Steel Target Safety

[SABuzzard]

I recently purchased a bunch of AR 500 gongs of various sizes. I'm in the middle of fabricating stands for them. I want them to be semi portable and take up as little space as possible. My initial design ideas revolved around the traditional saw-horse with chains to swing the gong from concept. I now realize how much more compact and easy to set up a fall down, popper style target could be.

So, my question is.... Do popper/fall down style targets have a greater risk of ricochet? To my non-engineer brain it seems that a gong hanging from chains naturally directs bullet fragments towards the ground where a popper looks like it would send them airborne?

Any advise?

 

[Dracozny]

Re: Steel Target Safety

they might go airborne, but how far away do you plan to shoot them at? the energy absorption by the target should take enough momentum out that if they go airborne they shouldn't even clear half the range coming back. ontop of that many fulljacket rounds will splatter on a steel target. now if your wanting to do something like a course situation I would suggest fragmented ammo so you can approach a target firing.

 

[SABuzzard]

Re: Steel Target Safety

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dracozny</div><div class="ubbcode-body">they might go airborne, but how far away do you plan to shoot them at? the energy absorption by the target should take enough momentum out that if they go airborne they shouldn't even clear half the range coming back. ontop of that many fulljacket rounds will splatter on a steel target. now if your wanting to do something like a course situation I would suggest fragmented ammo so you can approach a target firing. </div></div>

I'd be shooting them at 300-700 yards with plenty of safe area behind that. I'm just worried about glancing a FMJ off a upturned plate and sending the round skyward to who knows where.

 

[paulL01]

Re: Steel Target Safety

I have some steel targets purchased from Big Dog steel.
I also have the collapsing stand. I've never considered ricochet. I'm shooting 308 and 300wsm and have shot 338lm as well. We always shoot match grade ammo. Should I be worried about anything? 100 yards is the minimum distance we fire from.

 

[Captain Kirk]

Re: Steel Target Safety

Have the target lean slightly forward. If you have ever shot at steel, the bullet pretty much vaporizes on impact, the ground in front of the target looks like a shape charge was set off, not a lot of chance of ricochet but better to be safe.

Kirk R

 

[paulL01]

Re: Steel Target Safety

10-4 Captain. I appreciate that bit of 411.
I'll be sure to do that from now on.
And, yes, it sure seems as if the steel just eats the bullet.

 

[SABuzzard]

Re: Steel Target Safety

Ok - I feel better. Even though we have plenty of buffer around the range I still want to be extra careful. Thanks for the replies/info.

 

[paulL01]

Re: Steel Target Safety

@100 yards a 308 really smacks my 10" steel plate.
But, mercy - when I hit it with the 300wsm.....I knew the
meaning of having a HAMMER. I really like that 300wsm

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: Steel Target Safety

High velocity bullets act differently than low velocity.

The steel eats most of the energy, but you can still get ricochets that are totally unpredictable.

If you hit an angled plate as it's falling you can still get a ricochet. Anyone who has been around pepper poppers for any amount of time has seen a bullet come down out of the sky. We can sit on the next bay over when they are running training at our local range and listen to the bullets bounce off the steel roof.

90* or angled down is the way to go.

 

[jdgray]

Re: Steel Target Safety

At those distances, your totally safe! I have some steel silhouettes I shoot at that I start off about 5yrds back, draw, fire on while backing up. Never been hit, but it also is angled one way or the other, never straight on. I angle it about like the pic shows, and the ground is tore up in line with the face of the target, with fragments!!

 

[jlow]

Re: Steel Target Safety

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: LoneWolfUSMC</div><div class="ubbcode-body">High velocity bullets act differently than low velocity.

The steel eats most of the energy, but you can still get ricochets that are totally unpredictable.

If you hit an angled plate as it's falling you can still get a ricochet. Anyone who has been around pepper poppers for any amount of time has seen a bullet come down out of the sky. We can sit on the next bay over when they are running training at our local range and listen to the bullets bounce off the steel roof.

90* or angled down is the way to go. </div></div>

Amen dude! Anyone who thinks richochet is not possible has not shot a lot of steel targets. I was standing once to the side of a steel target about 50 feet away and blocked by a bunch of barrels - the targe was not even visible. Someone shot at it with a 45 FMJ and that puppy came over the barrel and hit me on the head hard enough to make me notice. Luckily I had a hat on.

 

[Rifle Barrel Blanks]

Re: Steel Target Safety

If you are shooting high quality AR500 from 300-700 yards you will be absolutely fine.

The bullet does pretty much vaporize into little fragments, but that being said, a pepper popper will still send those little fragments slightly airborn. They will not go far.

On our pepper poppers, I like to put a little extra dirt on the back so it leans forward just ever so slightly. Just helps with that downward angle.

 

[paulL01]

Re: Steel Target Safety

My shootin pard has JC steel targets and they are awesome.

 

[SABuzzard]

Re: Steel Target Safety

Thanks guys

 

[turbo54]

Re: Steel Target Safety

Solid hits have a tiny chance of ricochets.

It's the "almost miss" grazes that can send bullets who knows where.

Without a berm, safety dictates there must be nothing beyond the target that can't be hit, that is in range of your cartridge.

 

[paulL01]

Re: Steel Target Safety

Yes, safety is of the utmost priority for me when shooting.
I am 1000% sure nothing lies beyond that target, whether it
be steel,paper or whatever. And, Im certainly glad to hear that
a direct hit is more likely than not-not gonna ricochet.

 

[Dracozny]

Re: Steel Target Safety

50' is way too close for a steel target IMO unless your using Fragmented rounds.

 

[VTSEAL]

Re: Steel Target Safety

Have been fragged in pistol matches and training, and seen it happen to many others. I am not convinced all of the frag goes down. It might be interesting to put a cardboard box around steel and send 5-10 rounds at various ranges and see where the perforations end up in the cardboard. Distance and down angle certainly cant hurt.