Best to clarify this....

I think gt2003 is thinking a "group" of shots that the holes are not round but "keyholed".

what corey is describing tho', in my mind, is a row of smaller fragment holes near the bullet hole....right?

Unburnt powder isn't going to travel 50 yards, I wouldn't think.....

One of my tests for load efficiency is actually looking for unburnt powder over a fresh fallen snow, or a bed sheet. It doesn't travel very far at all but then again I'm shooting real black and not those pellet things.

As suggested, if the target was against something hard, I'd say bullet spray back....on my steel targets the ground is literally dug up out in front from this.

I'd sooner say it was small wood fragments from the tree, but if you were using a cardboard box it would seem there would have to be two sets of "frag holes", one in the back of the box and one in the front where the target was hung, in a direct flight path of richochet.

Only hypothosis of course...

Pictures woulda been golden....................