Anyone ever have a problem shooting steel?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Back in the 90s there was a fatality at a USPSA shoot.

    Jacket went over the berm and cut a kid in the neck. Got the jugular.

    VERY freak thing.
     

    Duckncover

    Member
    Jan 14, 2021
    77
    howard county
    Back in the 90s there was a fatality at a USPSA shoot.

    Jacket went over the berm and cut a kid in the neck. Got the jugular.

    VERY freak thing.

    That is terribly sad.

    I appreciate the words of caution. If I ever finish the dirtwork that Id like to accomplish at the range I will probably build some wood covering over the steel to absorb any spalling.
     

    G O B

    Ultimate Member
    Nov 17, 2007
    1,940
    Cen TX
    Always make sure the steel is not vertical! The top should always be closer to the shooter than the bottom. Even if top hung.
     

    Harrys

    Short Round
    Jul 12, 2014
    3,362
    SOMD
    When I was 16 my best friend's family owned a shooting preserve. We were out pheasant hunting he shot and got the bird. However, some of the shot hit a dead iron wood and bounced off peppering me. His mom picked about 6 to 8 pellets in my leg just under the skin. Many years later I got an x-ray of my knee and there was a shiny object there. Doc gave me a local and pulled out a BB. He asked how that got there? I said I was a kid and bullet proof. He gave me a dirty look military doctors have no sense of humor.
     

    steves1911

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 2, 2011
    3,026
    On a hill in Wv
    Only accident I ever had was poking a hole through my plate while messing around with some 168gr ttsx in my 300 win mag @ 200yds. I dont really shoot pistols at steel and I'm never closer than 100yds with rifles and most times its 200yds or greater.
     

    Occam

    Not Even ONE Indictment
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 24, 2018
    20,238
    Montgomery County
    Back in the 90s there was a fatality at a USPSA shoot.

    Jacket went over the berm and cut a kid in the neck. Got the jugular.

    VERY freak thing.

    A few steel matches back at AGC, I was standing a few feet behind a shooter about to start, and reached up to adjust the bill on my hat. I heard the action start up on the adjacent stage to the right, and immediately felt an impact and hard sting on my hand. Lowered it for a look, and had a quite deep laceration on a finger. Bled like crazy, like fingers often do.

    Couldn’t find the piece that bit me, but I’m sure it was a spinning piece of jacket doing the arcing frisbee thing up and over the Hesco at speed. If that had connected with an unprotected eye, it would have likely been a grievous loss - it was shockingly energetic given the distance and up-and-over-the-berm involved. Eye pro eye pro eye pro eye pro.
     
    Last edited:

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    When AGC first rewrote their steel rules a few years ago, they required anyone shooting steel to wear a brimmed hat (I'm not sure if it's still a requirement). At first, I thought it seemed a little silly...but went along with it. Having gotten pretty deep into shooting action steel there and elsewhere...I now always wear a hat :o Obviously, we're in wrap around eye protection all the time anyway, but the brim helps close off any potential gaps at the top of the glasses.

    When there is a lot of steel being shot (like at a match), there can be a bunch of stuff in the air. As Occam pointed out, it isn't necessarily fragments of your projectiles that are the threat. Also, even if it doesn't hit with enough force to cause damage, having twisted up fragments of copper jacket and lead stuck in your hair is no fun either.
     

    Alan3413

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 4, 2013
    16,922
    Most of the bullet splatter is directed downward for a properly angled plate. Most. A fair bit gets reflected to the sides and front.

    I used a sawhorse type stand for a while. After one season, the legs looked like they were chewed by termites. You could also cut your hand on them from the embedded copper fragments.
     

    Duckncover

    Member
    Jan 14, 2021
    77
    howard county
    Most of the bullet splatter is directed downward for a properly angled plate. Most. A fair bit gets reflected to the sides and front.

    I used a sawhorse type stand for a while. After one season, the legs looked like they were chewed by termites. You could also cut your hand on them from the embedded copper fragments.

    I also have a saw horse style target hanger, and some others on T posts. the underside of the sawhorse looks the same as you described and the dirt has a nice trench parallel to the face of the target.

    All my targets are hanging at an angle. been doing this for 3 years and havent had any problems, but I can hear the spalling fall into the woods after each shot. sounds like rain
     

    tdt91

    I will miss you my friend
    Apr 24, 2009
    10,810
    Abingdon
    We used to shoot PA steel at as close as 30 up at SLCFSA. Pistol caliber only in hand guns or carbines. Sometimes there was splatter but never was any issues with richotes.
     

    AlBeight

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 30, 2017
    4,371
    Hampstead
    I watched a guy shoot his friend in the arm with a ricochet.
    Used to work Cowboy Action Shoots at my old gun range in the 90’s. Caught dozens of Rick O’Sheas while scoring/timing other shooters. Luckily that was in cold weather and I was wearing a thick insulated coat so the rounds just bounced off. Same club ran pin shoots, also caught .22 rimfire ricochets by the handful every pin shoot we had. The bowling pins were too tuff for .22LR to penetrate and stay in the pin. Strangely most of these hit the bystanders back on the picnic bench, mostly in the lower legs. It seemed like I had bloody little nicks in my shins all that summer. Nobody ignored wearing their PPE on those days.

    I’ll never shoot steel at closer than “rated” or “suggested” distances ever again.
     

    rbird7282

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 6, 2012
    18,531
    Columbia
    When AGC first rewrote their steel rules a few years ago, they required anyone shooting steel to wear a brimmed hat (I'm not sure if it's still a requirement). At first, I thought it seemed a little silly...but went along with it. Having gotten pretty deep into shooting action steel there and elsewhere...I now always wear a hat :o Obviously, we're in wrap around eye protection all the time anyway, but the brim helps close off any potential gaps at the top of the glasses.

    When there is a lot of steel being shot (like at a match), there can be a bunch of stuff in the air. As Occam pointed out, it isn't necessarily fragments of your projectiles that are the threat. Also, even if it doesn't hit with enough force to cause damage, having twisted up fragments of copper jacket and lead stuck in your hair is no fun either.


    I’ve been hit at Falling Steel matches and Stemmers Pin Shoots at AGC. Never anything serious but it’s a constant reminder to stay vigilant with eye protection as well as watching where you stand while someone else is shooting. I’ve seen a few people get cut though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Art3

    Eqinsu Ocha
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 30, 2015
    13,267
    Harford County
    I’ve been hit at Falling Steel matches and Stemmers Pin Shoots at AGC. Never anything serious but it’s a constant reminder to stay vigilant with eye protection as well as watching where you stand while someone else is shooting. I’ve seen a few people get cut though.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    :thumbsup: Even something very small, is big if it is in your eye.
     

    vinconco

    Member
    Mar 4, 2016
    20
    The easy way

    Most of the time frags coming back are a result of HOW the steel is mounted. Steel plates welded to a "foot" set on a pedestal will direct frags back to the shooter without fail. Steel mounted with hex bolts provide a small right angle that can send frags back. Using steel with square holes for rounded head carriage bolts helps solve this problem. One of the worst offenders sending frags back is the "Texas Star" target. Too bad they're so much fun to shoot.

    Hang Fast Targets has a novel system that combines target angle, reactivity and ease of hanging.

    afDTFoz.jpg
     

    Michigander08

    ridiculous and psychotic
    MDS Supporter
    May 29, 2017
    7,685
    I have no desire to shoot at steel. Maybe it is fun for some people. The only thing I want to shoot at steel is using this one.

    tank-wallpapers-15.jpg
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,921
    Messages
    7,259,000
    Members
    33,349
    Latest member
    christian04

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom