Experience with .32 on steel targets?

[doubleset]

I'm about to start experimenting with my .32 Crockett rifle on a steel target at 50 yds. But I'd like to hear from people who have used a .32 (or .36?) on steel targets, regarding the issue of ricochets. My target is suspended from a frame with two chains and hung so that it's angled back at the bottom to direct any ricochets downward.

My main question/concern is whether at that distance with the .32 (and, say, 20-30 grains of powder), the LRB will in general fragment/splash on contact or if I should expect a number of more or less intact balls ricocheting (hopefully into the ground). As I say, I'm going to start with a set-up that will allow me to see what's happening with the balls as they hit and potentially come off the target, and I have a lot of my own speculations, calculations, and "thought experiments" as well at this point. But if you've had any real experience with small caliber shooting of this sort at this distance on steel, I'd like to hear it.

Another question for those who've done this is about the thickness of the target. My current one is a 6"x3/8" AR500 hexagon. But I'm thinking that a 1/4" might be better for the little BP .32 since it would reduce further any chance of deflection/ricochet in problematic directions (you know, p = mv) and probably not beat up the 1/4" steel. Any experience/thoughts/speculations on that?

I'm a little leery about shooting steel with "low velocity" projectiles because some years ago I took some shots at a target with a .22 cal. pellet gun and managed to put a hole in the plastic housing of my 20 hp Tohatsu outboard that was about 30 yards away from the target and at close to a 90 degree angle to it!! The tiny hole was easily patched and no other damage was done from that boneheaded episode, but it was a valuable lesson and I've become a lot more cautious as a result.

 

[appalichian hunter]

When I competed with un-mentionable pistol courses using steel, I never liked it for reasons as you stated in your last paragraph. My suggestion would be to angle the plates a bit towards the ground as a deflection precaution and shoot the softest lead you can get but then that is no guarantee either. Example 38 wad cutter 15 yards bounce back took my hat and ear muffs off. Cannot say about muzzle loaders but if it were me, I stay at least 50 yards off and still be cautious.

 

[doubleset]

My suggestion would be to angle the plates a bit towards the ground as a deflection precaution ...

Yeah, the targets naturally hang like that if you use carriage bolts with one backing nut, then the chain, and then another nut to hold the chain on. And they swing freely.

Example 38 wad cutter 15 yards bounce back took my hat and ear muffs off.

I'm not surprised, though it depends on what was behind the wad cutter. Factory wadcutter target ammo, as I recall, would almost certainly have a muzzle velocity of ~800 fps, which I think seems like ricochet bait. And this is what concerns me about the .32. Assuming a mv of about 1,250 fps, the velocity at 50 yds of the round ball with it's pathetic ballistic coefficient would be about 900 fps or so. So just a little faster than the .38 wc.

Also, was that target the .38 was hitting angled, hinged, or (not uncommon) just rigidly attached to a support or a stiff spring? A lot of what people put for for "practical pistol" steel targets seem pretty dangerous.

On the other hand, my .22 LR target ammo (40 gr) starts with a mv of 1080 fps and at 50 yds has a (calculated) velocity 925 fps -- and it splatters just fine against these targets. And that's in the same ballpark (though marginally) as the .32 round ball.

This is why I'd like to hear of any real experience people have had with this. It's kind of right on the "speculation line" in terms of trying to "think" an answer to it.

 

[hawkeye2]

I want to say up front I'm not a fan of shooting steel targets even though I've done some cowboy action shooting and we have hung steel at our shoots. I don't ever remember a ricochet but that doesn't mean one can never happen. With your target hung by chains it will move and absorb some of the impact. A slight downward angle helps too. Most of the time a soft lead round ball will flatten with some weight loss and fall to the ground under or close in front of the target. I'm not sure if the thickness of the target means much but the lighter it is the more it will swing on the chains and absorb a greater portion of the projectile's impact. It is not possible to completely eliminate the chance of a rebounding ball but the possibility can be reduced to the point where it's considered safe however appalichian hunter's post shows poop will happen. I feel 15 yards is the minimum safe distance and always wear safety glasses.

Your .22 bullet is harder than a round ball and splatters/deforms easier. It isn't necessary for that to happen; all that's needed is to dissipate the ball's energy which happens when the ball is deformed from impact and the target moves too.

When I was in grade school I discovered a trick that looked impressive. I would take 2 saltines and stick them to a scrap of plate with a dab of margarine. Tell everyone I was going to split the ball on something I propped up a little in front of the plate and proceed to shoot a little to one side of the something (ax, knife, strand from a spider's web) and the splatter would pulverize the crackers. Of course you couldn't let anyone get close enough to the plate to see what you had really done.

 

[appalichian hunter]

They were Binachi cup matches and the plates were different yardages and different shapes and set ups, anywhere from straight on rigid fixed to swinging and reactive plates such as knock downs or swingers. from 15 yards to 50 yards, these days if I shoot steel, it's out beyond 300 yards with un-mentionable rifles. As too targets with the muzzle loaders it is strictly paper, sometimes a pumpkin or gal. water jugs. have fun but be careful with the steel, as you I enjoy the resounding clang from a good hit.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

My buddy has won more events than I care to say he beat me, and he shoots a 25-caliber flintlock. But I'm talking woods walks where you just need to hear the clingggggg of a hit of see target move some. If you're talking about silhouette shoots where you have to knock over the target better beef up in caliber. For those he shoots a 45 cal. I use a 40 caliber in percussion class and a 45 in flintlock class.

