A Method For The Invisible Bullet Catch

In my book, Only Ideas: Your How-To Guide To Creating Magic + 100 Ideas To Get You Started (yes, it’s a long name), I outline an invisible bullet catch.

I never published a method.

The best result of shipping out thousands of little blue books filled with trick ideas and no methods is the emails I get from magicians who have figured out their own methods.

The Lottery Ball Prediction is a common one.

The Party Popper one is another.

The Invisible Bullet Catch is the most frequent.

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Here’s the trick:

The magician hands the spectator an invisible gun. They ask them to open the gun and take out the bullets, dumping all of them onto the floor and keeping just one. The magician then either a. hands them a sharpie to sign the invisible bullet or b. asks them to read out the imaginary serial number on the bullet.

Following this, they reload the invisible gun with the invisible bullet. Carefully, they aim the invisible gun at the magician’s open palm. The spectator shoots the invisible gun, and the magician catches the invisible bullet.

When the magician opens their hand, inside is a real bullet with the signature/serial number written/engraved on the side.

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It’s a fun mix of The Invisible Deck and The Bullet Catch effect. I like that it takes quite a dangerous effect and disarms it, making it playful. You can perform the invisible bullet catch in any scenario, sparking the imagination.

It’s been lovely to see videos of magicians performing this trick that began its life as a few short sentences in a little blue book. Methods range from small metal engravers hidden in the stage wings to label makers printing gold foil stickers that wrap around the bullet and more solo methods like the one I’ll outline below.

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The Invisible Bullet catch was an idea I had when I was fifteen.

And so, fifteen-year-old Rory ordered some bullets online.

I cannot believe I did that.

I have no idea where I ordered them, perhaps on eBay.

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The bullets fit perfectly within a black sharpie lid.

And so, fifteen-year-old Rory cut a chunk out of a lid.

You could pinch the lid to cover the chunk.

With the bullet inside, no one would know.

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During the trick, I would uncap a genuine lid.

I’d hand this pen to the spectator.

They’d write a two-digit number on the invisible bullet.

I’d switch the regular lid for the one with the bullet.

I’d then use the pen to draw a target on my hand.

And secretly write the number on the bullet in the lid.

I’d show my hand fairly and the target on my palm.

Then, I’d ditch the bullet from the lid and finger-palm it.

Finally, I’d pretend to catch the invisible bullet.