Build or buy a simple bullet trap, I found an 18 inch square 3/8 steel plate and built it into a wooden frame that holds it at about a 45 degree angle behind the wooden front. Use the sacrificial wooden front to staple paper targets onto and the bullets strike the metal plate and are driven down into the ground at the base of the plate. I have seen lots of them for sale in shooting catalogs etc, probably lighter and easier to handle than mine, but since I don't have to move it no provlem. Also the swinger or flip over type rimfire targets are a blast. 4 round steel targets on the bottom, when you shoot them they flip over and lay on top, then you shot the top one and they all reset. Have shot thousands of .22's at them from less than 50 yards with no problems, they are light enough to move when hit thus directing the bullets downward into the ground. Enjoy the rifle and have fun.
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Safety Concerns/New Shooter
- Thread starter Isa
- Start date
Keep the Four Rules when ever you are shooting, keep your equipment in good working order, and understand what you are doing, and you'll be fine. Your caution with regard to ricochets is ..... commendable. It is unlikely, as others have said, but it shows that you thinking "what if" .... that is excellent.
I have been hit, on several occasions, with bullet fragments. Usually at public ranges durring IDPA or bowling pin matches .... nothing serious, as the framents were small pieces of bullet jacket with nearly zero energy .... they would have been serious only if they had hit me in the eye ..... but i wear eye-pro .... no big deal. The most common and serious injuries I have seen in the shooting sports have been sunburns .....
Wearing proper protective gear is not limited to eye and ear protection- that's the minimum. It's a good idea to wear clothes that will protect you from the elements, wildlife, hot brass, etc ...... flipflops, cut-offs and loose t-shirts (especially low cut ones for the ladies) are not the best ideas. Sunscreen! When you are having a blast at a pistol match, you won't notice how torched you are ...... until it's too late. And take water with you.
re: driving into the desert- respect others' property ..... if it's private property, get permission. There's a quite a lot of public land in the West, much of it open to target shooting ..... make sure the piece you pick is, and what the rules are. Clean up after yourself (and others) so that the agency does not close it "due to excessive litter" .....
Be safe, and HAVE FUN!
I have been hit, on several occasions, with bullet fragments. Usually at public ranges durring IDPA or bowling pin matches .... nothing serious, as the framents were small pieces of bullet jacket with nearly zero energy .... they would have been serious only if they had hit me in the eye ..... but i wear eye-pro .... no big deal. The most common and serious injuries I have seen in the shooting sports have been sunburns .....
Wearing proper protective gear is not limited to eye and ear protection- that's the minimum. It's a good idea to wear clothes that will protect you from the elements, wildlife, hot brass, etc ...... flipflops, cut-offs and loose t-shirts (especially low cut ones for the ladies) are not the best ideas. Sunscreen! When you are having a blast at a pistol match, you won't notice how torched you are ...... until it's too late. And take water with you.
re: driving into the desert- respect others' property ..... if it's private property, get permission. There's a quite a lot of public land in the West, much of it open to target shooting ..... make sure the piece you pick is, and what the rules are. Clean up after yourself (and others) so that the agency does not close it "due to excessive litter" .....
Be safe, and HAVE FUN!
I believe 22 rimfire bullets will ricochet off of automobile tires. Do not shoot at plastic bottles filled with frozen ice --- like some dweeb did out our range at 50 yards with a 100 yard backstop; before I told him to stop the foolish habit.
Maybe find a desert dry wash or gully for a bullet backstop --- But you'll probably be better off by just going to a certified gun range for some trigger time.
Maybe find a desert dry wash or gully for a bullet backstop --- But you'll probably be better off by just going to a certified gun range for some trigger time.