 

[doubleset]

Your .22 bullet is harder than a round ball and splatters/deforms easier.

Just a question about this. I thought these were pure lead. What's the difference in hardness, and what's its source? Is there bismuth or something else in the bullet?

 

[andy52]

I've shot some matches with my .32 using 30 grs 3F on steel. The ball has generally disintegrated on impact.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I've got a clanger target I made from old rebar, chains, and two steel disc's I bought at Walmart. The large one is 1/4 inch thick, the small one is 3/8ths. My .32 balls splatter upon impact and fall into the ground. They make a nice mark on the targets. My .54 caliber usually knocks the frame over at 50 yards so I move it back to about 75 when shooting the larger caliber.

 

[biliff]

I shoot my .32 on steel silhouettes at 40 m (sized for a .22) and 50 meters (standard size chickens). I believe the 50 meter steel is 3/8" thick. These are the falling targets set on a steel rail.

Using 20 gr FFFg Goex and a home cast pure lead .318 RB there are no ricochets. The ball just splatters.

Same goes for all my other RB guns up to .58 and 100 yd steel pigs. Nothing but splatter.

We also shoot steel on our Rendezvous squirrel trail and have no issues with balls bouncing back.

 

[sheriff john]

Used steel targets for over 20 years as part of combat pistol courses I taught at Sheriff's Academy. Some were custom made falling plates and pepper poppers, others factory steel targets. I know the topic.

All bullets ricochet off of steel unless "someone" shoots 'em with armor piercing rounds. Jacketed and steel core bullets and soft steel are bad juju. l

Smooth (not dimpled) steel targets are somewhat predictable. Once dimpled, not so much. The harder the steel target is, the better.

Sidways splatter is often neglected. Chunks can carry a long way - up, down, and sideways - sometimes over berms onto other ranges. They hurt, but not so much as a solid ricochet.

Do not, ever, shoot steel targets that are solidly affixed or resting against the ground unless angled to the ground. Bullet jacket & affixed lead came back to hit shooter in forearm, travelled into bone, and ruined his day. (unmentionable at 25 yards - improvised steel target stuck in ground)

Even soft lead does weird stuff. 12 ga. 1-ounce slug did a "180" off a pepper popper, bounced back over 25 yards to hit my Deputy standing behind the line. Bruised, but no blood. We quit doing that.

Here's the thing - you may go years and years with thousands of rounds having fun with a homemade, improperly installed, etc, steel
target, but when bad things happen it's too late.

Follow manufacturer's instructions, use common sense, eye protection ALWAYS and have fun.

 

[Poguetx]

We've used the standard pistol silhouette targets (chicken 40m, pig 50m, turkey 75m, ram 100m) in our blackpowder matches. We use the heavy targets rated for up to 45ACP, not the light targets for 22LR. One guy who shoots a .36 does fine on all of them except the 100m ram, where it only knocks them over about half the time when he hits.

 

[James C. Burnette]

Shot a pure lead round ball from a Ruger old army at a cylindrical dryer barrel (sheet metal) distance 50 yards, ball bounced back and struck me in the upper thigh. Hurt like hell, but no penetration. Lesson learned there.

 

[doubleset]

One guy who shoots a .36 does fine on all of them except the 100m ram, where it only knocks them over about half the time when he hits.

I'm surprised it knocks them over at all. Probably when he manages to hit them right at the top and apply all the torque that's possible.

 

[doubleset]

Shot a pure lead round ball from a Ruger old army at a cylindrical dryer barrel (sheet metal) distance 50 yards, ball bounced back and struck me in the upper thigh. Hurt like hell, but no penetration. Lesson learned there.

Yeah. So that's basically a low velocity .44? At 50 yds and off a vertical surface? Yikes. Kind of like hitting a forehand into tennis practice board.

 

[hanshi]

I've never shot either the .32 or .36 at steel targets. I have shot them plenty with the .45 and .50. I found what hit the ground to be a paper thin lead disk. I have been hit by two ricochets in my lifetime. One was way, way back when a 5mm pellet bounced back after hitting a wooden shed door at maybe a bit farther than 25 yards. The pellet hit me just above the eye and scared this kid $@&*!^##. Lesson learned - shades of Christmas Story.

The second time was much later when I taught firearms at the police academy. Everyone had broken for lunch leaving me alone at the range since I had browned bagged. And the allure of shooting .38 spl wadcutters, as many as I had time to fire during the approximate hour or so was wonderful. I was a very fine pistol shot back then and decided to stand on the firing line and shoot one hole groups at the 25 yd. targets. It was fine until a wadcutter bounced back hitting me near the breastbone. Didn't actually hurt, just felt as if someone had slapped me on the chest with an open hand. I have no idea what that round hit, either.

 

[doubleset]

This is shaping up to be an anti-wadcutter theme. I'm inclined to treat it primarily as a consequence of the low velocity. I've also read a number of reports of ricochets among cowboy action shooters -- who similarly use fairly anemic loadings.

 

[sportster73hp]

Shot a 36 flintlock last year for club woods walks. No ricochets. Only problem was in knocking over a ram target, not enough energy downrange .

 

[Yewbender]

I shoot my .36 at 2 different woods walks where steel targets are 15 to 100 yards…never had an issue. I also us pure lead so the balls mostly splatter on inpact.

 

[nhmoose]

Small calibers go "plink" large calibers go "CLANG111"