Is my target safe to shoot?

[03A3]

Ended up taking it out today to see what would happen. Used the XD45 and XDm9c. Shot at 15 yards, 10, 7, then 5. Never felt anything come back at me but wore pants, kevlar sleeves, and eye pro, just in case. Looked like the majority of the lead landed immediately below or within the first 3' of the target.

You're fixin to get hurt, and I'm basing that off my own personal experiance, and that of some friends.
We used to shoot anything, including stuff like you have there. It was always just a matter of time before someone was flopping in the dirt bleeding like a stuck hog.

 

[chezuki]

A plate that size of AR-500 will only run you about $30. Is what you're doing really worth that risk for $30?!?

 

[foxmustang]

I've Been Using Plates From Work That Are Hardened And Annealed 440c Stainless Running About 58 Rockwell For CenterFire Rifle. Shot Everything From 204 To Steel Core 7.62X54 At It And No Damage To Plate And No Ricochet.

 

[ZbornacSVT]

How does hardsurface rod hold up? Are you guys using a plasma or oxy/fuel table?

Are product is laser cut.
Im not familiar with hard surface rod.

 

[flashpuppy]

Are product is laser cut.
Im not familiar with hard surface rod.

Really? Super common in the heavy equipment/material transfer world. Building up worn cutting edges and what not. I use a lot of the Lincoln Wearshield which last time I tested it showed just under 65HRc or around 725 Brinnell. Course I dont know the ladt time I had my tester calibrated. Never considered shooting at it though...

Nice looking prts! I'm sure that laser is handy when it comes to cleaning dross. One day I'm gonna finish my Laser and put that Plasma table to bed.

 

[GoldenBear]

Ended up taking it out today to see what would happen. Used the XD45 and XDm9c. Shot at 15 yards, 10, 7, then 5. Never felt anything come back at me but wore pants, kevlar sleeves, and eye pro, just in case. Looked like the majority of the lead landed immediately below or within the first 3' of the target.

Continue to shoot your target, and you will not remain safe from ricochet indefinitely. But there is also no guarantee that you'll self-perforate yourself. You makes your choices, and yous takes your chances.

I can't decide for you if the risk is worth a $30 target. Who knows, maybe you'll continue to get lucky.

The diagram here is insightful. As the target plate gets further damaged & pock-marked, the fragment pattern becomes less predictable. I'm am also concerned about those dark spots in the center of your hits.

I also encourage you to take a look at the Steel Target Guide.
http://www.actiontarget.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/pt_Steel_Target_Resource_Guide.pdf

 

[ZbornacSVT]

Here is a great read and test done by our own Lovemywoods

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion-patterns-off-steel-targets-pic-heavy.html

 

[merotek]

Ok, I guess I am really dense, can someone explain how the harder steel is safer to shoot at? In my mind, a ricochet is more likely to happen shooting at a harder surface? Thanks in advance

 

[ZbornacSVT]

Ok, I guess I am really dense, can someone explain how the harder steel is safer to shoot at? In my mind, a ricochet is more likely to happen shooting at a harder surface? Thanks in advance

Softer steel allows the bullet to use the energy to deform the steel. Be it punching a hole, cratering, gouging, etc.
The harder steel doesn't give as much when hit, so the energy is spent in fragmenting the bullet on the surface.

Here is a video showing what a round does when it hits the harder steel. There isn't anything left of the bullet to ricochet.
[video=youtube;mqy7KCvYQN4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqy7KCvYQN4[/video]

 

[merotek]

this makes sense, I guess I didnt think about anything being hard enough to make the bullet basically disintegrate. Thanks!

 

[jwh20]

Ok, I guess I am really dense, can someone explain how the harder steel is safer to shoot at? In my mind, a ricochet is more likely to happen shooting at a harder surface? Thanks in advance

It is NOT intuitive but the real-world results tell the true story. The link posted above:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion-patterns-off-steel-targets-pic-heavy.html

Is VERY informative.

 

[wsenefeld]

Here is a great read and test done by our own Lovemywoods

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion-patterns-off-steel-targets-pic-heavy.html

Guess I'll be getting a couple next time I'm down that way. Will .223 punch holes through it?

 

[lizerdking]

Guess I'll be getting a couple next time I'm down that way. Will .223 punch holes through it?

I bought a few plates from Bobcat earlier this year. So far myself and friends have put around 1000 rounds of 223, 500 rounds of 7.62x54r, 200 round of 243, 500 rounds of 45acp, 1000 rounds of 22lr, 500 rounds of 9mm, + probably a bit more.

The only thing that caused any harm was 2 shots of 300 win mag @ about 250 yards. Small dimple.

The rest seem to chip the paint off, I recoate with some white rustoleum and we're good to go.


I highly recommend Bobcat, the shipping is less than you think. USPS If it fits is ships got me 3 better quality targets shipped for less than I could find lesser quality local.

 

[CountryBoy19]

High chance of ricochet with anything less than about 400BHN steel with pistol calibers.

That steel you have will be about 130-200BHN. Realistically probably in the 150BHN range.

This^^^

You can shoot with mild/structural steel, but you risk richochets.

We have a LOT of mild steel plates at our range. You have to be careful shooting them though. I found that out the hard way just this past week. I thought 50 yards was a fairly safe distance to shoot .223 (not penetrator or steel core etc). Well it wasn't. I got a pretty nasty richochet, right in the bridge of my nose. Thank goodness I had eye/ear pro on. The richochet hit hard enough to create a real gusher of a nose bleed that lasted on and off for most of the day. My nose is still sore a full week later...

Thats from shooting mild steel 7/8" plate at 50 yards with a .223 battle-rifle.

The risk is certainly minimized with pistol rounds because they often don't deform the plate much into the plastic deformation range but they will still through lead back. I've actually witnessed a guy shooting at ~30 yards at 400 BHN catch a piece of jacket that came back and embedded into his neck...

Moral is, steel, no matter how hard, can throw fragments back at you so ALWAYS wear proper protection. Hard steel has a lower risk though due to the way it deforms and deflects those fragments.

 

[ZbornacSVT]

Guess I'll be getting a couple next time I'm down that way. Will .223 punch holes through it?

Unless you are loading some 30 grain 4000ish FPS screamer it will not punch through.
3200fps is about the speed you will start to notice some pock marks, which will get progressively worse as you increase the velocities. As you get closer to 4000 they will make it through. This is true for any caliber, not just .223.

 

[Hop]

I need to get a picture of my Bobcat IPSC 100% torso. That thing has taken quite the beating from about every common caliber available including XM855 steel core, .458 SOCOM, .308, 54R, 12G, machine gun fire, etc... There are some dents but no pock marks or sharp divets. Our normal distance has been ~35 yards.