Safe shooting distance for roundballs and steel targets?

[PluggedNickel]

Since my last post, I have finished painting the hot rolled steel plate .250" thick. I have replaced the nylon strap with one that has steel, rubber coated hooks that hold it by the edge, thus, no chance of cutting the strap with a lead ball. I have also found that I can adjust the downward angle of the back up plate by tightening or loosening the strap adjustment. I will try to get some more pictures. I think my rig will work great off the back deck, which is already 4' above ground level.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I wouldn't use a rifle at that range - just thought it was interesting what was happening to the lead balls.

That's good.
I have a collection of range art in the form of lead projectiles, some in a near perfect serrated edge circle. They are indeed fun to collect and wonder about how they are deformed like that.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Since my last post, I have finished painting the hot rolled steel plate .250" thick. I have replaced the nylon strap with one that has steel, rubber coated hooks that hold it by the edge, thus, no chance of cutting the strap with a lead ball. I have also found that I can adjust the downward angle of the back up plate by tightening or loosening the strap adjustment. I will try to get some more pictures. I think my rig will work great off the back deck, which is already 4' above ground level.

Let us know how that works out. Methinks 1/4" thick mild steel will not hold up to an ml rifle. I have some swinging targets designed for .22 lr use and they dent from those hits.

 

[PluggedNickel]

Let us know how that works out. Methinks 1/4" thick mild steel will not hold up to an ml rifle. I have some swinging targets designed for .22 lr use and they dent from those hits.

My mobile target and back stop is for shooting BP revolvers off my back deck. The 4'X4' mild steel plate is not the target, it is only to catch any misses. At 20-25 yards, I don't expect to have many misses on the 3/8" AR500 target steel. If I do, I don't think a soft lead ball fired from a BP revolver will penetrate the .250" back up plate, especially since it is going to be at an angle from shooting off our deck, and I plan to let it angle forward with the strap. I've tried that and it works well with my dolly set up.
The target is 3/8" AR500 steel. Again, I have several thousand yards of open field behind me. No roads, barns, or houses. The mild steel is just an added precaution, and will keep any stray lead out of the crop fields. I don't know anyone in our family that will miss that back up plate, most would rarely miss the AR500 target. If anyone would we have nothing but air, and open field for about 3,000 yards. No worries. If I want to shoot rifles, I can always go the the gun range, we are members. I don't think I would miss an AR500 target at 75 yards with a muzzle loading rifle either for that matter. If I ever find that I do, I can always get a larger AR500 plate, or use another .250" mild steel back up plate behind the first one. My mobile target set up was designed for shooting BP revolvers off our back deck. I think it will work handily for that purpose. Thanks for your input. I'll post again once I shoot the Walker. With some pictures of course. I would not shoot at a steel target any closer that 20 yards with BP revolver and soft steel round balls, for rifle with lead ball or bullet, no closer than 75 yards. That is what the manufacturer of my AR500 plate recommends. As always, eyes and ears when shooting any guns. We shoot closer than that at steel in SASS, and we have all been dinged with some lead fragments. Low power loads, rarely breaks the skin tough, and it is just fragments, the bullets flatten out
like a nickel.

Picture above is with strap with rubber coated steel hooks, so no hitting the nylon strap with balls.
Prior to painting, with strap that goes all the way around the steel below.

I also cleaned up and painted the cast steel base with RustOleum, and painted the heavy wall pipes with black RustOleum.

Crops are down now. This picture was taken about a month ago.

Weather's going to have to get a bit milder before I can test any of these theories though.

 

[Newtire]

Someone here mentioned that the worse ricochet they ever had was off wood. Take it from me, lead shot and hard old 2X4 Target frames at 7 yards are not a good idea! I guess the hard lead shot didn't help much either. Sure got my attention. Was testing out some snake loads out of my .44 and a #8 stuck just under the skin in my forehead. Safety glasses are a good idea too.

 

[russellshaffer]

I once had a 177 lead pellet ricochet close enough that I could hear the whistle while shooting at a wood power pole. Lead does strange things and it doesn't take much velocity.

 

[PluggedNickel]

I once had a 177 lead pellet ricochet close enough that I could hear the whistle while shooting at a wood power pole. Lead does strange things and it doesn't take much velocity.

More prone to ricochet at low velocity. In fact I have a self healing target that warns not for pellet guns for that very reason. Not enough velocity to sink into the target, so it will bounce back at you!