A ricochet ( RICK-uh-shay) is a rebound, bounce or skip off of a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearms safety rule "Be sure of your target?and of what is beyond it."VariablesThe likelihood of ricochet is dependent on many factors, including bullet shape, velocity (and distance), target material and the angle of incidence.