How practical are steel targets for handgun shooting....?

Soft shoot-through targets are better and safer than steel at handgun ranges IMO.

Google Newbold for a selection.

I love em... Yes I have been peppered in the face and arms, yes I have had bullets bounce back and hit me. It is what it is.. Lead bullets or frangible can help alleviate those.

I have a few for personal use and make sure they are angled downward. But mainly have shot them a lot in USPSA competition. (spinning trees, dueling trees, racks, plates, etc)

I used to shoot them all the time in Bianchi Cup, with seven yards being the closest distance. And yes, I used to get hit by fragments all the time too, but none* ever broke the skin.

*The exception was the stranger who showed up on practice day and no one thought to check his ammunition. At least at the time it was lead bullets only, and he was shooting some kind of jacketed stuff that fragmented badly. Several of us were cut, and one guy actually had to pull a piece of jacketing material out of his face. The ensuing discussion was colorful.

steel is my favorite target by far.

shooting steel at 5 yards is not advisable, but past that, I haven't had what I would consider a real problem with handgun rounds.

For the 'bad breath' distances, you'll probably want to pursue another target medium.

Steel is great to keep you humble, a lot of times if you miss you have no clue where you missed. 7 yards is minimum for USPSA and I really like 10 yards as minimum. If you have never shot a Texas star, you need to find a range that has one, it is a hoot!!

Much more important than the distance you stand from the plate is to set the steel at an angle so the bullets are directed down in front of the target or off the side into a berm. You kind of need to assume that bullets are going to bounce off - just make sure you control where they are going to go and capture them. Also MAKE SURE everyone in the area is wearing eye protection. On plates that swing let them stop swinging before you shoot them again. If it is swinging back towards you when you hit it the bullet can be returned just like a good tennis serve if you get the timing just right. Remember - angle of incidence equals angle of reflection. If you look carefully at the ground around the target you will be able to see the bullets on the ground if the steel is set up properly. Most clubs angle the steel down in front of the target. If the steel has deep craters in it from idiots shooting rifles at it do not use that target. The crater can return a bullet straight back to its point of origin.

I have two ranges I go to but am only a member in one, because you get to put up your own targets and its paper. I like to see bullet holes. The other range I go to has nothing but steel targets and I go there only to do rapid fire training because it is allowed, unlike the one that I am a member of. I've only been peppered a couple of times but as long as you wear protective eye wear you should be fine.

Huntolive said:

With Biden as president soon what do you think is the best investment $2,000 in firearms?
I would think something semi auto like a cheap but decent AK or AR type rifle.
Maybe even a Tavor. Could probably pick up three AR-15s for that money or an AK and an AR
I was hoping to buy a new model Colt Python
But given the political landscape might be Smarter financial y to buy a couple decent but not excessively expensive semi auto rifles instead.
Or maybe even my dream Scar 17
What would you get, both for investment and last call wish list?
Or should I blow the $ on the Python?

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I won't shoot at steel that is less than 75 yards away from me. After having a .30-30 bullet hit steel protecting a light bulb in a test tunnel, shear in half and one half coming back and hitting my forehead, I'm a bit shy of them. I had no problem consistently pinging a 12" plate at 75 yards with a friend's Kimber 1911, standing on his deck.

We have reactive steel targets at our 15, 25, and 50 yard lines at our club's pistol range. some of them are "fall back" and some are "flip around" at the 15 yard line, and they hang and swing at the other distances. All the bracketry is angled, any bullet striking the support structure is deflected downward. A berm in front of the target pit prevents ricochet from the ground. Magnum pistols and revolvers are allowed at the pistol range, but no guns that use a rifle bullet (like a T/C, etc). Haven't had any issues so far.

I like shooting the steel; the "fall back" are 8" circles, and the "flip around" are 6", so they represent a definite kill zone if you assume a center mass hit. Great practice for shifting targets and rapid shots. We also have hanging steel plates at 200 and 300 yards on the rifle range, the plates are something like 12" wide and 18" long .

