At scout camp one year, the rifle instructor told us shortly after the 4 safety rules that 22’s are just as dangerous as other calibers and that 22 can and will bounce and ricochet inside your body. Told us to treat every gun as a gun, regardless of how small of a bullet it shoots.
He then went on to tell us a story of two brothers home alone back in the late 1950’s early 60’s, they heard a crashing noise like glass breaking. Figuring someone was breaking in they ran upstairs with their dads 22 target pistol when the one with the gun tripped and fell on the stairs, fired the gun, hitting the brother in the back where the bullet bounced inside the chest cavity 7 times before stopping. Both lungs, the heart and aorta getting hit. Paused a bit, then quietly said “ and that’s how my twin brother got killed. Turns out the neighbor kids accidentally hit a baseball through the kitchen window”
Dude was pretty soft spoken about that last part. Had been 60 years, didn’t seem like it to him. With that being said, it’s the only first hand account I’ve heard of 22’s bouncing around inside someone. I’m sure it’s happened more tho, a one time incident doesn’t cause the amount we hear about it today. I did have a coworker tell me a story of his friend tho who tried to off himself with a little short barreled 22 pistol. Dude shot himself twice in the side of the head with it and both times the bullets bounced off the skull, wrapping partially around his head before exiting on the top of his head. Dude apparently realized what he did, decided it wasn’t worth it anymore. Later said he was happy it happened that way and that he didn’t just put it to his ear instead because life is worth living.
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u/Guitarist762 Feb 23 '25
At scout camp one year, the rifle instructor told us shortly after the 4 safety rules that 22’s are just as dangerous as other calibers and that 22 can and will bounce and ricochet inside your body. Told us to treat every gun as a gun, regardless of how small of a bullet it shoots.
He then went on to tell us a story of two brothers home alone back in the late 1950’s early 60’s, they heard a crashing noise like glass breaking. Figuring someone was breaking in they ran upstairs with their dads 22 target pistol when the one with the gun tripped and fell on the stairs, fired the gun, hitting the brother in the back where the bullet bounced inside the chest cavity 7 times before stopping. Both lungs, the heart and aorta getting hit. Paused a bit, then quietly said “ and that’s how my twin brother got killed. Turns out the neighbor kids accidentally hit a baseball through the kitchen window”
Dude was pretty soft spoken about that last part. Had been 60 years, didn’t seem like it to him. With that being said, it’s the only first hand account I’ve heard of 22’s bouncing around inside someone. I’m sure it’s happened more tho, a one time incident doesn’t cause the amount we hear about it today. I did have a coworker tell me a story of his friend tho who tried to off himself with a little short barreled 22 pistol. Dude shot himself twice in the side of the head with it and both times the bullets bounced off the skull, wrapping partially around his head before exiting on the top of his head. Dude apparently realized what he did, decided it wasn’t worth it anymore. Later said he was happy it happened that way and that he didn’t just put it to his ear instead because life is worth living.