wow knock down power

S

squeezeplae

Inactive
I went to the range to shoot my new Ruger SR 556 the ar preformed flawlessly, but that wasn't the best part. My friend brought a homemade steel swing taget to shoot its about 6" diameter and 3/4" thick. Heres what my Ruger 30.06 with a 180 grain nosler partition did to his steel target.DSC04031.jpg he set this target 75 yards out.
 
So you shot a soft steel target with rifle ammo? Your result is normal. It isn't knock down power, just steel damage.

Cool what it will do though, eh?

That is a pretty big group size for 75 yards and the lack of damage to the adhesive target is disappointing. ;)
 
ya we had trouble keeping the target upright and the adhesives wouldn't stay on for long that being said i was disappointed in the grouping also. Ill be working on that aspect of it . I do look forward to tearing up that target again with better grouping.
 
With such soft steel, I wouldn't be shooting at it too much. If you create too many more indentations like that, you're risking a bullet ricocheting off of one of the dimples you created. If you're going to shoot steel targets, get some AR500 steel and try and get 1/2" thick.
 
Yup, shooting mild steel at such close range with a high power rifle is bad news. I have a buddy who damn near died from a bullet fragment that came straight back at him, hitting him in the chest and stopping just 10 millimeters from his aorta.
 
Yup, shooting mild steel at such close range with a high power rifle is bad news. I have a buddy who damn near died from a bullet fragment that came straight back at him, hitting him in the chest and stopping just 10 millimeters from his aorta.
Click to expand...

Right, if the rounds fail to penetrate, you get the "cupping" you see in the image above and basically the round is reflected right back toward the shooter. It is one of the best reason to consider shooting steel target NOT straight on, but at an angle such that fragments are apt to deflect down, left, or right (the latter two directions not being good where you have shooters or spectators left or right of you, however).
 
Yeah, it’s sometimes amazing what a little piece of lead will do to a chunk of steel. A few months ago I was out sighting in a new acquisition, a Model 94 in 375 Winchester. I had gotten a decent group with iron sights was just about to call it a day. Then I noticed my mild steel pistol target setting off to the side. It was a chain hung 4 inch circle of 1/4 inch plate. It had been shot hundreds of times with 38’s, 357’s and 45’s with only a few dings. Temptation got the best of me, I blasted it. It danced for just a moment, the 255 grain lead bullet had poked a clean hole in it about .50 caliber in size. It’s surprising what a small soft piece of lead can do when pushed fast enough.
 
Yeah, for the various reasons cited above I'm not a fan of shooting at steel targets with rifle cartridges at any range to target where richochets would be a concern.
 
Looks like you had fun, which is cool. But:

A. The target should have been set at 200 yards, that's why they are steel so you can HEAR your hits.

B. Set up so that it has a 20 degree downward angle so any richochets go back into the ground.

C. Get better ammo, a 30-06 at 75 yards should have gone completely through a 1 inch steel plate.

D. Tighten your scope rings down, unless you were shooting open sights, in which case get a new set of prescription eye glasses. (just joking)

Jim
 
Kreyzhorse said:
Quote:
C. Get better ammo, a 30-06 at 75 yards should have gone completely through a 1 inch steel plate.
Is that correct? What kind of ammo?
Click to expand...

Well, it depends on what type of steel you were using and what type ammo. Depending on the steel, regular soft-nose cup-and-core ammo might or might not go through the plate, but again, it's dependent on the steel. All steel is not the same. All bullets are not the same.

swinger.jpg


This picture, for example, is a 3" disk of 7/16 mild steel that we scrounged from a local manufactory. The top dimple is a 30 caliber 155 grain Hornady SST, traveling at about 2800 fps. The lower dimple is a 7mm 140 grain Nosler BT traveling at 3100 fps. Neither penetrated completely through, but I'm certain that full-patch ammo would have cut nice little holes.

What was most interesting, (while I don't have any pictures) is that a .257 caliber Sierra Gameking shot into that same type steel, made a deeper hole, although it didn't penetrate completely through.

Edit: The disk was shot at a measured 100 yards at my private range.
 
I know this is an old video but just gotta repost it again to remind folks of the potential dangers of shooting steel targets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABGIJwiGBc

Nice shooting there by the way, pure evidence of why the US army and US hunters relied on the .30-06 for such a long time, and why the cartridge will continue to exist far into the future:)
 
I personally hate shooting steel. I always seem to get splashed no matter how the target is set up or if it's pistol or rifle. I found a copper jacket in my hair while washing in the shower one night. It sounds cool to hear the dings, but sooner or later you will get splashed.
 
Well, it depends on what type of steel you were using and what type ammo.
Click to expand...

This ^ plus it also depends on whether the steel is in a fixed position or can move. Hanging or swinging targets will often damage less if they are allowed to swing when impacted.
 
Theres nothing wrong with the ammo. Theres no way any .30 06 hunting ammo is going through 1 inch steel. I have some half inch steel ive shot with all kinds of rifles and none penetrated. Maby my steel is harder then most i dont know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top