Safety of shooting steel targets ? ?

forrestfarrier

Well-Known Member
Im wanting to set up some steel targets ( thinking of using old frying pans) to shoot at long range my consern is what will happen to bullet flight upon hitting the target??? It's a safe piece of ground but does have livestock and some footpaths so want to be as safe as poss before setting up
 
Well I can tell you that 243 70gr Ballistic Tips will go straight through 12mm Mild steel at 100m so you will either need something thicker than a frying pan or it needs to be a long long way away.

If you make a tunnel out of old tyres and put the gong in the centre of them that will greatly reduce the risk of ricochette
 
It is impossible to say what a bullet will do after it strikes a steel or aluminium friying pan ! Me Lewis is correct most round will sail through, and a trap like he discribes would be benificial.
But there is a reason solid targets a prohibited on Most club ranges. Do you have a good 1-4 MILE safety zone ?
 
I practice on 10mm &15mm steel targets at various ranges from 200m upwards i have previously placed cardboard around the target (crisp box) to see what happens. I found the bullets disintegrate and leave very small splatter holes in the cardboard .

As for your target my .204 will punch through a 10mm steel plated a 130m if its held solid , try and get your target to angle backwards slightly at the bottom and swing free it will send any bullet splatter into the ground and also prolong the life of your target

hope this is of help ..........Neil
 
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We found the same as griffshrek, we attached 7 ballons around the plate and the first bullet strike burst them all.
If you set the plate up as a gong, alot of the bullet energy will be absorbed setting it in motion and the bullet will disintegrate, most of the fragments directed towards to the ground.

Ian.
 
The shots will be across a valley ranging from 300 to 550 all have good back stops perhaps a afternoon digging into t bank and topping off with logs would be a alternative or just paper targets just wanted to have a few targets set up can go to have half hour then back home !! Without the walking !!!
 
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