Regarding ricochets off non armored targets like M3s. It was my impression that the game does not have a "penetrated a non-vital part of target and did no fatal damage" type of graphic sprite; it just uses the ricochet graphic. So when you see a "ricochet" off the M3 windshield, for example, it really means the shell just passed through the windshield and continued on it's merry way without fatally damaging the M3?
Of course, against armor, especially sloped armor, it's realistic to get ricochets. I've even seen war footage of it. That's the whole point of armor: to prevent penetration, which means the warhead either blows up/disintegrates or bounces off to somewhere else.
Always try to aim for right angles and thin armor. So, for example, don't try to penetrate the thick front mantel of the Sherman turret, hit the side or rear of the turret in the middle so the penetration angle is 90 degrees. To see fewer ricochets you have to learn where to hit each target and at what angle and with what kind of shell.
