What happens to a lead ball when fired directly into steel??

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Entertaining as always.

I have something to consider- is the surface of your target pitted from repeated impacts? If so, those craters will influence how the lead splatters. One thing I've found is target mounting will influence it. If the target can "give" because it's hanging on chains, the effect will be very different from one firmly mounted. Yeah, I tinker a bit at the range too.

Yes...that ol' hog target has multiple "pimples" on it!
I'm sure that does change the dynamics of those round balls.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Another fun video, Mark! My gal and I liked it!

I was recently doing some thinking on setting up some steel targets. I have seen some ricochets with negative "impacts" on people and property. Luckily no bad injuries.

Like Trapper Scott had mentioned above, my thought was to hang the targets mounted on chains with some negative rake angle provided by offsetting the chain to the target with extra nuts on the mounting bolts. This way the round/bullet will be deflected in a hopefully downward angle so there are less chances to send a direct ricochet or lead fragments back to the shooter.

Here are some simple drawings I had doodled up.

I'd say that will work wonderfully.
I'm pretty blessed, unless I have someone with me, the zoo bottoms is 1/2 mile from the nearest house.

 

[hangfast]

Check out the sound and moves this plate has

 

[DuncNZ]

Good one Mark , I once shot a gong and a red mist enveloped the range , they guy who sprayed the gong red put the spray can about 30 feet away behind a post , a piece of my ball punctured the can fair and square and boomf , red mist.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

Check out the sound and moves this plate has

WOW...that's a hard hitting muzzleloader!

 

[hangfast]

WOW...that's a hard hitting muzzleloader!

Approximately equivalent to a 75 cal Brown Bess w/ round ball

 

[BigAl52]

Approximately equivalent to a 75 cal Brown Bess w/ round ball

Was just on your site and maybe I missed it but am I correct saying your targets come with the square hole in them no matter what shape or size one chooses?

 

[hangfast]

Was just on your site and maybe I missed it but am I correct saying your targets come with the square hole in them no matter what shape or size one chooses?

We use Grade 8 Carriage bolts for all our plates. Carriage bolts have a square shoulder.
Grade 8 bolts are required for target mounting because the stress forces will pop the head off non grade bolts very easily.
Carriage bolts have a low, rounded profile that reduces fragments deflecting toward the shooter. Hex bolts have right angles that will deflect frags.
Grade 8 carriage bolts are difficult/ impossible to find at the local hardware store.

 

[BigAl52]

We use Grade 8 Carriage bolts for all our plates. Carriage bolts have a square shoulder.
Grade 8 bolts are required for target mounting because the stress forces will pop the head off non grade bolts very easily.
Carriage bolts have a low, rounded profile that reduces fragments deflecting toward the shooter. Hex bolts have right angles that will deflect frags.
Grade 8 carriage bolts are difficult/ impossible to find at the local hardware store.

Understand the usage of the grade 8 and square hole. Thanks for the info.

 

[sheriff john]

From personal experience using various steel targets to teach combat shotgun and pistol for many years, things happen predictably but not every time. Too-soft steel targets will deform (bend and dimple) even with all-lead projectiles. 12 gauge slugs were the most dangerous we used. One did a "direct blown back ricochet" from 25 yards, a piece striking a Deputy on the firing line (dimpled pepper-popper). Not much energy, but luckily he was wearing a jacket.

Impact on steel sends shards in all directions. Fragments went more than 50 yards over a berm onto a neighboring range from factory, very hard targets rated for jacketed hollow point ammo. It took only a couple of years to render a set of soft steel falling plate/pepper poppers to become unsafe. We finally found funding for factory-made steel targets, followed the manufacturer's instructions, and problems subsided. Thousands of rounds in a wide variety of ranges & scenarios taught valuable lessons.

Never, ever, shoot a steel target firmly anchored unless it's angled to deflect downward. Swingers should be angled, but they're pretty forgiving. Closer than 20 yards? I'll be somewhere else. No safety glasses? Not me. Cheers.

 

[hangfast]

From personal experience using various steel targets to teach combat shotgun and pistol for many years, things happen predictably but not every time. Too-soft steel targets will deform (bend and dimple) even with all-lead projectiles. 12 gauge slugs were the most dangerous we used. One did a "direct blown back ricochet" from 25 yards, a piece striking a Deputy on the firing line (dimpled pepper-popper). Not much energy, but luckily he was wearing a jacket.

Impact on steel sends shards in all directions. Fragments went more than 50 yards over a berm onto a neighboring range from factory, very hard targets rated for jacketed hollow point ammo. It took only a couple of years to render a set of soft steel falling plate/pepper poppers to become unsafe. We finally found funding for factory-made steel targets, followed the manufacturer's instructions, and problems subsided. Thousands of rounds in a wide variety of ranges & scenarios taught valuable lessons.

Never, ever, shoot a steel target firmly anchored unless it's angled to deflect downward. Swingers should be angled, but they're pretty forgiving. Closer than 20 yards? I'll be somewhere else. No safety glasses? Not me. Cheers.

Here is an interesting and informative resource guide from Action Target. http://shootntsa.com/reference_docs...ing/pt_Steel_Target_Resource_Guide[1] (1).pdf

 

[deerstalkert]

here are a couple .54 balls i recovered on the ground under my 100 yd steel. load was 80gfff and .010 patch out of my mortimer.
actual shot was 125 yards . some one smarter than me can calc the velocity. the round ball and 50 cent piece for comparison .

 

[45man]

Well, tell ya what. I made a backstop from steel to try and save lead but even at a 45 degree angle I just find dust. But a plastic 55 gal drum full of rubber mulch will catch most when you shoot into the end..

 

[hangfast]

Well, tell ya what. I made a backstop from steel to try and save lead but even at a 45 degree angle I just find dust. But a plastic 55 gal drum full of rubber mulch will catch most when you shoot into the end..

If you want to save lead the easy way.... try this
The tire captures most if not all the lead if set up correctly.
Works on a standard T Post. Shown here with our T Post Stand.