Novice steel plate gun ?

[Rmart30]

I have never done any steel plate shooting untill I went to a formal range the other day. Mostly have just done plinking around the farm growing up with revolvers.
I enjoyed the plates and wondered what is a good starter gun, Ive heard everything from 38 to 45's...
And it must be "reasonably priced" not a custom piece.

 

[308sc]

I have this question too....bu t I imagine a CZ 75 9mm would not be a bad start.

 

[eflatminor]

You could always go with a .22 pistol like a S&W Model 41 or the Ruger. Cheap ammo, good starter.

When you're ready and have the scratch, here's a beauty:

http://www.jvdynamics.com/custom_guns/steel_guns.php

 

[mscott]

That's the beauty of shooting steel plates. Pretty much anything will work. 9mm is as good as anything. Find a gun that you feel fits your hand comfortably and shoot the crap out of it. All you really need are good sights, ammo, and a decent holster.

I know everyone likes to be super secret, but adding your location to your profile might get you some local tips as far as other places to shoot, etc.

 

[peteinct]

Rmart, I think most anything will work. I shoot a lot of plates in competition and the way it is set up speed is important. So service style guns are used most because they are heavier which soaks up some of the recoil and allows you to get back on target faster.

You don't need a big bore because you don't have to knock a pin off a table so a 9mm or a 38 is enough power.If you are accurate you can win using a revolver. You just can't miss. I am not that accurate. The gun doesn't have to be super accurate because a hit anywhere on the plate will knock it over. It does have to be reliable. If you jam, you lose.

I use a CZ 75b 9mm and a Kadet kit 22 upper for rimfire so I have consistency. There are a few cz guys, some 1911 guys, and more Glock guys that shoot at my club. Most shoot 9mm some 40 some 45 caliber. There is a guy who shoots a 38 that can clean all of our clocks.

I think any service type gun would work. Find one that fits your hands. You shouldn't have to pay a lot.
pete

 

[LegalAlien]

How about using my FN5.7 on steel plates . .or will it damage the plates?

 

[peteinct]

Alien, I think they would punch right through any plate. We can't use 357's or 44 magnums at my place just for that reason.
pete

 

[mscott]

A guy had a 5.7 here and it would hardly knock anything down. It didn't cause any damage to the plates.

 

[Sunray]

"...can't use 357's or 44 magnums at my place..." Geez, are they using dinner plates? Just curious. A lot does depend on the steel the plates are made out of.
Mind you, why anybody'd want to use either with full loads for plates is curious too. Either loaded to .38 Special or .44 Special target velocities would do though.
Any pistol or revolver that fits your hand and you can shoot well will do nicely. A pistol takes less time to learn how to shoot well though. Either will require a trigger job and good sights too.

 

[peteinct]

Sunray, you're right it does depend on the steel. I have no clue what ours are made of. Full power loads are a disadvantage at the game too.

I would not say that a tigger job or using down loaded reloads are "neccessary" though. They can help but to start you just need gun and some practice. I use stock gun and stock ammo and do O.K.

I have found plate shooting to be super fun and wouldn't want to scare someone out because they thought they had to spend a lot of money to compete.

My clubs matches which are pretty small potatoes use a format that separates the shooters based on abilities so that even a novice has a chance to win.
pete

 

[VegasOPM]

IMHO any 9mm is good for steel shooting, they don't recoil too hard and they make a nice ring. I love my Glocks, because the trigger pull is light and consistent. Take what you have, get to the point where the gun is holding you back- by then you will know what you want from the gun.

 

[Tarvis]

I'm not sure on the regulations as far as minimum caliber goes, but I think anything less than a 9mm energy wise will not be allowed as it will not knock the plates over. Get a 9mm as there is no major or minor caliber handicap, unless you plan on also shooting USPSA matches, in which case you'd probably be better off getting a pistol for whatever division you are planning on shooting.

 

[Captal_de_Buch]

In Steel Challenge (SCSA) all you have to is hit the plates.

A lot of guys I shoot steel with shoot .22

You can shoot 45acp but that just means someone will have to go down and set the plates back up.

In SCSA I usually use 9mm, 3.8gr Unique, 147gr lead and WSP primers in a Glock 17 with a Lone Wolf barrel.

This is not to be confused with knocking a steel popper down in a USPSA match.

 

[Tarvis]

I'm going to my first "steel challenge" match this Wednesday, so I guess I'm not totally familiar with it; I assumed it was like USPSA in concern to caliber. Reading their website now .

 

[Rmart30]

Well, after a bit of looking I came up with a Ruger mark II stainless bull barrel. It came with volquertson target grips and compensator.
Also has a cheapo red dot on it, but its good enough to get on the steel every time.
Inexpensive to shoot was my main draw to a 22, I think im going to like it

 

[Sunray]

"...wouldn't want to scare someone out because..." A trigger job doesn't cost much(do them myself on my pistols though), but will most assuredly improve one's shooting. So does good ammo.
"...super fun..." Yep. The only thing that's more fun than plates is bowling pins.

 

[muncie21]

The clubs I've been to, shoot steel with the pistol holstered and the hands in the 'surrender' position. If you club is like this, I would not recommend a DA pistol without a hammer safety.

I shot a Beretta 92 for about 6 months when I first started shooting steel. Even with a lightened trigger the first shot (being DA) took too long to get a good sight picture, as compared to a SA type gun. Switched to a Glock striker fired pistol and saw my scores get better.

I'm sure with more practice I could have improved my scores with the Beretta. But I figured 6-months was long enough

 

[1SOW]

Where I shoot (AASA), you have to knock 'em down; and they are set up for 9mm+. Good trigger and sights will get you there.

P.S. : Plates need to be hardened steel NOT mild steel. I had to see it to believe it, but a bullet will do a 180 deg turn in a very small dent in the steel!