steel targets

[docwharden1881]

I am going to finally bite the bullet so to speak and set up steel. I would like to know the proper distances. I will be using mainly pistol calibers in handguns and a rifle. I may on occasion use a shotgun, either 10 or 12 gauge. With the shotgun I intend to use buckshot as I don't care for birdshot or slugs. Yes I know Google can be helpful but sources don't always agree.

 

[N555]

I got a mild steel plate shoved inside an old tire and shoot it from 10yd away with mild hand guns or 22lr.
For one of those wheels I figured you want to be at least 10yd and as perpendicular as possible to the targets.
Another person and my self got hit by jacket fragment from a jackarse on the last lane with a 10mm mag dumping his target, couldn't keep it on the paper and was hitting the steel gusset that bolted slabs together at the range. The spray of metal fragments put holes in my target as I was changing it at the time and drew blood that was about it.
I was 2 lanes away from the 10mm mall ninja and the other guy that got sprayed was next to me and one lane further away.
The gusset was at the 5yd line. So that guy was missing the paper by 2 or 3 feet at 5yd....

 

[Eutycus]

A friend tried to tell me that it's the "dimples" in the steel that cause the bullet bounce back or ricochet. Why would a bullet bounce off of a rough surface and not a smooth one?

 

[ericuda]

I use these folks. Thinner the steel better the sound. I use shepherd hooks so movable. I'd bet my average distance is 20 yards but I shoot some at 10. Have thicker rifle targets at 50 and 75. I shoot some with shotgun too but not much fun there for me.

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[tubeshooter]

True AR500 will laugh at most handgun calibers.
Especially the 1/2-inch stuff.

Fast, high-energy rifle rounds are much tougher on steel.
Once they get pockmarked and dimpled, ricochets can become more random and unpredictable.

Ideally the the target is allowed to "swing", which helps absorb some energy plus helps to direct things downwards (generally). Soft lead does better and seems less dangerous than jacket material. WAIT for such a target to stop swinging/spinning before continuing!

I don't have experience with shotgun ammo on steel. I would say to never use steel shot for obvious reasons.


In my mind, anything inside 10-12 yards would be incredibly unwise and inviting danger regardless of caliber. Fifteen if you just gotta. Twenty yards and up is much better. YMMV.

 

[CapnMac]

If there is a boiler shop or similar metal working shop that has a big plasma or water cutter, they will often have disks left over from making holes that often just are headed to the scrap bin. Supply (and dimensions) will be hit-or-miss (NPI).

Hanging those by setting them in a discarded tire is actually pretty handy as it gives them a cant angle, and saves you having to bore out the steel for eyebolts. (Just remember to go get a set of el cheapo Ti-ox drill bits off Harbor Fright or similar sources for drilling the tires--remember drain holes in the bottom.)

 

[Scrapiron45]

For what it's worth, we set up an ar500 steel plate hanging on chain at about 5 degrees off plumb. We placed sheets of brown wrapping paper on either side and in front of the plate about five feet from it with a small hole in the frontal paper to shoot through. I had often seen fragments hitting the dirt below and to the side of targets but I was curious as to what was coming back towards the shooter. We started at 20 yards shooting 9mm 115 gr standard round nose practice ammo and gradually moved up to within 2 yards. As expected the side papers were shredded but out of 100 rounds fired we only had 2 tiny holes in the frontal paper and those occurred at very close range. It's important to remember that the plate was set for a downward deflection and hung from chain to minimize resistance.
This was strictly a homespun experiment not meant to advocate close range steel shooting but I was surprised at the results.
I will also say I have been on a range when a very rough, pockmarked mild steel target was in use and they had to stop fire because of all the shrapnel coming back at the firing line.

 

[jmorris]

I don't shoot steel with anything closer than 10 yards. I don't shoot centerfire rifles at steel closer than 100 yards.

Any steel must be shot far enough away that, if the surface does not remain flat and smooth, the frags cannot reach your shooting position.

Inside a couple hundred yards, I want the steel to stay flat so the bullet fragments spread radially.



If it craters, I want to be much further away as the surface is sending things back towards where they came.

 

[jmorris]

You can see what the frags do with both types of steel in this video.

1 million fps Slow Motion video of bullet impacts made by Werner Mehl from Kurzzeit

Be sure to see my other videos of more slow motion bullet impacts! Slow Motion video of bullet impacts made by Werner Mehl from Kurzzeit. These are by far t...

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The steel at the start is cratering and sending parts back, FF to around 7:50 and you can see difference with a more durable surface.

 

[film495]

forget exactly. much much further back for the shotgun. I think we do 50 yards with slugs and it has worked well. Technically, I think we're supposed to be further back, but I haven't seen any pitting on the steel, and lead splatter I just don't think is a concern at that distance.

 

[Chuck R.]

I shoot quite a bit of steel as I have about 60-70 pieces now, all AR500. IMHO, skip the soft steel, unless you know it's going to be used at a distance.

As the other's mentioned, take care of your steel, hang it so it's angled and has some give, and it lasts a long time. Once steel get's dimpled, you'll start to get splash-back, so I regulate those TGTs to rifle targets at 100+ yards.

Thickness helps with longevity, but it also dampens your "ring" when hit, so I like to stick with 3/8ths at a minimum.

Unfortunately the price of steel has gone up dramatically. I'm in the process now of ordering a new full size NRA Ram Silhouette for my 500 meter berm at it's $305 prior to freight.

 

[Varminterror]

A friend tried to tell me that it's the "dimples" in the steel that cause the bullet bounce back or ricochet. Why would a bullet bounce off of a rough surface and not a smooth one?

Because they do.

Dimples and divots reflect spall backwards, flat surfaces deflect spall radially. Well documented, well proven. Divots and dimples make dangerous targets.

 

[Varminterror]

Thickness of plates doesn't reduce pitting/divoting - it reduces likelihood for dishing and cracking. Hardness prevents dimples/divots. Limiting maximum impact energy/momentum reduces opportunity for dishing and cracking. Limiting maximum impact velocity and limiting bullet design (no steel core, no FMJ, etc) reduces opportunity for dimpling/cutting divots.

 

[hso]

25yards for pistol or shotgun (not slug).

Hardened steel plate should be slightly angled to deflect bullets into the ground instead of back to you.

Dimpled surfaces mean you don't have a consistent angle of deflection of those rounds like a smooth surface provides. A dimple may deflect your bullet up, down, or straight back to you.

So if you're too close you get case frag in the face (BTDT) and if you're steel is dimpled you can get ricochet hitting you or others you don't intend to harm.

Steel is great, but it requires some knowledge of the requirements and hazards and exercising real responsibility for maintaining and shooting it.

 

[ericuda]

Not arguing but I'd imagine most accidents and stories of bullets coming back at you come from severely pocked steel like jmorris posted.

I shoot plates with pistol routinely at 10, most at 20yds and all mine are ar500. They show slight dimples and sure fragments can come back no matter what. I angle down, don't shoot on rebound, etc. Wear safety glasses of course. Shooting "homemade" steel such as disc blades and such at a close range is a bad idea.

My local range hangs old railroad pads which I tried to stop as they have ridges and dimples cast into them.

 

[jmorris]

Because they do.

Dimples and divots reflect spall backwards, flat surfaces deflect spall radially. Well documented, well proven. Divots and dimples make dangerous targets.

You can watch it happen in the video in #9. Not to mention when the spall that does spread radially onto a cratered surface hits the edges of the crater, that crater can also send it back as it makes the 90deg turn.