We are considering building a range on our new hunting lease and were wondering if we could get a thicker sheet of steel maybe 30 x 30 inches or so and set it on a 30 degree angle to direct bullets into the ground, how thick would it have to be to stop anything from a 300WM on down from say 25 yards on out? I have never shot steel except my fathers barbacue pit which was 1/4 mild steel and my 222 remington shot right thru it at 50 yards and dinged the far side. My Dad dinged me of course for this stunt...so the question...how thick?

Jimmy,

I don't shoot at steel any closer than 200 yds with a jacketed bullet in any caliber, this means .17 and up. It's very dangerous to get closer than that. So please don't do it.

25 yds is ok for low velocity lead bullets. NO JACKETED BULLETS & nothing over 1000 fps.

Some recommend shooting at steel with jacketed rifle bullets no closer than 300yds.

We used 3/4" T1 steel. It doesn't pit or cup, so it won't throw a bullet back at you or into the wild blue yonder.

It's expensive, my sizes are 6x6" @ 200. 10x10 @ 300 and 12x12" @ 400 yds.

Smallish but will make you a better marksman.

Be safe,

JM.

Good advise.

We have steel plate matches here once a week at ranges of sometimes 15 yards. When I used to help with the qualifications for the local PD years ago they would shoot steel even closer than that with FMJ ammo. I would say haveing non pitted steel would be more of a concern than the distance. Just my .02

At my club in XX, we had a Dr shoot himself in the hand while rapid firing a pistol at a swinging target at 15 yards. Don't know what sort of bullet he was using.

The original poster was asking about rifles (300 Win Mag) if I understand it correctly. Not pistols...

But I have been wrong before!

John

ricochet injury

It happens.

Hi Jpb,

Having shot steel in 3 gun matches for years I wanted to bring up the fact that pistol as well as rifle ammo can cause deadly ricochets.

The short distance he stated was too close to shoot anything safely using a rifle or pistol non frangible jacketed bullet.

If i had just said don't shoot it with a 300 mag and he or someone else shot it with a 223 or a pistol using the wrong ammo and got hurt I'd feel bad for not explaining dangers of using any type of firearm with non frangible jacketed bullets at close range.

Best,

JM.

We recently rebuilt our range using steel baffles. AR500 steel 1/2" thick will stop a .470 NE 500 gr. solid at 10 ft. We had it tested at White Laboratories. Setting the steel at an angle with a sand pit under it should work. We have 2" of recycled rubber bonded to ours. The steel and rubber can be purchased from Range Systems.

Indeed, I was responding to the gentleman who was givng his opinion on safe distances. Accidents can happen at any range, I guess it's up to you how much of a risk you're willing to take. I can say I have never seen an accident at close range but that doesnt mean they dont happen. Just the same i'm sure accidents are possible from 200 yards away.

this is what we are going to do. Angle the plate by 30-35 degrees down so the bullets go down into a sand pit. A 1 inch thick by 36" x 36" width/lenght plate is 400 pounds, I would surely rather have to deal with 1/2 plate at 200

It seems obvious to me that you're intending to create ricochets - controlled and contained ricochets. I can't see where this would be a problem as long as your angle is carefully chosen in order to create safe deflections. Obviously one would also have to be careful to insure that the deflected bullets could not encounter other hard objects or surfaces which might create dangerous secondary deflections. As for the thickness of metal needed to avoid deformation, I don't know for certain but think- based on some experience- that 1/2", even if it isn't the hardest steel, should work for a deflection plate. You might test some smaller pieces first to be sure. (And shoot them with the fastest, not necessarily the hardest or heaviest bullets you have. Speed creates penetration when metal is the target.)

Good point, I should buy a 1 foot square plate, position it at a 35 degree down angle and shoot it with something fast before buying the entire darn thing.

I have a couple of 1/2 inch plates to set up (for pistol)and am going to mount them with two pieces of 1/4 x 2" flat bar, welded to the back at +- 30 degrees. The flat bars will pivot on a pin at the top and there will be a stop so it can only swing back but not forward. Should deflect rounds down and allow the plate to move back with the impact but not pivot forward enough to deflect bullets back at the firing line. Just remember to allow for the angle when cutting the plates, a circle will need to be cut as an oval and square will need to be cut as a rectangle.

There was a one inch thick mild steel plate at 100 yds (hung plumb) at the range and although rifle bullets had not punched through it, the surface looked like the moon. Some craters were more than 1/2 inch deep.

We were shooting at a contraption made of steel last weekend and the target has a spring on it so it pops back up.
My friends daughter was observing on the firing line.
She started crying and holding her neck and then we noticed she had a welt on her neck that looked like a second degree burn. It didn't penetrate the skin luckily.
It was intended to be a pistol target and some guy was shooting his 30-30 at it. (Maybe 30 yds away.)
He won't be invited back next time!
whelennut

I know we are talking about rifle bullets� but our Naval Reserve Center had an in door pistol range set up just like that in the 70s. We shot .45s a lot.

