Zeroing back stop

[Foxyboy43]

Never underestimate the .17 tiny round. Don’t ask me how I know but the US and Nato were terrified by the new russian body armour which defeated 5.56 and commissioned a number of well-known firearms manufacturers to come up with a new round which would penetrate said armour. Reportedly the calibre of choice was the .17 - driven not a whole lot faster than the hmr.

 

[finnbear270]

It would only be 16 swg maybe less , a good air rifle might manage that

An air rifle unless on FAC rating would not go through a builders skip both sides and across the air gap.

 

[Robs]

0/4 concreting sand is the way to go. Cheap and mounds up as its angular not round. It is what is used on MOD based rifle ranges. It takes the bullet and dissipates the energy. If you can build this into an earth embankment so much the better. It is surprising how little depth is reguired to absorb large centrefire rounds. If you use lead it will deform and you can retrieve it.

 

[Eddie P]

Speed kills, hence why HMRs and 22-250s will punch through steel with ease

 

[Jimmy6.5]

Sand or earth bank defiantly the way to go

 

[Longstrider]

Tells me all I want to know about using steel as a target or a backstop.

 

[Tim.243]

Tells me all I want to know about using steel as a target or a backstop.

have you a .50 cal?

 

[Pete1774]

I tried 6mm cold rolled steel with .223 and Vmax went through it at 50 yds leaving a hole like a 308. With 12mm they don't penetrate but they leave a sizeable crater. Now using paper targets against an earth bank.

 

[Foxyboy43]

I am no expert on steel and its ability to withstand being hit by a high velocity round but what I would say is it will in all likelihood fail at some stage if you “group” your shots consistently, Something that an earth or sand bank will not do. Trees however - not so good…..

 

[Bledd]

Add a second bit of 12mm as .223 will cut right through 12mm M/S
my .243 cuts a clean hole @ 200 yds.
best would be to find a lump of 16mm ar450 as it will last for a very long time, call up any laser cutting profile company have a chat as worth an ask, just have a size in mind and see what they have. ar400/450/500
Ask for 2xholes in the corners would be a bonus. It will always sell if you need to move it on.

This is mine @25mm hardox as I swapped a leg of muntjac for it lol

Nice bit of design that- gonna copy that 100%. Will be placing against the valley side - would NEVER zero the 223 without a few thousand tonnes of earth behind the target - 40gr vmax punches clean holes in 10mm mild steel at 150yards

 

[Farmer_J]

I do like a bit of steel to shoot at, do remember though you shouldn’t shoot at it under 100 yds.

I love the report especially when you start pushing the range out.

 

[Tim.243]

Nice bit of design that- gonna copy that 100%. Will be placing against the valley side - would NEVER zero the 223 without a few thousand tonnes of earth behind the target - 40gr vmax punches clean holes in 10mm mild steel at 150yards

Thank you, if you use m/s 1.5mm on the front part then you can dress the hole and dap it back with the mig.
That frame has spikes to stamp in the ground

 

[antsa]

My 100m backstop has four layers of 110mm diameter fencing posts in front of 0.5m of gravel. Neither my .223 doing 1009m/s nor my .308 get through.

Cheers

 

[paultap]

When full bore handguns were still legal to own and fire in the uk prior to the 1997 ban (please, no lectures about section 5 etc etc) I fired a Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum at an old railway sleeper from a distance of about 3 feet. I was very surprised to see that the bullet passed clean through the sleeper. Admittedly this was an old sleeper but none this less, I would not have expected that.

Plain mild steel will be totally inadequate as a back stop plate, I have swinging target plates which will stand up to centrefire use but they are specially hardened AR500 steel.

 

[Tim.243]

My 100m backstop has four layers of 110mm diameter fencing posts in front of 0.5m of gravel. Neither my .223 doing 1009m/s nor my .308 get through.

Cheers

View attachment 238305

These structures are useful, however the best backstop is the knowledge of your ground combined with your shooting platform. Sticks at a rough height of say 4' 10" give a better down angle then a bi-pod @10"
I have a mix of flat and hilly ground.....more foxes on the flat ground than the hilly for some reason

 

[Bowland blades]

An air rifle unless on FAC rating would not go through a builders skip both sides and across the air gap.

I wasn't particularly thinking of a sub 12 ft lb but even that could well punch through a single skin . Of course some of today's pcp air rifles are just as powerful as rimire if not more so .
Certainly would never hide behind an old rusty 16 or 18 swg sheet and let someone shoot a 12 ft lb at me

 

[finnbear270]

I wasn't particularly thinking of a sub 12 ft lb but even that could well punch through a single skin . Of course some of today's pcp air rifles are just as powerful as rimire if not more so .
Certainly would never hide behind an old rusty 16 or 18 swg sheet and let someone shoot a 12 ft lb at me

Skip was a brand new, Both skins from 80 yards.

 

[Longstrider]

have you a .50 cal?

Nope, and like those guys I don't have AP rounds either. What I do have is a .270 that spits out lumps of jacketed lead of between 110 and 150 grains at a pretty fair ol' lick. As I zero at 100yds I'd not be at all surprised to find at least a bit of jacket coming back my way if I were to shoot steel with it (assuming said steel was up to the job of stopping the bullet instead of becoming perforated). I'll spend my time behind the whizzy bits of metal thank you and do all I can to avoid being in front of them

 

[Squirrelbasher]

When full bore handguns were still legal to own and fire in the uk prior to the 1997 ban (please, no lectures about section 5 etc etc) I fired a Ruger Blackhawk 357 magnum at an old railway sleeper from a distance of about 3 feet. I was very surprised to see that the bullet passed clean through the sleeper. Admittedly this was an old sleeper but none this less, I would not have expected that.

Plain mild steel will be totally inadequate as a back stop plate, I have swinging target plates which will stand up to centrefire use but they are specially hardened AR500 steel.

Railway sleepers aren’t very good at stopping bullets. .22 rimfire high velocity solids will pass through them at close range, I know because I’ve done it. I’ve got to admit though, it surprised me at the time.

 

[finnbear270]