Can Ricocheting Ammo Start A Fire

[happyharold4]

Has anyone ever heard of ricocheting ammo starting/causing a fire in the dry desert/wilderness etc??---Thanks

Happy

[Son of BAR7]

Yes.

Especially steel core.
The heat generated from striking a rock will heat the core more than enough to start a fire.
I speak from experience.

lead ammo less likely, but plausible.

[dominic]

Is it possible? Yes.

Is it likely? No.

[edgerly779]

Has it happened yes several times Burro Canyon, Angeles, AVSC. That is why steel core is and should be banned unless you use it to burn your own property up.

[Milsurps]

Yup.
If a magnet can stick to the bullet, it can.
That's why so many SO CAL ranges ban it.
I've seen it happen up here on the Central Coast.
Go night shooting some time and watch the sparks fly.

[Dave A]

Yes, saw it at Lincoln Rifle Range last summer. Burned about five acres of dry grass. Probably from a .50 something shooting at a steel plate.

[Jeepers]

yes , a neighbor of ours up in trinity what running a service rifle shoot at the range and a fire started from a ricochet years ago, now of course they blamed it on "tracers" and tried to sue my buddy for a million +, but dropped it and sent up the building inspector to reassess his property and raise his taxes .....

[Timberwolf]

Yes not only have I heard of it, I've seen it happen.

[GM4spd]

Yes not only have I heard of it, I've seen it happen.

This! It has happened many times in the past 20 years at ASR,not so much
in the past few years with a ban on any bullet that sticks to a magnet. Pete

[AceGirlsHusband]

And its happened at a public range called Spenceville (near Marysville) - more than a few times.

Folks, we're about to have the fire season of the century. Steel core is not a good idea.

[shakyshoot]

My indoor range had a huge fire blamed on steel core ammo. Closed em up for a couple of months. Now they don't allow any ammo that sticks to a magnet.

[riftol]

Has anyone ever heard of ricocheting ammo starting/causing a fire in the dry desert/wilderness etc??---Thanks

Happy

I have heard that if a lead bullet strikes a rock, and that rock strikes another rock, the impact of the two rocks can result in a spark that ignites a wildfire.

[Sleighter]

Yep...happens more often than you'd think. 1 SoCal BLM range was shut down because of it in the last couple of years.

[olhunter]

Well, since you posted this in "Rimfire Firearms", I would assume you meant rimfire ammo? Yes?

Then, no.

Brass, copper, lead and tin won't 'spark' against a rock or other item. Steel will. But AFAIK, there's no rimfire ammo with steel-component bullets.

[INCINR8]

Not much to look at but a small fire a couple months ago at the LA shooting range. Its a interesting feeling looking back at the shooters :0