Shooting Steel everybody into it.

[hunter399]

Just wanted to ask if there was some do and don't safety tip to shooting steel.
1/2 in ar500 plate
From the steel company
100 yards for rifles
10 yards for pistols

Anything anybody can add I might be missing.
Pretty much made this today.

[h20hunter]

Looks good. Love the thwack.  Set it up and let er rip.

[wadu1]

The only thing I would add, when shooting pistols at close range 10 - 25 yards angle the plates. Flat on you will get a lot of splatter even with them angled you will get some splatter. Our clubs plates are angled 10-15 degrees down and away from the shooting position. But I'll tell you it's a blast shooting steel on a timed score. I shot 80+ rounds of 9mm and 160+ rimfire this past weekend. 

[Magnum_Willys]

Know nothing about pistols but shooting steel at 10 yards sounds scary.   I shoot steel at 1000.    At 100 offhand might be fun. 

[hunter399]

I guess it said velocity 2850 min to avoid pitting.I forgot to add that .But ya 35 for the plate and about 25 for rebar .Not sure if I should put feet on it .I guess I will have to shoot it and see if it fails backward or not.

[Blacklab]

Steel sounds better than paper. I hang 3/8 6” plates a on 2x4 stand I made. With the 1/2” gong I use a sawhorse. I’ll get some pics of the 6” plates setup. Slight down angle is your friend

[Yondering]

Anything anybody can add I might be missing.

Main thing is don't shoot pitted steel. If you do shoot it too close and pit it, it's better to replace it (and some will insist that's the only safe way) but if you don't, at least turn it around and shoot the flat side.

[CastleRocker]

I've shot a lot of steel, most things are common sense.  That being said...don't shoot any steel with a bullet traveling over 2850fps.  If you are shooting a caliber that's super fast...back up. 

I can tell you a 223/556 at 75 yards can not only crater a Popper made with 1/2" cold rolled, but can shoot that bullet straight back at you and hit just below you kneecap HARD.  (Still have that scar).

Also, if you have access to conveyor belting, it works great to hang your targets from.  It sucks to pack your steel and stand across a canyon, hang it from the chains, hike all the way back, get all set up and shoot a chain in half right off the bat.  Then, if you didn't bring quick links, or a clevis to fix it...your done.

As others have said; angle your targets down.  I use 3" bolts through the target.  Steel one end, and the belting, (or chain) on the other.

It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway.  Wear eye protection!  I've pulled jacket frags out of the forehead of other shooters, that came from the next bay over.  Would've been bad in an eyeball.

[Yondering]

can shoot that bullet straight back at you and hit just below you kneecap HARD. 

That's a good example why you don't shoot pitted steel.

That first shot into mild steel is OK, it just splatters the bullet and craters the steel. It's that next shot that hits the edge of that crater that can send a bullet or fragment back at you. That's why AR500 is used for steel rifle targets - so the target doesn't crater, and won't send pieces back at you.

Best not to shoot thick mild steel at all with rifles unless it's at long distance, with plenty of room around the steel so nothing important gets hit by fragments.