I've shot a pile of Skeet over the past 40 years and have been hit a few times, some hard enough to break the skin. I'm in concurrence with your "bounced back" theory.
On one occassion I took 1/2 a No. 9 pellet to the left temple while behind the shooter at Station 2. He was shooting a High 2 single and I was looking toward the Low House at thge time. My theory was that the pellet was sheared in half by his porting.
No problem extracting the half pellet with a pair of sharp forceps, and no real harm done. I do wear shooting glasses, at all times at the Club, whether shooting or just "spectating".
