Shooting Steel Safely

[Snozzberries]

Shooting steel is not for Accurate Shooters!!!

Umm...that smallest target is 1/4". Can you hit it with a .22lr at 110 yards? If you can, I'd consider you an Accurate Shooter.

Thanks for all the comments everybody. Let me include some more pictures. These aren't perfect, as I pulled them from my collection.

Here I am standing on top of the 100 yard berm, looking back towards the firing line. You can see the berms on the left, and kinda on the right.

Here I'm standing at about 70 yards, looking towards the 100 yard line. You can see the 100 yard posts for targets. The steel would be put further back, closer to the berm, so the lead lands at the bottom of the berm.

Here I am standing right in front of the 50 yard targets. The 100 yard targets are behind them to the left. The firing line is behind us to the right. You can see a little bit through the trees. So it looks like the berm is about...12 feet tall?

 

[LuvDog]

From those pics the side berms look high enough to not worry about splatter to the other ranges

 

[foxguy]

I too love shooting Steel, its reactive and it rings to let you know you have hit it.

Steel Targets can NOT be left on a range unsupervised.

Someone will shoot them with something they are not made to be shot with or at a distance not safe.
Once Steel Targets gets Pot marks on the face of them, they will not be safe.

I believe a NYL Steel Target when shot at the top by the stem may cause a ricochet that could go up and right or left of target. Depending on the placement of the NYL target stand in regards to the berms, the berms may or may not contain the ricochet. If you invite friends or other club shooters to shoot the NYL target eventually someone will shoot the top cross bar or the legs sending the bullet / half bullet who knows where.

I would suggest if you want to keep the adjacent range safe that you construct a wooden enclosure that could be put up while shooting the NYL steel target.

 

[moondog]

Shooting steel is not for Accurate Shooters!!!

I beg to differ!!

 

[Brians356]

Splash back is usually caused by a deeply pocked steel target. IMHO, if the steel targets are smooth, the splash back will be minimal.

We had a shooter hit in the forehead with splash back from 25 yards. The steel target was deeply pocked. It barely broke the skin, but could have injured an eye. Local Ranger dealer sold a bunch of glasses after the incident.

I was hit in the forehead by splatter off a steel plate at about 20 yards. Plate was somewhat cratered and fixed atop a pole at about 5 feet off the deck. I was standing behind the 9mm Luger shooter (also standing) and wearing polycarbonate sunglasses. It felt like a fast flying insect struck me, no pain but reaching up to feel it revealed I was bleeding slightly. Live and learn.
-

 

[Snozzberries]

I too love shooting Steel, its reactive and it rings to let you know you have hit it.

Steel Targets can NOT be left on a range unsupervised.

Someone will shoot them with something they are not made to be shot with or at a distance not safe.
Once Steel Targets gets Pot marks on the face of them, they will not be safe.

I believe a NYL Steel Target when shot at the top by the stem may cause a ricochet that could go up and right or left of target. Depending on the placement of the NYL target stand in regards to the berms, the berms may or may not contain the ricochet. If you invite friends or other club shooters to shoot the NYL target eventually someone will shoot the top cross bar or the legs sending the bullet / half bullet who knows where.

I would suggest if you want to keep the adjacent range safe that you construct a wooden enclosure that could be put up while shooting the NYL steel target.

Do you think the ricochet would still occur at 110 yards with lead standard velocity ammo, and fly too far?

How burly of a box do you think would be required? 1/2" plywood? It's going to be a pain to haul a box out there....

 

[Catfur]

The public range in the town I used to live in had a pistol range (with a crapton of lanes and berms at different ranges) next to the 200yrd rifle range, with the typical ~8' berm between them. The amount of ricochets that went whizzing by was pretty unbelievable (from hitting the ground, not steel). I've even been personally showered by fragments and bullets. At first I was super worried, but then I realized that any bullet traveling on a trajectory that could impact a person on the rifle range wasn't traveling fast enough to cause injury. And, conversely, any bullet travelling fast enough after a ricochet to cause injury wasn't on a trajectory to hit anyone on the rifle range.

It's not ironclad security, but then, that level of risk abatement isn't really available when you are dealing with firearms.

 

[Frostbite]

The public range in the town I used to live in had a pistol range (with a crapton of lanes and berms at different ranges) next to the 200yrd rifle range, with the typical ~8' berm between them. The amount of ricochets that went whizzing by was pretty unbelievable (from hitting the ground, not steel). I've even been personally showered by fragments and bullets. At first I was super worried, but then I realized that any bullet traveling on a trajectory that could impact a person on the rifle range wasn't traveling fast enough to cause injury. And, conversely, any bullet travelling fast enough after a ricochet to cause injury wasn't on a trajectory to hit anyone on the rifle range.

It's not ironclad security, but then, that level of risk abatement isn't really available when you are dealing with firearms.

 

[Riesel]

.22 Bullets can be the King of Ricochets.

 

[243winxb]

22 Bullets can be the King of Ricochets.

Yes they can be.

My local range has a strict no-steel targets policy

The baffles are to keep bullets from leaving the range area. Club may have had a problem in the past? *Ricochets will be the main issue.*
The splatter from 22 lr will be contained by the berms. The splatter velocity is about the same as the bullet on impact.

It's run by the membership, board of directors.

It may need to be voted on at a meeting? Good luck.

 

[foxguy]

Do you think the ricochet would still occur at 110 yards with lead standard velocity ammo, and fly too far?

How burly of a box do you think would be required? 1/2" plywood? It's going to be a pain to haul a box out there....

How burley of a Box?

I'm not sure, I can tell you we shoot Targets at 100 yards. The Targets are stapled to a heavy 3/8 " rubber backer with a 1/2 OSB board backer and the bullets punch thru no problem at all.

Std Velocity ammo's, velocity at 100 yds 960 FPS
High Velocity Ammo's, Velocity at 100 yds 1060 FPS

Watch this You tube Video. It may give you some guidance

Penetration Test - .22lr vs Thick Wood - TheFireArmGuy​

From this video it appears you would need at least 2- pieces of 3/4 inch Plywood sand witched.

 

[mike a]

I beg to differ!!

Just kidding. I working on getting a 40 score. And these targets are way bigger than 1/4”.

 

[WyleWD]

I too love shooting Steel, its reactive and it rings to let you know you have hit it.

Steel Targets can NOT be left on a range unsupervised.

Someone will shoot them with something they are not made to be shot with or at a distance not safe.
Once Steel Targets gets Pot marks on the face of them, they will not be safe.

I believe a NYL Steel Target when shot at the top by the stem may cause a ricochet that could go up and right or left of target. Depending on the placement of the NYL target stand in regards to the berms, the berms may or may not contain the ricochet. If you invite friends or other club shooters to shoot the NYL target eventually someone will shoot the top cross bar or the legs sending the bullet / half bullet who knows where.

I would suggest if you want to keep the adjacent range safe that you construct a wooden enclosure that could be put up while shooting the NYL steel target.

This above has been our experience with shooting steel. Someone WILL shoot them (in volume )with something they are not to be shot with..... That's when IT hits the fan.

One range I have been too made a wooden enclosure out of railroad ties and tucked the steel back in far enough to where they could only be shot from two or 3 benches. Basically straight into the bunker type enclosure. After about 6-8 months a peek inside that bunker was a real eyeopener as to splatter and ricochets. WOW. JME. WD