Shooting steel targets

M

Mags

New member
I'm considering some steel reactive targets for my shooting training. What would be the minimum distance to shoot at these targets with normal handgun loads.
 
Agree with Bob on that one. Maybe a little further for high-power rifle rounds.
Also, tilt the top of the plate/target a little foward to further reduce ricochette possiblity. 10-15 degrees may make all the difference.
 
Bob's got it - 10 yards for handguns and 50 for rifles. Shotguns also need a good amount of distance, not sure how much though..
 
I've shot pistol and shotgun as close as 25'. You WILL get hit by splatter- eye protection with good side coverage like Oakleys is mandatory. Even at 50' I've been hit hard by pieces of bullet. As the targets get more cratered it gets worse. Fun though- really fun. Buy a Pact timer and have at it.
 
Its going to be on my home range and I only have about 20-25' to my back stop. Is that too close? it would be pistol and .22 only
 
Mags

Don't be deceived by the "lack" of power of 22 rim fire. It's small power charge makes it a very good candidate for rebound. Take every precaution mentioned above, do some testing and LIVE by my first post.

I run a indoor action pistol league 47 weeks out of the year, last night I took a good stiff rebound to the shin, even the best prepared range can "BITE" you on occasion.

Best of luck, Bob
 
If you'll be shooting steel with a shotgun, a load with 1 or 11/8 oz of small (#8 or 9) shot 25 feet will be fine:cool: I assume you will be using eye protection..:cool::cool:
 
I have seen a .22 come back across the firing line 3 different times. Low velocity rounds that hit a crater just right will rebound.
 
Neither is better, though hollowpoint may be more apt to fragment. This may or may not be good. Generally speaking, ricochet issues are with splatter and jackets, not with whole bullets.

20-25' is too close even with a .22 unless the target is angled away from the shooter and bystanders. At noted above, it can be tilted down or angled to the side. Which sufficient angle, you can actually shoot at steel targets from fairly close because the round WILL ricochet away from you, usually as splatter.
 
Its going to be on my home range and I only have about 20-25' to my back stop. Is that too close? it would be pistol and .22 only
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Just wear eye protection. I shoot steel every weekend and can't ever remember getting hit with any fragments. I still wear eye pro for sure.
 
I have seen a .22 come back across the firing line 3 different times. Low velocity rounds that hit a crater just right will rebound.
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Excellent point, don’t ever shoot at steel that is not perfectly flat to avoid things coming back at you. AR400 will take most any handgun and AR500 for rifles. 10 yards is as close as you want to get with pistols and 100 yds is a good place to start with rifles.
 
Don't shoot a gong like this inside of 10 yards. :D

hudson107.jpg
 
Actually I shoot that target with rifle at 50 and a 100 all the time, and have NEVER had a single issue.

I got these AR450 gongs for FREE. I keep one side clean for pistol shooting, but beyond 50 yards.... we've run 10s of thousands of rounds on these over the last 6 or 7 years and have never had any spawl issues.
 
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