My Wife and I bought a small AR500 steel plate, built an all wood holder and hung it with rope. I shot it about 10 times with jacketed .380 auto and jacketed .45 auto from about 20 yards. There were no richoccets in my direction. I noticed the wood directly above it and in the side braces on both sides had shards of lead imbedded in it. It would appear to be a much safer setup than attaching it to chains with carriage bolts. I would think the heads of the carriage bolts would be a big riccochet hazard as well as the chain. I'm sure the rope will wear out much faster, but I have a lot of rope and it is a quick fix. I also made sure the ground below it was just dirt and no rocks. And with it being a swinging target, I would think that would make it even safer. For those who shoot steel, am I missing something here? I have heard a lot of opinions on the safety of steel, and while nothing can be 100 percent safe, I'm trying to get close.
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Shooting steel
- Thread starter AL45
- Start date
g.willikers
New member
I no longer have a place to shoot steel, but when I did the range just required that the targets be placed right up close to the dirt berm with all ricochets and shards hitting the dirt.
My steel targets consisted of swingers, hung from the top, and spinners, with minimum structure to interfere with the path of the bullets after they hit the steel.
Never had an issue.
I sounds like yours are good.
My steel targets consisted of swingers, hung from the top, and spinners, with minimum structure to interfere with the path of the bullets after they hit the steel.
Never had an issue.
I sounds like yours are good.
so first off one should not shoot jacketed bullets at steel. I have two 10 inch plates mounted on a angled carriage bolt with a heavy coil spring between the plate and the 2 by 4 mount. my wife and I have shot thousands of rounds with no problems. and my wood feet and upright is loaded with lead shrapnel..
Or, you could just move the target out a little bit.
https://youtu.be/Pn6ei7UM-UY
https://youtu.be/Pn6ei7UM-UY
rob-c, I read several posts about shooting steel on several different forums. Some said don't shoot jacketed, others said don't shoot cast lead. Others said it doesn't matter. One guy said he had been shooting steel for thirty years and as long as it was AR500 steel and as long as you were the proper distance from the target depending upon velocity of bullet and as long as the target was a swinger, you could shoot jacketed or lead. What's a guy supposed to believe?
CalmerThanYou
New member
I have wondered myself about what is and what is not safe when shooting steel. My common sense thought is anything 20 yards or closer with pistol caliber ammunition makes me just a tad uneasy. I have no expert experience to prove or disprove, but my intuition tells me all that velocity is ending up too close to me.
All I can say is what I do. It may not be for everyone and each should use their own judgement based on all the information they can gather.
I love shooting steel. It's basically all I shoot. I use AR500 steel and shoot copper jacketed, lead core, pistol caliber bullets from as close as 7 yards. They are either swingers on chains with carriage bolts, dueling trees, or static targets on stands with the face angled downward. I always wear eye protection. Thus far, I have had no problems.
I love shooting steel. It's basically all I shoot. I use AR500 steel and shoot copper jacketed, lead core, pistol caliber bullets from as close as 7 yards. They are either swingers on chains with carriage bolts, dueling trees, or static targets on stands with the face angled downward. I always wear eye protection. Thus far, I have had no problems.
DukeConnor
New member
I have been hit with a few bullet fragments while shooting steel plates. I usually shoot lead and they don't hurt. Sort of a what the heck was that moment.
I got a nice cut from a chunk of jacketed ammo on my arm. The copper tends to be sharp. Wear GOOD safety glasses.
I got a nice cut from a chunk of jacketed ammo on my arm. The copper tends to be sharp. Wear GOOD safety glasses.
I've got a decade-plus and what has to be over 100k rounds at steel plates with handguns. I am no expert authority but I can tell you that I don't "think" what I know... I really KNOW it. Here is my experience, I hope it can help you.
The absolute MOST important single thing is eye protection all the time, but this should be obvious. Even the best steel in the perfect conditions with the best ammo demands that you have proper eyewear..
Item #2 which is 99% as important as eyewear and is THE most predictable part of the entire equation is the surface of your steel. It must be flat and even and without divots, pock marks and cracks. If your steel is flat and your surface is clean, the danger is very, very low.
12-15 yards should be a minimum distance. Jacketed, plated, cast or swaged lead, powder coated, sintered, frangible, FMJ or JHP, none of that matters. All of it works if the surface of your plate is FLAT and your targets are of solid construction. How the targets are hung doesn't make a lot of difference either, but a target that "gives" is definitely my choice. Hanging by chains, on a hinge to fall or on an axle to spin works well.
Yes, you -will- get bounce back, on rare occasions it may be enough to draw a drop of blood. If you are a million dollar Super Model, stay off the gun range. Otherwise, venture through a life that is filled with varying degrees of risk and know going in for certain that you are FAR more likely to be harmed on the car trip to/from the range than you are by a ricochet from a proper steel target.