Steel is pretty much all I use. You can tilt or turn the targets such that splatter is not an issue.

USPSA has, like CAS, approved steel closer, I assume to suit the speed shooters.
When I began IPSC, the steel minimum was 10 meters, 11 yards.
IDPA remains at 10 yards.

I have been cut by fragments and bruised by large chunks but my worst injury was a rebound off an improvised synthetic target.

I once bought some certified armor plate targets for my club's unmonitored range.
Safe ranges were announced... and ignored. The pistol target was Swiss cheesed with rifle fire from as close as 15 yards. The thicker 100 yard rifle gongs were cratered and holed by .300 magnums at 10 yards. Many of the fools preferred to shoot at the pipe and angle iron stands because they were easily penetrated. Of course they had to get close to hit a 2" post.

Dueling trees are, literally, a blast. I bought my AR500 paddles off Amazon and I bought steel at a steelyard for the tower and base.
A friends shop welded it all together... and it’s been ten times more fun and challenging than paper.

I also use various AR550 circles hung on J hooks that mount on 2x4s of various heights, I have a couple of 1/2” AR 550 IPSC torso silhouettes I hang from a gas pipe frame and I have a small zoo of scaled down AR500 silhouettes for rimfires and non-magnum handguns that I can scatter about at various distances as well.

I keep them at a safe distance, angle them as much as possible and cull out those that get too dinged or damaged, therefore we rarely get peppered by splash back.

Sadly I don’t get to shoot them much between May and November, it’s too hot out in the desert so most of my shooting during the warmer months is done indoors at paper.

Give steel plates a try, I think you’ll find it a whole lot of fun.

Stay safe.

Hokkmike said:

How practical are steel targets for handgun shooting. The reason I asked this is because I see warnings and disclaimers ..

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Hokkmike, I confess when I read the title I had a completely different take on "practical." I saw it as how practical in training/teaching. My different thoughts:
*Very* practical. In that if one is training/teaching, steel provides instant hit feedback. Back in early IPSC days, steel ruled. The concept was that in "practical" terms, a real life hit would produce some evidence of that hit on the bad guy that could be discerned. That gave rise to the then "double tap," now refined to "controlled pairs." Nomenclature aside, that immediate feedback allowed a competitor to make a judgement call. Rather than a penalty for unknown insufficient hits, a competitor could judgement call whether to advance in the stage, or add additional fire. The judgement added to the "practical" aspect. In some opinions that lack of judgement reduced practically and introduced games.

I digress. The OP question pertained to practical, but really was about safety, loads, equipment, etc. Just offering a side thought about "how practical?"

-jb, IPSC way back machine

We shoot a lot of steel, mostly at 10-15yds, with 6-8" plates out to 100yds. I've gotten spattered by bullet fragments but nothing bad. Hot brass has been more upsetting so far

I haul an Action Target dueling tree to the range for pistol exercises. It’s about 115 pounds altogether.

This tree is designed with enough tilt that all fragments splatter at the base in a line perpendicular to the shooter.

In all the years of using this thing, and with untold numbers of other people blasting at it, there has never been anyone struck by splatter. But, I require a minimum of 10 yards distance, just as the manufacturer recommends. Ten yards is is close enough because the plates are about 6 inches across.

The decision to get this dueling tree is based on Hickock45 using one, and a somewhat local police department has one that after working with it convinced me of it’s usefulness.

After years of use my tree is undamaged and only needs a fresh blast of spray paint on each outing to keep it looking new.

Steel is about all I shoot. Great for speed drills with multiple targets, and yes, good eye protection is a must for anyone in the area. Getting fragged is part of the process- suck it up and consider it a wound from incoming fire. About the only time I use paper is for some of the contact shooting drills I do.

