as close to sealed as possible for outdoor facilities.

    aDfDhzM.jpg


    NKHxHsX.jpg
     

    benenglish

    Just Another Boomer
    Staff member
    Lifetime Member
    Admin
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    23,864
    96
    Spring
    In the thread where I mistakenly first posted the pictures above, Younggun asked:
    Wonder what the day rate is on a range like that...
    I don't know.

    The rates for the French range in the second picture (which includes several ranges and a nice restaurant) are shown here: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.eurostand-lorraine.fr/tarifs_2_983.htm

    I can't tell if that means it's just 170 Euros per year for membership and access to all facilities or if they also charge a 20 Euros per day access fee on top of that.

    Either way, to me, given the quality of the facilities, that seems fairly reasonable. I realize other people will feel differently.

    Taking a detour off-topic: I use the qualifier "fairly" because if the cost is 170/year, that's a screaming deal. If the use of the facilities also requires an additional 20/day, that could get really expensive for someone like me who would want to live at the range. That's the same reason I wouldn't consider relocating to Talledega. The Talledega Marksmanship Park may be one of the two or three best shooting facilities in the U.S. but there's no way to get a price break; even if you buy range passes in bulk, you can't escape paying $25 every time you set foot on the range. OTOH, I'm an old-style life member of The Whittington Center which means it's completely free for me, forever. However, I can't justify moving to the middle of nowhere; Raton, NM, is really a boring armpit of a place. Oh, well - first-world problems, I suppose.

    Seriously, though, wouldn't most of us like to have a home club like this? It's a shame the video doesn't show the restaurant.
     
    Last edited:

    easy rider

    Summer Slacker
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 10, 2015
    31,472
    96
    Odessa, Tx
    In the thread where I mistakenly first posted the pictures above, Younggun asked:
    I don't know.

    The rates for the French range in the second picture (which includes several ranges and a nice restaurant) are shown here: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.eurostand-lorraine.fr/tarifs_2_983.htm

    I can't tell if that means it's just 170 Euros per year for membership and access to all facilities or if they also charge a 20 Euros per day access fee on top of that.

    Either way, to me, given the quality of the facilities, that seems fairly reasonable. I realize other people will feel differently. (I use the qualifier "fairly" because if the cost is 170/year, that's a screaming deal. If the use of the facilities also requires an additional 20/day, that could get really expensive for someone like me who would want to live at the range.)

    Seriously, though, wouldn't most of us like to have a home club like this? (It's a shame the video doesn't show the restaurant.)

    Very nice facility, something for all sizes.
     

    Younggun

    Certified Jackass
    TGT Supporter
    Local Business Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jul 31, 2011
    53,482
    96
    hill co.
    In the thread where I mistakenly first posted the pictures above, Younggun asked:
    I don't know.

    The rates for the French range in the second picture (which includes several ranges and a nice restaurant) are shown here: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.eurostand-lorraine.fr/tarifs_2_983.htm

    I can't tell if that means it's just 170 Euros per year for membership and access to all facilities or if they also charge a 20 Euros per day access fee on top of that.

    Either way, to me, given the quality of the facilities, that seems fairly reasonable. I realize other people will feel differently.

    Taking a detour off-topic: I use the qualifier "fairly" because if the cost is 170/year, that's a screaming deal. If the use of the facilities also requires an additional 20/day, that could get really expensive for someone like me who would want to live at the range. That's the same reason I wouldn't consider relocating to Talledega. The Talledega Marksmanship Park may be one of the two or three best shooting facilities in the U.S. but there's no way to get a price break; even if you buy range passes in bulk, you can't escape paying $25 every time you set foot on the range. OTOH, I'm an old-style life member of The Whittington Center which means it's completely free for me, forever. However, I can't justify moving to the middle of nowhere; Raton, NM, is really a boring armpit of a place. Oh, well - first-world problems, I suppose.

    Seriously, though, wouldn't most of us like to have a home club like this? It's a shame the video doesn't show the restaurant.


    I don't judge. If people are willing to pay a premium for certain facilities they are welcome to do so. My concern was more towards the possibly prohibitive costs if such facilities/barriers were required. Not that I believe it was your intent.


    Specifically on the European ranges...Seems most are set up more like a country club than a gun range. I've always figured it had to to with the different social atmosphere surrounding firearms overseas with those participating at a gun range falling in to a more aristocratic class who see a range trip as a little shooting, followed by drinks and a nice dinner. What you'd imagine aristocrats would do at a fancy golf course.

    I could be wrong. Have no intention of going to Europe any time soon to find out.
     

    F350-6

    TGT Addict
    Lifetime Member
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    May 25, 2009
    4,237
    96
    But unfortunately, it happens. We had a new range shut down here the week after it opened because of more fear of rounds leaving the range than anything else.

    I don't doubt that, but fear and reality aren't the same thing. There are plenty of indoor ranges, and even some outdoor ones in the middle of very large population centers that are still open even though there are houses or businesses "downrange"

    Not trying to start an argument, here, and I don't think you are, either.

    I was just pointing out that while idiots on public ranges can do stupid stuff, a fully baffled range can prevent any shot from leaving the property.

    I agree with you for the most part, but would like to edit in "most of the time" for prevent. There are some fools out there who seem to be able to defy logic and accomplish things that should be impossible.

    But nothing in this world is absolutely, 100% safe. Not living down range from a firing range still caries a risk of having your dwelling catch a stray bullet.
     

    Jack Ryan

    Mr. Medium
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 22, 2016
    636
    46
    Eseldorf
    I'll preface this question by acknowledging that a precise answer is impossible.

    Does anyone know how far a ricochet can travel if the screaming projectile is traveling at 800 or 1,600 or 2,400 feet per second???



    The question arises from shooting 100 and 200 yards (a lot of rounds) at targets in the middle of a, rather rocky, 450 yard deep field with a high berm of a stock tank at the end of the field and houses 1.35 miles from the shooting bench.

    My concern is the the field has a lot of rocks from 3" to 6" all over the place.

    My buddy that took me shooting there was unconcerned, believing that the berm was keeping things safe, until I raised the question.
    He was also frightened by the recognition that ricochets were even occurring, made apparent by my suppressor's allowing him to shoot without ear protection.

    I'm thinking that a 5.56 or 7.62 round glancing off a 6" rock could easily travel the 1 1/3 mile!!!

    Any opinions or actual data???

    HKS
    Happy T-Giving all. Safe shooting.

    Back in the day... we shot a LOT of ground hogs. Most times from the same hay barn with solid rests off hay bales in the top. Paced it off to the rock pile in the "cross" of two fences where there was a rock pile at ground hog city. 450 paces. If was not unusual at all to watch bullets skip across the next two fields PAST that just like it was water but you could see the bullet hits EASY in a fresh plowed or planted dusty field.
     
    Every Day Man
    Tyrant

    Support

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    115,966
    Messages
    2,947,231
    Members
    34,887
    Latest member
    Diablo4151
    Top Bottom