how close is to close to shoot steel?

[hillbillydruggist]

i bought my first steel plate, i have it on a sawhorse.

thanks

 

[hillbillydruggist]

mainly shoot 22s,38/9mm, and rifle

thanks

 

[billlarson]

I would stay with cast bullets closer than 100yds.
Omho
Bill

 

[Park ranger]

I got hit with a ricochet from steel at 30 yards from a 44, hurt like hell but didn’t break the skin. I think 50 is too close, 100 is fine.

 

[varmintshooter]

There was/is a guide posted on a website from a steel target maker but I can't think of the name. The distance varies with cal and velocity.
AR500 has a chart also

 

[mikeinct]

For shooting 22 or 9mm. I wish you had bought some of them new plastic targets. Much Safer off the saw horses up close. Please be careful .. Any people standing around you must be super vigilant. Stuff flies back off steel. mikeinct

 

[dantiff2]

Make sure that you have target rated steel such as AR500!! Mild steel will kill you and should not be shot at with anything (close or far). Target grade steel actually turns most bullets into dust and does not send fragments back at the shooter but instead at a 90° angle to the plate. Mild steel will allow the bullet to dig a partial round dome into the steel sending all of the remaining energy back towards the shooter at the opposite angle. There's plenty of evidence of someone shooting a piece of mild steel with a rifle (even at distance) and having the bullet ricochet back at lethal velocities!!
Dan

 

[Downeast]

Always hang your steel at an downward angle. Never shoot steel straight on.

 

[watercam]

Hang on chains or cant AR500 downward to help keep bullets fragments within the target area. 10yds. min. for handgun or .22lr.

 

[dfrosch]

I've shot one at about 15 yards. But it wasn't straight on, it was angled to the right a little.

 

[dantiff2]

I'm in no way telling you and your situation is safe in any way but can confirm that I shoot my AR500 plates at 15 yards and beyond with a 45 acp and 230 gn LRN bullets and have never had an issue. Look up Hickock45 on youtube. His steel will make anyone jealous!

 

[jds holler]

I don't trust full jacketed or steel core bullets at anything closer than a hundred.
Cast have never spit back at me from as close as 15. jd

 

[Dusty Stevens]

 

[Drop Port]

It all depends on the steel, setup and training objective I've seen some that are safer to shoot point blank than garbage set up at 50+ yards.

 

[SEM]

I use Hang Fast targets up close with out problem the back angle directs the spray down ward, Lesson one and one only (with out knowing about steel versus AR 500) I had shot a 357 Mag with cast bullets at a real heavy steel target that was 20' away and mounted slightly up hill got hit in the leg with two fragments, for a moment I figured my daughter who was learning that day to drive ( my kids learned how to drive off road, just happened to be during hunting season ) would really get a lesson in driving on her seconded outing, we were 40 miles away from any real help, luckily just two real nice bruised spots and a limp for a day

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

In the 80's we made some mild steel plate targets, mounted on some old well pipe. Set it up about 30-35 ft off the deck. We shot 22 handguns at them, could just knock them over with a center/high hit. We would hand reset them, that slowed the ammo consumption. Sitting in the house one day,saw the a buddy pull up. Couple minutes later we heard 10-12 rifle shots. Jump up and met him coming in the door with his AR, said his sights must be off " never hit a single target. We were stunned, went out. He had hit 10 of 12 targets, neat round hole through them, 223 black hills 55 gr softpoints. He made us new targets.

 

[mousegunner]

We had some home made ones out of heavy plate but it wasn't smooth. One freind got a piece of jacket stuck in his breast bone. A little lower and into the heart? He was shooting too close when this happened.

 

[CarlGeorge]

I'll relay my experiences. I'm not saying the following is "right" - but I haven't had any issues (so far):

Per an earlier point about mounting steel: My understanding is it can't be rigid. It has to be able to move some. Many use chains. I've used industrial grade conveyor belt. Great stuff. I'm currently using (for my rifle setup) old fire hose. (Fire depts have to retire their hoses periodically and all sorts of it is available on Ebay. FANTASTIC stuff. Holds up really well.)

At the club I belong to, for pistol, the minimum distance we're allowed to shoot steel is 10 yds. Their targets are mounted on steel posts with a spring mechanism at the mounting points to allow them to move.

For rifle I have a frame that I hang shooting-grade targets from using the fire hose. I use that no closer than 100 yds. I've put tons of .223 on those, some .243, and a few (Garand) .30-06.

CG

 

[pintopete]

mainly shoot 22s,38/9mm, and rifle

thanks

A lot of great advice here. One addition...don't ever rigidly mount plate steel facing the shooter. Think trampoline, or superball...everyone has a scary steel plate story. Can be used, for sure, just have to plan ahead.

 

[Kramerica]

Pretty sure field and cave has a page listing distances based on plate thickness and velocity of different calibers.

edit: here’s the link. https://fieldandcaveoutfitters.com/pages/quick-reference-and-user-guide-for-3-8-thick-ar500-targets