Depends on lots of factors, if you miss a deer after harvest on rock hard flint ground etc......What do the high seat guys consider a safe angle of deflection? Let's assume your shooting out on a flat field.
What do the high seat guys consider a safe angle of deflection? Let's assume your shooting out on a flat field.
The angle kinda depends on how far out you shoot and how high the seat is off the ground. Not sure I've ever seen a mathematically calculated 'safe' angle published anywhere. Some of the fields and towers you see on the continent have potentially huge shooting distances which mean a very shallow angle. How disciplined that are at keeping to a distance that creates a safe angle is anyone's guess.
Any angle of deflection is potentially unsafe. Ideally the ground should contain or absorb the bullet. There are so many variables with deflections or ricochets, as to make them all unpredictable and hence potentially unsafe.What do the high seat guys consider a safe angle of deflection? Let's assume your shooting out on a flat field.
Have you ever been to Norfolk? The crab is excellent, but alas the fields are flat and stoney.Never shoot on a flat field. All my highseats are situated where there is a banky backstop. Unless it's a swamp you can always get a deflection/ricochet on ground, hard or soft with stones.

An interesting post. Anyone who has ever shot tracer or even seen wartime footage of same will know just how unpredictable a round is when it hits mother earth in its many forms. There is an unfortunate abundance of footage on the tube of shots being taken with even 308 rounds from bipods across what I can only describe as open flat fields esp. at CWDs and by well known "outfitters". The poor backstop is evident to see (usually trees or just open ground) and IMHO sets a poor example of gun safety.Never shoot on a flat field. All my highseats are situated where there is a banky backstop. Unless it's a swamp you can always get a deflection/ricochet on ground, hard or soft with stones.
But surely a tracer round would be FMJ and much more susceptible to ricochet/deflectionAn interesting post. Anyone who has ever shot tracer or even seen wartime footage of same will know just how unpredictable a round is when it hits mother earth in its many forms. There is an unfortunate abundance of footage on the tube of shots being taken with even 308 rounds from bipods across what I can only describe as open flat fields esp. at CWDs and by well known "outfitters". The poor backstop is evident to see (usually trees or just open ground) and IMHO sets a poor example of gun safety.![]()
True, but you do still regularly hear deer legal rounds sing when they bounce off the ground whilst on the ranges though!But surely a tracer round would be FMJ and much more susceptible to ricochet/deflection
Depends which part you go, I know a good few hilly bits. I have stalked there too.Have you ever been to Norfolk? The crab is excellent, but alas the fields are flat and stoney.![]()
Oh absolutely, I’ve had it myself with .308 off a fallow pricket, but far less more likely than an FMJ I would sayTrue, but you do still regularly hear deer legal rounds sing when they bounce off the ground whilst on the ranges though!