Copper projectiles on metal gongs.

[yellow belly]

Evening,

I'm looking to do some training on some AR500 gongs and wondering if there is anyone with any knowledge on the behaviour of non lead projectiles upon impact of gongs?

The gong in question is a The Steel Target Co gong and gong stand, so there is some movement in the gong to angle the projectile downwards, obviously it will be in a safe place to shoot, but just looking for any issues anyone else has had with shooting them with non lead before I start to negate any potential issues.

Cheers,

YB

 

[Ranger22]

Shot a few metal gongs just lately using copper. Nothing nasty happens. I was using a 270 at ranges from 100 yards to 400 yards.

 

[Twodogs]

Regardless of any other factor makes for an expensive gong session.
Having said that I have found the YewTree 114 grain TLR in 6.5 the most consistent and precise ammo out of my rifle, outperforms any lead I have tried.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I've put 162gr copper out of my 308 onto steel, nothing bad happened.

 

[jthyttin]

Speed kills steel, so I'd be checking the copper rounds' velocity at the time of impact (many times you have lighter and/or better BC with copper or other monolithics).

What counts as excessive velocity is another matter, but many times e.g. 22-250 at 100y is regarded as too much.

 

[yellow belly]

Thanks all

 

[wytonpjs]

Was at the range today checking out the "zeroing" of a thermal Clip-on on a .270 that I'd zero'd 2 weeks ago. Alongside the target board with Birchwood Casey black/yellow targets, I always set out a gong and another at max range distance (200yds). I use Tom's target gongs and a nice swinging muntjac I picked up at the Stalking Show a few years back for a bargain price. Today, I had the muntjac at 50m for filling in the time between target changes with a Ruger 10/22 and a SLP, a 4" gong at 100m and a 8" at 200 yds. As I don't normally target shoot, its always copper going down range unless its .22LR.

All I can say is that Tom's targets have taken everything I've thrown at them bullet wise without issue. I do have some cracking at the top (redundant chain hangers) on one gong but its not an issue and that's after a lot of .243, .308 and .270 at 3100 fps going down range. I do understand there can be issue with .22 CF at short range but you do have to be realistic in your expectations.

 

[Rural Management Services]

We break gongs fairly regularly, but then our gongs get more rounds in a day sometimes than a normal single person would shoot in a year I expect. Avoid the ones that have chain hangers as they break more frequently by cracking. Steel Target company seem to be the most robust I my opinion.

Back to the original question no real difference noticed between copper and lead projectiles. Sometimes a really fast but still weighty projectile will drill straight through. Hard to determine exactly why but multiple hits from same round on a small area on the gong might be the cause. Talking about 6.5 PRC home loads that are 130gr and really zipping along. I think someone’s .270 home loads in lead did it once though as well and these where really travelling as well.

 

[MarinePMI]

We break gongs fairly regularly, but then our gongs get more rounds in a day sometimes than a normal single person would shoot in a year I expect. Avoid the ones that have chain hangers as they break more frequently by cracking. Steel Target company seem to be the most robust I my opinion.

Back to the original question no real difference noticed between copper and lead projectiles. Sometimes a really fast but still weighty projectile will drill straight through. Hard to determine exactly why but multiple hits from same round on a small area on the gong might be the cause. Talking about 6.5 PRC home loads that are 130gr and really zipping along. I think someone’s .270 home loads in lead did it once though as well and these where really travelling as well.

I'd also add that getting targets that are water jet cut helps as well. The plasma cut ones can alter the temper of the AR500; hence the breakage near the holes/mounting points.

 

[Bowland blades]

We break gongs fairly regularly, but then our gongs get more rounds in a day sometimes than a normal single person would shoot in a year I expect. Avoid the ones that have chain hangers as they break more frequently by cracking. Steel Target company seem to be the most robust I my opinion.

Back to the original question no real difference noticed between copper and lead projectiles. Sometimes a really fast but still weighty projectile will drill straight through. Hard to determine exactly why but multiple hits from same round on a small area on the gong might be the cause. Talking about 6.5 PRC home loads that are 130gr and really zipping along. I think someone’s .270 home loads in lead did it once though as well and these where really travelling as well.

The reason for multi hits with copper in the same area will fail is its work hardening . Lead being much softer will not harden the gong as fast