Setting up metal targets

[xmanpike]

So I am wanting to make some circular metal targets and set them up around my range to shoot at with .45, 22's, .223's and .270's.

Whatis the best way to go about setting them up so that they dont ricochet back and take my leg/head off?

 

[Erik M]

I think the most important factor is the grade of steel. I think having them exactly perpendicular to the ground is what you want to do.

 

[jnyork]

Make swingers out of them instead of making them solid and fixed. When you hit the swinger, it moves back and deflects most if not all of the debris downward. Be sure to use HARD steel, or you will have difficulties. The bullets will crater soft steel and then you WILL have bouncebacks.

 

[mete]

For handguns like a 45acp minimum distance is 25 yds. For high velocity rifles minimum is 100 yds.
Use appropriate steel such as AR400.
Use swing targets or targets angled back 45 * so rounds hit and richochet down.

 

[highorder]

10° is enough angle, and swingers will soak up more impact than a fixed target.

Use AR400 or AR500 steel if you plan to shoot rifle rounds at it.

 

[Jim Watson]

Pay for AR500 for centerfire rifle targets and shoot not closer than 100 yards.

You can get away with mild steel for .22s and lead pistol bullets, but jacketed pistol bullets will chew them up and a rifle bullet will breeze right through.

 

[Hk Dan]

Min. Distance for handguns is 23' according to USPSA. That's safe enough for me. If you're shooting .45 ACP, you might back off to 10 yards, as they tend to come back at you with more lead in one piece than 9mm or .40 (higher velocity, more dispersion)

Min. distance for centerfire rifle is 100 yards, and they mean it. Those will do more than make you say "ouch". We use AR500 for rifle, but soft steel is fine for handguns.

Dan

 

[9mmepiphany]

when we run handgun classes shooting on steel, we usually shoot at about 10 yards.

our steel plates sits at a slight downward angle and aren't fixed. they hang off a collar around a 4"x4" wood post

 

[tackstrp]

i have one that i purhased 15 years ago. at a gun shop. see similar ones at Cabelas. mine are about qiarter inch soft steel. A 22 will scar the paper stick ons. but will not flip it over. have to go to a 357 or up to make the disk flip 360 degrees

 

[BSlacker]

A couple of things will make your steel shooting safer.
1. Get AR400 or AR500 steel once they get pock marked they are unsafe.
2. Shoot lead or plated bullets at moderate to spiffy speeds no high speed or low speed rounds, no jacketed.
3. Angle the steel top forward, toward you a slight amount, around 10 degrees.
4. Wear good safety glasses not the cheap type wear heavy clothes, jeans and a jacket if weather permits.
5. Stay out of the zone notice on the ground and see where the splatter is going. You want splatter not complete bullets coming back at you.
6. Don't shoot handgun over 25yds and centerfire rifle always more than 50yrd for lead and 100yrds with jacketed rifle. You can safely shoot handguns at point blank range. Watch out with rimfire it can bounce back with quite a bit of force.
Using these tips you will avoid most stuff large pieces coming back. I have been hit many times with portions of lead or jacketed bullets and it will smart and leave a bruise. I have had pieces of jacket material go completely through my thumb so no jackets for me.
Good luck.

 

[panoz77]

Here are a few homemade and designed by me metal ringers.

I have used up to 9mm at 50 ft on this one, it is made with a tungsten alloy of some sort from an old artillery shell innards, it does not deform even with 9mm hits. I used a bolt and nut system to allow it to deflect in all directions about 1 inch to prevent ricochet back at the shooter. They are about 8 inch diameter.





These are another variation of the same target as a swinger/ringer hung from a steel plant stand.







This one I only have used a pellet gun on, but I plan on experimenting with .22 also. I mounted it as an upside down bell so hits will deflect to the ground. It is made of billet aluminum about 1/4 inch thick.