Anyone use steel targets?

30 yards, or 30 feet. I shoot at bigger steel than those things, and 30 feet is sufficient to prvent any real harm if you are wearing eye protection.



If you are talking about those little self resetting three target jobbies, they are basically crap. Consider it disposable regardless of what you shoot it with. They will get all dented and dinged up.





If you want something you can shoot all day without having to wwalk over and reset, i can recommend MGM targets auto popers. They aren't cheap, but they last pretty well, and mike is a good guy.

Shooting steel is one of the reasons I'm going to start reloading my own. I have a railroad tie crib I use as a backstop (if you were to look down at it, it's shaped like a "c" with the back wall double stacked). At the advise of someone else I tried some Winchester Ranger Lawman jacketed hollow points on my Do-All resettable targets (their thinking is that the hollow point would allow the bullet to mushroom like lead). I walked over to the backstop after shooting 30 rnds and there were pieces of the copper jacket stuck everywhere in the walls including some pretty good size chunks. That was enough for me! I have Rainier copper coated on order to load for .38 spl, 9mm, .40S&W and .45acp. Like someone else said these bullets have a very thin, soft copper electroplating over a lead core. The copper keeps the barrel clean but the bullet reacts much like lead.



Yes, Do-All recommends 30 YARDS but I think they have to for liability protection. Most people I've talked to (and myself personally) don't shoot from that far back. I use 15-18 yards even with my 20/40 uncorrected vision and find it to be just the right challenge.

yes, jacketed ammo will make nice littel sharp metal bits when shooting steel. Wear your eye protection!



The mostly safe distance is 30 feet. AT that point, you only catch the occasional splatter, which should be minimal with a well designed steel target in good repair.



The Do-all targets say 30 yards because the steel (is it even steel?) is crap and you can start bending them and putting hole sin them closer than that. Their rifle targets are utter jokes to be kind. Fraud would be closer to the truth.



In general for steel the splatter factor from least to most goes like this.



lead and coated lead -> plated -> JHP -> FMJ. But even lead can send nice big chunks back at you. however, stay 30 feet back, wear your eye protection and keep your mouth closed, and worst thing you will get is a bloody welt. Mostly just scratches or a little pain.

dennisd said:

I do some welding for a hobby (used to be an iron worker but that was a few years back). When my Do-Alls start showing too much wear I plan on cutting off the circle of steel and welding on some armor plating steel I can get from a buddy of mine. He works at a plant that makes military vehicles and they chunk 2 to 6 inch disks of the steel when they cut holes to route cables and such.

I think that would hold up pretty well.

Click to expand...

Depends. A500 is real nice, as are some other "armor" steels, but you have to be careful what's been done to them as if you ruin the temper on A500, it isn't A500 any more. So welding can be very detrimental.



Most of the steel target makers use water jet to cut, and keep any welds well away form where the target will be struck.



If those 2-6 inch disks are cut out with something hot, they may not be too tough anymore.



WHich if you cna get a pile doesn't matter much except you ahve to watch out for cratering of it as that will get stuff spit back at you.