Is it safe to shoot hard objects down range?

Back when the local gravel pit was still open to shooting I would bring milk cartons and juice bottles filled with water. They give a nice show if you hit them with any centerfire rifle round, and the plastic doesn't fragment, making them easy to pick up and take home in a trash bag.

I also used to shoot bowling pins. They're INCREDIBLY tough and will withstand many many rounds from high powered rifles before finally breaking. I got twenty retired bowling pins from the local bowling alley manager by just asking politely if he had some to spare.

There are many sections of abandoned railroad track near me, and I used to walk along the old tracks and find steel plates that the railroad had discarded when laying new ties, back when those rail lines were still used. They make great rifle targets, as long as you're a safe distance away. NEVER trespass onto railroad property if the line is still in use. You can get arrested.

The plastic jugs were quite a show with rifles, not so much with handguns. The bowling pins and steel plates are not for use with handguns at all. There is way too much risk of a ricochet.

I once caught a .45 jacketed ball off a steel plate in my abdomen. It didn't break the skin, but gave me a hell of a blood blister through a sweatshirt and the bullet was HOT when I put it in my hand.

I also caught a .38 special wadcutter in the abdomen after it bounced off a bowling pin. Again, no penetration but a big blood blister and a hot bullet. I still have both of those pieces of lead as a testament to my young stupidity.

I got very lucky. Either one could have hit me in the face / eye / ? .

Hard targets can be fun and safe, but make damn sure you're far away and everyone else is too. That's my 2 cents.
 
A word of warning - do not shoot military helmets. I always thought their design was primarily to defend against shell fragments, but learned through some, er, "durability testing" that they will deflect shotgun shells (well, birdshot at least, not so much against a slug), .22lr (kinda figured as much, just wanted to see), and .45acp (kinda shocked by that one, just put a huge dent in the helmet, but no penetration).
With all of these projectiles bouncing off, and the helmet being rounded in design, it's kind of hard to tell what the bullet is going to do after contact with the target. That said, next weekend we're testing a buddy's 9mm on it, will post results here if I remember.
 
" A word of warning - do not shoot military helmets...<snip>...That said, next weekend we're testing a buddy's 9mm on it, will post results here if I remember."

We want videos! ;):)
 
Charcoal Briquettes

Take a few from the BBQ supplies and you will have a target that explodes in to a black cloud of dust when hit. :D

Probably should not use matchlight or similar as ignition is remotely possible. :eek:
 
Old golf balls can be fun as well.

Years ago I made a fun target that consisted of a piece of 3/8" round stock that was about 2' long. Drilled small holes on each end and installed cotter pins in them. Took two 1/2" x 1/16" x 6" pcs. of flat steel and bent them in 'U' shapes. Cut two more pieces of 3/8" round stock about 2 1/2' long(for legs) and welded the U shape flat steel on one end of each leg. Took golf balls, drilled small holes through them and threaded pieces of 1 1/2' long small garage door cable through each golf ball tying a knot on the ends to hold golf ball. The other end of the cables I attached metal key chain rings. Grab the 2' long piece of rd stock, remove a cotter pin and slide the key chain metal ring(with attached golf balls) onto the rd stock. Replace cotter pin. Stick the hooked legs in the ground and place the rod with the hanging golf balls into the 'U's'. Cotter pins on outside of U's.

When balls are hit,they spin and spin.
 
ScottRiqui said:
Necco wafers also make good reactive targets - they essentially vaporize when you hit them:

necco.jpg
Click to expand...

That's just sick! Those are delicious!!

I think it never a good idea to shoot at rocks or hard surfaces at a angle no matter how far down range you are. Sure it's fun to hear the whine of a ricochet or see how far you can skip a bullet across a lake or down a river. I like to know where my bullets are going to end up. It's really no fun to be out in the woods hunting or otherwise and have someone else's bullets zinging through the trees.


Sent from iPhone
 
Had a funny experience with an oddly non-reactive target: a gallon Tropicana orange juice jug. My brother set it up on a hillside behind his house, and we proceeded to blaze away with my then-brand new SA 1911.

Nothing.

WTH?? We aren't that bad. Certainly, we aren't both that bad.

Okay, screw the .45; my brother unlimbers his Ruger Redhawk in .44 Magnum. We blaze away again, and, again, nothing. Okay, now we're downright mad. We stomp downrange (well, uprange, topographically speaking) to check out this damnable jug.

Turns out we'd shot the hell out of it, but there was so little resistance from the plastic, the jug just kind of sat there. The only way to make it dance was to hit it on the handle, which made it cartwheel off towards the tree line.

I love some of the ideas here. I'd forgotten about golf balls - they can be a hoot. Necco wafers and crackers will certainly be packed in the range bag! :D
 
every object or backstop ive ever seen has been hard. how else do you create sufficient force to STOP A BULLET?

do you suggest we need to start using a 50 foot deep pile of pillows and maxi pads to stop bullets?

the targets we need to think about are the "shoot through bouncing balls' sold at cabelas for instance, advertised to be hit, and reseal the hole as the bullet passes through, and the bullet always hits the ground after it passes through the target, not the safest idea right?
 
"the targets we need to think about are the "shoot through bouncing balls' sold at cabelas for instance, advertised to be hit, and reseal the hole as the bullet passes through, and the bullet always hits the ground after it passes through the target, not the safest idea right?"


Lost track of how many. 45acp and. 22 bullets I have piicked up off the ground where those targets were siitting when we shot them.
 
Check out the YouTube video of the guy shooting a 50 BMG into a rock query and shooting his own hat off!

I have a holy quarter on my key chain as we speak or type or whatever.
 
A few years ago I was shooting at some 3mm sheetmetal from about 25 feet or so, I had it angled slightly to the side to deflect the rounds a bit and the 40s&w was still going right through it.
I switched to 45acp and on the third shot the copper jacket of the FMJ round came back and chewed on my right forearm a little bit, just a scrape.
I can only figure it hit a dented curve and somehow the jacket made a U-turn. :confused:
 
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^^^^^^^
Boomer and TheDog see posts 30&32

The guy was very very lucky

It hits his earmuffs and he then throws his hat off
 
Something fun to watch when hit by a high-powered rifle is an old paint can (gallon size), with either some colorant or paint in it and filled with water. Hammer the lid on tight, place it lid side down and fire. My 7mag used to send them about 30 feet into the air at 100 yards
I can only imagine what a 338 or even a 50 would do :D
 
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