I don't really know how "practical" shooting steel plates are but I really enjoy smacking steel plates when shooting my handguns.
I sight in with paper targets but practice on steel plates out to 50yds. Beyond that it's all paper targets except for the occasional need to ring steel at 100, 150 and 200 yds.

Vast majority of my handgun shooting is on steel plates from 7-25yds.
I practice on multiple plates at 7yds with my carry guns...four plates at various angles. I shoot them in different order as quickly as possible plus add in an additional plate at 15
yds. I generally do a few magazine loads out of each of my carry guns(1911 .45ACPs) every week...about as close to an actual possible defensive shooting scenario as I can get.
I also do the same thing with my DA revolvers that I carry when I am hunting or hiking.

Shooting steel plates gives an instant auditory feedback on your hits that you just can't get with paper targets. Tends to breed confidence in your ability to make hits when shooting rapidly.

If you are waiting to hear the sound of the steel to verify a hit then you will never be competitive in competition. You must learn to call hits based on what the sights are showing you when you break the shot and immediately move to the next target. I got beat at matches for a few years until I figured this out. You really need to see the hit and move on - if you wait to hear the clang the guys that can read the sights will go right past you because light travels much faster than sound and ranges are very noisy environments. Visually calling your shots off of the sights is a very important skill to learn in any type of shooting.

They're pretty practical. Plus the sound when the lead strikes the plate is Nice. No paper mess to throw away afterwards.

That's only 10 yards. Train at triple that. If you can excel at longer range, everything else gets easier.

Heck, real world actual range, is a course on grappling with a fake pistol.
https://www.tdiohio.com/product/extreme-close-quarters/

Steel is all I use for handgun shooting anymore, but I mostly shoot 25 -75 yds. (Not sure how much practice is really needed to hit a target at 21'!!) Most of my steel targets are hung by chains, so they give to the impact of the bullet and direct the bullet and its fragments downward. Those that are rigidly mounted are canted top-forward which also directs bullets and fragments downward. I also only shoot lead bullets.

35W

I have used steel for years with no mishap but I set it a little farther away than 30 feet. Look at this way. If you can hit it at 30 feet or farther you can certainly hit it up closer.

Several years ago before I bought AR500 target steel and built stands, I was looking for more information on how and where to mount it safely for rifle and pistol shooting.
This is over the top detailed, looks like they had fun doing it.
https://www.ingunowners.com/forums/g...pic-heavy.html

We settled on hanging AR500 at a downward angle and from chain or rubber straps.
I think soft mounting/swinging is better to dissipate and deflect the energy.
For rifle we set them at 200yds - 600yds (mostly at 200 & 300).
I dont think your targets will last as long at 100yds and they would need more angle to them.
For Pistol at 12 paces, that way if someone moves they are still more than 10yds.

Hardly shoot paper anymore, the instant reward of the ding and wiggle it just the best.

As for issues we have see, just some random occasional small flecks on us and some times a bit on the metal roof.
They can be sharp so I had a small nick in my arm once.
You Must Wear Safety Glasses!!!

While zeroing my AR on paper, once I had a 9mm kicked out of the berm and landed gently on my back at 25yds.

Drail said:

If you are waiting to hear the sound of the steel to verify a hit then you will never be competitive in competition. You must learn to call hits based on what the sights are showing you when you break the shot and immediately move to the next target. I got beat at matches for a few years until I figured this out. You really need to see the hit and move on - if you wait to hear the clang the guys that can read the sights will go right past you because light travels much faster than sound and ranges are very noisy environments. Visually calling your shots off of the sights is a very important skill to learn in any type of shooting.

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Hi...
Since I no longer shoot competitively, I don't much worry about speed shooting at much more than 15 yds or so, which is about as far as I would expect a real life defensive shooting scenario to take place. At that range, I am accurate and fast on relatively small steel plates with my 1911 .45ACP carry guns and just about every DA revolver I own. Beyond 15yds, with a few seconds to take careful aim I have confidence in my ability to hit my targets with any of the handguns I own.