Answer
If the bullets bounce, the average force exerted on the plate is greater.
Work Step by Step
The force exerted on the bullet is what changes the bullet’s momentum. When a bullet rebounds, the change in momentum is greater than when it simply comes to a dead stop. Therefore, the average force exerted on a rebounding bullet is greater than on a bullet that comes to a stop.
By Newton’s third law, the force exerted on the plate by a rebounding bullet is greater than the force exerted on the plate by a bullet that hits and stops.
