How close for gongs?

[paulvallandigham]

NO. Actually, on a vertical steel plate, they will splatter in all directions on a direct, 90 degree hit. The center of the ball may also bounce straight back towards the shooter. The reason to tip the swinging gongs downwards, toward the shooter, is so that the splatter goes to the ground fast, before the gong moves perceptively. The heavy steel gong will weigh many times the total weight of your ball or bullet, so its unreasonable to expect the gong to move much at all at the moment of impact.

 

[Titus]

Don't a soft lead roundball just flatten out like a pancakeand drop to the ground when it hits a steel gong"?

Usually a VERY small piece of lead from about 400 grains of pure soft Pb will be found as a little disc. The rest splattered in all directions.

 

[walruskid1]

it never fails - when we get a new gong on the bp range, somebody will drill a hole with a '06 or .308 ap just for fun. someday i'll catch 'em! :cursing:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Too bad the gong with the hole in it can't shoot back at the bozo!! :shake: Dave

 

[Titus]

Yup, its also one of my biggest peeves. :cursing: Although I must say this 16mm steel plate of mine surprised one of my friends with his .303 Lee Enfield. Just made a relatively deep crater. :rotf: Can always fill it back up with a welder. :hmm: