Choosing a suitable backyard projectile.

When it comes to backyard shooting we know we're not going to be sending our projectiles huge distances, we also (hopefully) are just plinking, these are important variables when choosing your your caliber/re and bullet shape.

My backyard is relatively medium in size, I can technically bench-rest shoot in it, and certainly have done so. There I've shot .177 (4.5mm) through to .354 (9mm) with .240 (6mm) in between.

Some scenarios...
Let's say for some unknown reason your bullet leaps the fence (side, back, whatever) and strikes a window. Let's also say it was a 9mm steel BB, a brutal round of ammo that I've fired in both a single and shotgun-style configuration... It WILL cause damage. It doesn't matter how you got it over the fence (Spring Piston or Pressurised air) it has so much velocity, it will cause havoc, AND this is ALSO not considering it's shaped aerodynamically. In both cases YOU could kill someone. That's how it stands here people. This is not a joke.

Lets say you fired over your fence with a plastic 9mm BB, the most you'll do it hurt someone. But you're still in trouble and depending on your laws (state/national) you're looking at a journey up shit creek.

Similarly, .177/4.5mm is still gonna land you in atleast some trouble.

The Bottom Line...
Don't miss! Use a bullet catcher and if you're still in the early stages of testing, avoid using heavy or pointed projectiles. Otherwise go to a range or secluded area.