They said it was old Cruiser Armor whatever kind of steel that was.

http://www.break.com/index/bullet-ricochet-almost-kills-shooter.html

I just built a steel gong out of a cutting edge from a loader bucket. It is 24"x12". We plan on hanging it from chains we welded to it, so it could swing. I was concerned about ricochets, but figured as long as it was 500yds+, it would be ok?

Is my thinking flawed?

Thanks.

My vote is yes. We shoot steel all the time and I have never seen a bullet striking a surface squarely become a problem. Even at close range, shrapnel is about the only problem, but apparently it happens.

good thing he had that hat on.

If you shoot something square, there is the opportunity for a return, I cannot see that opportunity if the plate is slanted down unless the surface becomes pocked or distorted in some fashion.

I used to work with a guy who used a .223 to shoot varmints on his farm. One day he decided to see how much steel his .223 would penetrate. He propped up a steel plate against a saw horse, walked back about 50 yds and shot the steel plate while standing. The slug impacted the steel plate, and then a slug fragment bounced back and hit my friend in the abdomen and penetrated his liver. He had to have surgery to remove the fragment and spent a week in the hospital contemplating inelastic collisions.

Another video of a ricochet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS4tcLg5oCg

--shinbone

The Shin bone's connected to the....Leg Bone,

The Leg bone's connected to the......Hip Bone,

Sorry,

But since your name has now stuck that song in my head I had to do it.

Best,

JM.

If you want to see the effect of cuping in mild steel, shoot one hung above snow. Do not be within 30yrds of the target...the snow looks like it was shot with a shotgun!

I actually have a scar on my left shoulder from accidentaly shooting at a steel backhoe blade that was covered by Kudzu in a gravel pit. I fired a 152 gr, 7.62 Nato FMJ from a .308 Winchester into the gravel pit and hit the blade about 20-25 yards away.

The core of the bullet ricocheted and penetrated my shoulder about three inches. The deformed bullet core was stopped by my upper arm bone. I noticed smoke coming from a .30 caliber hole in my shirt, plus, my shoulder felt a burning sensation and blood was dripping off my fingertips. A sign that all was not well!

Since I had been a Corpsman in the Army Infantry, I always carry a Army Field Surgical Kit in my car when shooting. I took a hemostat and removed the bullet and put a dressing on the wound.

Anyhow a lesson learned, the moral of this story is: don't shoot at hardened steel with high velocity, FMJ, centerfire-rifle ammunition, period!

Having the tools and presence of mind does keep enquiring minds from wanting to know. Gun shot wounds of any kind must be reported to the police in Canada. I take stapler in the bush in case of significant laceration or penetrating injury. Not admitting personal foolishness...priceless.

Randy

PS thanks for your service as a corpsman.

a 270 winchester, 30-06, 375 h&h, 300 win, and 338 win with normal lead tip hunting bullets will penetrate 3/8" - 1/2" steel from 100 yards at anything close to a 90 degree angle like a hot knife through butter (seen with my own eyes). At a 45 degree angle, it will dent it pretty good and not take too long to start creating holes. I would think a 3/4" piece of steel at a 45 degree angle would probably hold up, but I would go for 1" thick my self.
and of coarse, like you stated, angle it towards the ground.

Just FYI, I had a 375 h&h bullet hit the edge of a 1/4" thick plate which cause it to keyhole through the 1/2" steel plate behind it. couldn't believe the bullet went right through it while traveling sideways.

.22 Hornet+ 50 yds.+ 1/2" steel gong = 4" crease on the left side of my noggin.

Scar still shows.

I won't shoot steel gongs because they can reflect bullets back in different dirrections. a piece of stationary steel angled downward is safe

We shoot at a steel plate about 3x4 and an angle, but, the plate is inside a wooded crate. We have also filled the crate with wood scraps and short tree limbs that have been cut. We have never observed any bullets leaving the box.

We have replaced the box as it was shot up.

We shoot at a steel plate about 3x4 and an angle, but, the plate is inside a wooded crate. We have also filled the crate with wood scraps and short tree limbs that have been cut. We have never observed any bullets leaving the box.

We have replaced the box as it was shot up.

I've wanted to pick up some steel targets myself and really like John's idea w/ the 200, 300 and 400 yard options.

My question is: If you're angling a plate vs. hanging it, what happens to the bullet if you strike the top edge? Not likely but I'd think a hanging plate would do a good job of stopping the bullet and leave less opportunity to "skip" a bullet off the top edge....

I can even sew myself up, in an emergency. I worked as a diamond driller helper/propector/line cutter when I was 16 years old for a year (for a crazy Russian driller being paid by the foot drilled) up in the Malartic/Seneterre (mostly muskeg) regions of Quebec. It's amazing what you can do in a pinch.

