Safe Target?

[jackslayer]

I work in construction and have a few red iron scraps. Heavy duty steel about 5/16 th's thick. Would like to use as targets to hear that gratifying "PING". Just want to check on the ricochet factor. Does anyone else use steel targets. I Plan to use for anything from .22LR to .9*19 to 30-06 and just want to be safe. Thanks for your comments

 

[Thernlund]

Sure. Just don't shoot 'em up close.


-T.

 

[Crosswire3]

22LR and 9mm should be fine, but I would expect the 30.06 to punch right through depending on the range.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

It isn't just the thickness, but the hardness that matters. Chances are, the metal won't hold up to the 30-06 and you will get lots of holes in it which will make for irregular surfaces which will make splatter and bounce-back from the pistol calibers much more dangerous to you. If it is iron and not steel, then as Crosswire3 said, the 30-06 is going right through.

Depending on how soft the metal it, it may bow quite a bit even with the 9mm rounds. If it starts doing this, you just flip it over and shoot the other side for a while.

 

[gvnwst]

the 9mm with a fmj might even make it through depeding on the hardness of the metal. '06 will go right through at ranges below 100 i think. .22 should be fine

 

[Jim Watson]

Typical mild steel will be dented by a 9mm and penetrated by a .30-06.

I got some certified armor plate targets for my club and they did just fine as long as the members shot at them with pistols from 15-50 yards and with rifles from 100 yards, but when they started shooting that big pistol gong with rifles and started sneaking up on the rifle targets with .300 magnums, they didn't last long.

 

[jackslayer]

Those in the construction field know that when i say red iron, i mean structural steel. It will be very interesting to see how the 30-06 will react to the steel. It is extreemely heavy for it's size and seems very hard to me. looking again i would say the thickness is at least 3/8. I have to say i will be surprised if the bullet will go through although some sound quite confident it will. Luckily i have several peices to try out so even if i destroy a few, i'll still have some left over for the .22LR , .17hmr. and 9mm.

 

[Byte]

Remember to mount them so they deflect the round down. A slight angle will be fine but beware of close range shooting. If they are hard enough they will not absorb much energy by flexing/denting. The splatter effect up close can be wicked painful when it comes back at ya!

Byte

EDIT oh yeah this goes without saying but just 'cause you're shooting steel doesn't mean you can be any less careful with what's beyond the target! Might even take a little more consideration. Be mindful of ricochet when shooting the steel at angles even if it's properly angled downward!

 

[Jim Watson]

If it should happen to be hard enough that a rifle bullet will not penetrate (which I doubt) it will almost certainly crater the plate to where another hit in the same area is likely to spit bullet fragments back at the shooter. Rough steel targets are dangerous, certainly at pistol ranges. I have been hit often enough to have no doubts on the subject.

 

[Slamfire]

I built some gong targets from mild steel. The plate is 1/2" thick.

I do not recommend shooting at steel closer than 15 yards. I regularly shoot at mine at 25 and 50 yards with lead handgun bullets. Up to 44 Mag.

The closer you get, the more the chance of lead splatter hitting you. The lead splatter that does reach you at 25 yards is basically like tin foil, and was floating in the wind. It really bothers shooters around me and they cry and moan when they feel this stuff touch their clothing.

Go ahead and shoot it with a rifle, just to see. After you see what looks like drill holes all the way through it, you will either stop, or you will shoot it till it looks like Swiss cheese and have to replace them.

A high power rifle bullet will shoot through an amazing thickness of mild steel.

A friend of mine ran a rifle range. He tried steel targets, none would last. He put up armored personnel carrier covers up at 200 and 300 yards, and the rifle shooters shot them to absolute pieces. He finally settled on engine blocks. They were cheap to replace.