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I took a class with John Farnam this past weekend at an indoor range. It was a 25yd range and we were shooting from the 7-10yd line. We saw a few ricochets laying on the ground. He picked one up and explained that it can happen no matter what your backstop is. The one we were using was steal so the bullets were flattened when they bounced off. He said most newer ranges use rubber which means when the bullet bounces off it will still be intact. He said the worst backstop to use is wood and recommended against shooting at things like bowling pins. He said that it is very unlikely for a ricochet to be fatal but if it hits you in the eye you may wish that it were fatal.

That was the first class I went to where the instructor required the guys with prescription glasses to wear sideshields (which he provided). And everyone was required to wear eye protection when on the range even if there was no shooting going on and while on break. Because, as he explained, at a range there are always going to be small metal particles in the air no matter how well it is cleaned. When the rangemaster came in without eye protection he quickly told him to go back and put them on.