The absolute MOST important single thing is eye protection all the time, but this should be obvious. Even the best steel in the perfect conditions with the best ammo demands that you have proper eyewear..
Item #2 which is 99% as important as eyewear and is THE most predictable part of the entire equation is the surface of your steel. It must be flat and even and without divots, pock marks and cracks. If your steel is flat and your surface is clean, the danger is very, very low.
12-15 yards should be a minimum distance. Jacketed, plated, cast or swaged lead, powder coated, sintered, frangible, FMJ or JHP, none of that matters. All of it works if the surface of your plate is FLAT and your targets are of solid construction. How the targets are hung doesn't make a lot of difference either, but a target that "gives" is definitely my choice. Hanging by chains, on a hinge to fall or on an axle to spin works well.
Yes, you -will- get bounce back, on rare occasions it may be enough to draw a drop of blood. If you are a million dollar Super Model, stay off the gun range. Otherwise, venture through a life that is filled with varying degrees of risk and know going in for certain that you are FAR more likely to be harmed on the car trip to/from the range than you are by a ricochet from a proper steel target.
Saurdaukar
New member
Sevens is on point.
Shoot long enough and you'll have a few rare opportunities to marvel at just how long a piece of copper jacket can float in the air before it lands in your hair.
Shoot long enough and you'll have a few rare opportunities to marvel at just how long a piece of copper jacket can float in the air before it lands in your hair.
At competition matches the rule for steel, it has to be at minimum 23 feet from the closest shooting position that it can be shot from, so just under 8 yards. jacketed bullet and jacketed hollow points have the greatest risk for shards coming back at youMy common sense thought is anything 20 yards or closer with pistol caliber ammunition makes me just a tad uneasy. I have no expert experience to prove or disprove, but my intuition tells me all that velocity is ending up too close to me.
AL45 I hear you, but I tend to air on the side of caution. When shooting lead or copper plated lead bullets into a ar500 plate they do send shrapnel flying but it's not far and the bulk of the projectile flattens right out. i have seen jacket seperation on jacketed bullets on animals so I wouldn't want shardes of fairly thick copper jacket coming back at me after bouncing of a hardened ar500 target.
ShootistPRS
New member
The falling plate targets are the most popular ranges on the pistol side. We have two bays for falling plates and we have minimum distances to shoot. The distance is 7 yards, as per the manufacturer, and the targets are angled forward at the top to send fragments down and away from the shooter. Fixed steel gongs on the rifle range are another big draw but they don't swing or fall. They are set at a 30 degree forward tilt to eliminate any fragments from coming back toward the shooter. All these steel targets are made for use with any ammo that is not armor piercing. During the mid to late summer the steel gongs are removed due to fire hazard. The range is in the middle of wheat country and the heat from a bullet coming off a steel target has caused fires in the past. Incendiary and tracer ammo is not allowed - EVER - on the range.
The Cowboy Action group also uses steel targets but they are made for lead bullets at reduced velocity. They are mild steel and placed on stands that keep the tops angled forward to prevent ricochets. They use pistols, rifles and shotguns with only lead projectiles at light black powder velocities.
The ammunition that is used must be complementary to the targets. The targets must be maintained to be safely used.
Bullets that hit steel tend to vaporize to a great degree. This is due to the heat generated in the high velocity impact. There is often a flattened disc of lead from the base of the bullet that survives the impact with the steel plate. The difference in bullet destruction between the low velocity soft lead bullets in cowboy action and the bullets used on the falling plates and rifles is dramatic. It is not uncommon to find bent and flattened bullets with the cowboy group but at the falling plates and long range gongs it is rare that you will find anything more than a slender flat disc with or without parts of the jacket attached.
Shooting glasses and ear protection are required anyplace on the range with the exception of the archery and tomahawk ranges.
The Cowboy Action group also uses steel targets but they are made for lead bullets at reduced velocity. They are mild steel and placed on stands that keep the tops angled forward to prevent ricochets. They use pistols, rifles and shotguns with only lead projectiles at light black powder velocities.
The ammunition that is used must be complementary to the targets. The targets must be maintained to be safely used.
Bullets that hit steel tend to vaporize to a great degree. This is due to the heat generated in the high velocity impact. There is often a flattened disc of lead from the base of the bullet that survives the impact with the steel plate. The difference in bullet destruction between the low velocity soft lead bullets in cowboy action and the bullets used on the falling plates and rifles is dramatic. It is not uncommon to find bent and flattened bullets with the cowboy group but at the falling plates and long range gongs it is rare that you will find anything more than a slender flat disc with or without parts of the jacket attached.
Shooting glasses and ear protection are required anyplace on the range with the exception of the archery and tomahawk ranges.