Steel targets and round balls ?

[SDSmlf]

When I shot CASS, it was commonplace to get hit with lead from the closer reactive steel pistol targets, maybe 7 yards out, at least at the ranges I shot at. And yes, the targets were angled down and not locked in place. Nothing dangerous, unless you took one in the eye. Guess that was one of the reasons for eye protection, something many resist, but that is their choice. Ever wonder why signed waivers were necessary before one could participate in the festivities?

 

[Rum River]

I have AR500 targets hung about a foot and a half below a crossbar by means of 2" straps made from old combine belting. They swing when struck and direct the splatter into the ground. Target at 25 yards was shot with an unmentionable .30 caliber magnum rifle with no ill effects. Identical target was shot with an unmentionable heavy caliber .45 rifle - no ill effects but we did hear some jacket fragments raining down on the metal roof of the shooting house.

 

[CascadeRob]

I have AR500 Steel targets as well. I bought them from shootsteel.com. And there was a kit of a 1/2” plate silhouette target with a spring system (slides right into a 2x4) and it angles down and is supposed to “deflect” now I’ve shot my .45, .50, and my brown Bess at around 40-50 yards at it. ALL of which don’t really get deflected downward (the majority does but I’ve seen some frequent flyers if you know what I mean) but Ive yet to retrieve much if any lead. Especially the Bess I’ve seen lead splatter upward with crazy velocity. Now my 8mm Mauser (at 100 yards) that steel eats that stuff up. It’s crazy how tough it is, just chips my spray paint job. I guess the soft lead is more prone to exploding because it’s soft? Or the fact that 8mm hits so much harder with way more velocity it’s getting obliterated. Not sure I’m not a ballistics major lol. I usually find bullet fragments from it though. I’ve shot modern .45’s and 9mm and it’s always sketched me out being that close but so far it’s worked.

So as far as cap and ball where the velocity is a little lower, and you’re more likely to be closer to the target. Can’t say I haven’t done it, but it is scary to think that deflection mechanism isn’t exactly fool proof.

 

[hangfast]

Being in the target business for the last 7 years I have done numerous R&D experiments and I can say definitively that a cap and ball projectile WILL NOT damage AR500 steel at any range. One caveat is that 1/4" AR500 hit with a HIGH ENERGY projectile could dent or warp (not crater) this thinner AR500.
AR500 limitations are primarily VELOCITY based. Projectiles over 2800 fps WILL chip and/or crater AR500 steel. Virtually 100% of cap and ball projectiles fall substantially below this threshold.
Another problem can arise with HOLLOW BASE projectiles such as Mini Balls or hollow base shotgun slugs. I have read that the nose of the projectile can be channeled back through the "skirt" and travel uprange. The large mass of lead traveling at INSUFFICIENT VELOCITY to fully fragment can result in rather large chunks traveling in unpredictable directions. Using a target plate hung on a downward angle or shooting the plate at a slight angle could mitigate the danger.

 

[Banjoman]

I know that many, many shooters shoot at steel targets and that it’s very popular for competitions, woods walks, etc. However, I’ve been shooting since I was big enough to hold a rifle and was taught from the very beginning to never shoot at anything steel. To this day, I don’t feel comfortable shooting steel no matter how safe it may be. It’s not my first choice of targets fer sure.