If you hit the top edge or a slanted piece of steel, it can rickochette parts of the bullets up in the air, but it can also do the same thing by hitting the edge of steel when it is perfectly horizontal, but usually if it hits the edge, there is not much of an in-tact bullet

The type of steel will really change how it gets penetrated by a bullet.

Any of the wearplates with a Brinnel hardness of 380 or greater are good bullet stoppers.

I can attest to the ability of a piece of 1/2", 425 wear plate to resist bullet strikes, from 257 WTBY, all the way up to 458's

As long as the plate is either fixed at a downward angle, or allowed to move such as a sillouhette, or a swinging gong, ricochets and bounce back outside of the effective 50 to 75 yd area is no hazard IMO.

Everything I've read on ARFCOM (AR15.com) seems to use AR-500 steel. Seems to be the best choice if you don't want bullets penetrating your steel.

Since we're on the topic of ricohets, I've had them even shooting golf balls. Buddy threw a golf ball out in front of me while shooting. I had his PTR-91 7.62mm (H&K G3 clone) and proceeded to shoot the ball three times, bouncing it down the range. Third shot, jacket separated from the core and ricocheted back and smacked him in the neck. Luckily, nothing happened to him though.

Thinking it was a Partition on the right and an Accubond on the left.

Headband optional.

which is why I keep several tubes of super glue on hand. I cannot sew for chitt but you can glue yourself back together...no kidding.

AR-500 is what I am looking for!

Sam what kind of steel? How thick? As indicated in prior posts my dads barbacue pit was not match for a 222 remington.

Jimmy, that's old, soft steel. Maybe 3/8".

I've shot through it with SMK's.

Check here:

Muchly good stuff.

http://www.metaltargets.com/Home.htm

Shane posted this link awhile back.

http://lvsteeltargets.com/main.htm

Thanks, I sent them a message and asked how much for just a sheet of AR500 shipped to GA!

My brother is going to dental school down at UNLV.
Thinking about asking him to stuff one of those gongs in his luggage on his next flight back.....(grin)

I have shot at a free standing 8" plate made from T1 steel that was 3/8" thick. The plate was raked to the rear about 15*. The round I used was a 165 gr BTSP Hornady shot from a 30-06 at 2900 ft/sec. Hot knife through butter is an apt description. Range was 100 yards. I saw a piece of 120 pound railway steel with a 375 H&H sized hole through the flange. Eeek!

Be careful, my friend.

My gong is made out of 3/4" mild steel. I am shooting a .338wm. At 300 yards it is making dents about 1/2 way through with a 250grn bullet.

The boys are going to make me one out of a hardened 3/4" steel so it doesn't dent so badly.

I would not use mild steel again.

FWIW I would exercise extreme caution shooting a steel plate at less than 200 yards.

I use 5/8" plain old A36 steel for a gong. When it finally gets too many chunks out of it I cut another one. I don't really shoot them up clsoe but at about 300 yards works great up to 300 win mag. It's cheap enough you can make several for the price of some of the other steels mentioned. I just pick up the drops out of the shop.

A hanging gong will not have to be as thick as a standing target that can't swing.

Check out youtube, there is a guy shooting a 50 cal @ 1000 yards, at a piece of steel, it ricochet back at him and hit him in the head. I will never shoot at steel with my 30-06

Nothing ricochets 1000 yds. The one I saw was MUCH closer than that. Use AR500 plate and set it out there a ways and you are fine. The higher the velocity, the easier they are to penetrate. I have a 1/2" 1018 CR steel gong with rebar hooks welded on it to hang on barb wire fences. I don't shoot closer than about 250 but so far, NOTHING has gone all the way through it. Most damage was by 40 grain BTs from a .224 AI at about 150. I had to put it close enough for the scouts to see it. Here is a photo.





The three new shots are 108 Lapua Scenars at 500 yds from a .260 Rem. They would have done some damage at 150- probably went through.

For what it's worth, in New York City, if you wish to open a commercial range, the plate steel must be angled at exactly 45 degrees. Miss that angle by one degree and your range did not get approved. Once the bullet is directed toward a sand trap after hitting a sloped steel sheet set at 45 degrees, the chance of ricochet is nill but of concern is bullet splatter. Bullet fragments are dangerous to the eyes (always wear eye protection while shooting) but do not cause serious wounds. I should know, I've been hit by many as a police firearms instructor.

For an intact bullet to be re-directed toward the shooting line, something down range was not installed properly.

Again- talking about close range shooting. We had to eliminate all steel from our range about 15 years ago. Steel is NOT popular with LE ranges. We had an indoor house with plywood covered steel walls but only frangible ammo was allowed inside.

When shooting rifles at steel- just keep some distance and you are fine.

I made a steel spinning target out of 1/2" steel 3" diameter, for 22's. Was shooting at it with the Wife working in the yard 100 yards away and behind. She heard a bullet buzz by that was close enough to sound like a mad bee. That was the last time I shot the spinner! No more steel for me!
Virgil B.