I think it's often the tracer element falling out of the bullet that you see, not the bullet itself.Very many years ago Eley .22 lr Tracer were a “brilliant” introduction to just how unpredictable a ricocheting .22 is - great fun too….
![]()
How very strange. Many years ago shooting rabbits with Eley tracers was great fun - as in the video the arc of the tracer round was clearly visible until it hit the rabbit then there was a four inch break in the trace before the solid round went on its way away into the distance. I don’t think the tracer coating would have the energy to do that…I think it's often the tracer element falling out of the bullet that you see, not the bullet itself.
I've seen the tracer hit atarget and deflect upwards and away but the bullet go through and hit the ground/backstop behind or, on an etr, the target behind, both 22lr and full-bore.
i'm not sure about this , i've pulled tracers and it's just a compound in the back end of the jacket , maybe the bullet broke in half ?I think it's often the tracer element falling out of the bullet that you see, not the bullet itself.
I've seen the tracer hit atarget and deflect upwards and away but the bullet go through and hit the ground/backstop behind or, on an etr, the target behind, both 22lr and full-bore.

When we were firing the LMGs back in the day, it was not fun being in the butts. The bullets would hit the sand and the tracer element had a habit of squirting back at the poor buggers trying to avoid it. This was in the terrible days before 'elf n safety when we thought these things were fun before we were told it wasn't.i'm not sure about this , i've pulled tracers and it's just a compound in the back end of the jacket , maybe the bullet broke in half ?
i have also seen tracer come out of a sand backstop on a range (which is why i think they are banned on gallery ranges , not because they ricochet but because you can see them!)
plus , the tracer goes too far and too fast to just be a light tracer element
let us know if they light up ?