Safe distance for shooting metal / misc. objects?

[Coiled]

I figured the title should be kind of generic but I'm starting off with cast iron. We are considering placing sewer lids at 100 to 300yds, obviously the shortest distance raises the most concern.

What would you consider is a safe distance for these lids?
Angled downward how much?
What caliber is too large and unsafe at what distance?

Edit: .30 cal is supposed to be the largest round used at this facility.


Or, don't do it! The irregular surface will cause erratic ricochets that aren't worth the risk.

 

[Charlie]

One thousand yards should be relatively safe.

 

[geronimo509]

If they are angled down or hanging from a chain or something you can be closer than if the steel/iron/whatever is fully supported and can't move.

I'm assuming you're talking about rifle rounds because of the distances you mentioned. I would be a little worried about ricochets depending where and how far you're shooting.

I wouldn't hesitate shooting objects at 100 yards with most common rifles as long as there's no one else but the shooters in the vicinity.

Others should chime in on what they do.

 

[Dawico]

100 yards should be fine as long as you are wearing eye protection. Anything coming back shouldn't have much power by then with most normal rifle rounds.

I believe cast iron likes to crack though so they probably won't last long.

 

[jrbfishn]

As heavy as they are, they are not going to move much even hanging. Irregular surfaces are generally not a good idea to shoot at. Anything that comes of it could do a lot of interesting things.

from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[Charlie]

Although it has not happened often, I have had a steel disk (slanted slightly downward) return a .223 right past the shooting bench back at me a couple of times. Makes you wonder.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Where are you getting sewer lids?.......never mind, I don't care.


Anyway, placing the metal you're shooting at, at a 45 degree angle to the ground.... It'll offer more deflection for the ricochets. Directly to the ground.

 

[Coiled]

From the scrap yard of a large property owner. 45 degrees is too much but I could see 10-15. I could also see another 10^ to either side.

 

[Coiled]

One thousand yards should be relatively safe.

Wisdom. You must be one of those "seasoned" guys.

Although it has not happened often, I have had a steel disk (slanted slightly downward) return a .223 right past the shooting bench back at me a couple of times. Makes you wonder.

One very memorable pistol round and a few ho hum rifle ones, as if any ricochet can be ho hum. It doesn't happen often but they do make you think.

 

[Coiled]

If they are angled down or hanging from a chain or something you can be closer than if the steel/iron/whatever is fully supported and can't move.

I'm assuming you're talking about rifle rounds because of the distances you mentioned. I would be a little worried about ricochets depending where and how far you're shooting.

I wouldn't hesitate shooting objects at 100 yards with most common rifles as long as there's no one else but the shooters in the vicinity.

Others should chime in on what they do.

The direct lane will be from rifle stands but the 100yd target is safely shot at from the pistol range and it's fun ringing steel with pistols at 110yds.

 

[Coiled]

100 yards should be fine as long as you are wearing eye protection. Anything coming back shouldn't have much power by then with most normal rifle rounds.

I believe cast iron likes to crack though so they probably won't last long.

It's a club so no RO and no telling what other shooters do, that's their responsibility.

I don't expect they'll last long and that's fine, as long as people enjoy them.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Angle the metal. Buy three bags of play sand. Pour it below the target.


The bullet is melting at impact. At speed, both the target and bullet act as liquid. Low velocity stuff will bounce. Subsonic 22, Shotgun....some pistol rounds.

The fast rounds melt. A 30-06 isn't staying enough intact, hitting metal, for enough to bounce back. It's dust.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Worry about 22lr. It'll awl off a rock. Whistle, tumbling off in the far blue yonder.

Rifle rounds tend to...'kinda' explode. 17hmr turns to dust on a hard impact.

 

[Coiled]

As heavy as they are, they are not going to move much even hanging. Irregular surfaces are generally not a good idea to shoot at. Anything that comes of it could do a lot of interesting things.

from an idgit coffeeholic

I updated post #1 to show .30 caliber limit. The lids likely wouldn't move at all, even if suspended.

 

[shortround]

The problem with shooting at any hard object is that you cannot 100% control how the projectile reacts when it contacts that object.

I was at a pistol range when the fellow next to me took a shot with his 9mm, the round passed through the target, hit the berm, and somehow was deflected and hit me in the chest. The velocity of the ricochet was not high enough to cause harm, but when I looked at the bullet (an FMJ) it was embedded with rock particles.

My father told me of an incident on Okinawa during WWII where his artillery battery engaged several Japanese tanks with direct fire. One of the howitzers scored a direct hit and the Japanese tank burst into flames, while at the same time a gunner in the battery fell mortally wounded by the baseplate of the shell that killed the Japanese tank that ricocheted back in the direction the projectile was fired.

We've all heard the admonition not to shoot at rocks or water.

Be well.

 

[grasshopperglock]

Encountering someone that didn't know about the deflection off water.


Pellets hurt. They'll skip off water like nothing. You'll feel them before you see them.

#6 shot.

 

[jrbfishn]

I've seen bullets bounced off water to hit a target on purpose. They will do some wierd things sometimes when they hit at an angle.

from an idgit coffeeholic