The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - shooting steel targets with .22LR

NoSecondBest · June 28, 2013, 07:06 AM

I've shot "steel" targets for about 25 years now. I've shot literally hundreds of thousands of rounds at steel targets in both rimfire and centerfire. I can tell you that I've witnessed some serious accidents where bullets have come back and hit the shooter or a spectator. In every case it was shooting at pitted/dimpled steel targets and/or rigid/fixed targets. I was at a match in Mass. several years ago and saw the RO being struck by a "returning" 38Super bullet and he was 35 yards behind the shooter. The bullet struck him in the center of his face and penetrated into his sinus cavity. He required surgery to remove the bullet fragment with partial jacket attached. Believe it or not, he was shot on a Friday and didn't have the surgery until Monday. When he got shot he went to the emergency room and they x-rayed it and told him it wasn't immediately dangerous and he came back bandaged up and finished the three day event! He was a much better man than me. I've seen eye injuries due to 22lr coming back at an angle to the target and hitting a spectator who wasn't wearing safety glasses (who says only the shooter needs them?). In Florida about ten years ago I was at a match and caught what looked like a bumble bee coming at me as I was standing behind the firing line. I caught it out of the corner of my eye. I leaned back to avoid being hit but didn't quite make it. A large chunk of bullet fragment hit me in the chest and cut through my shirt and lacerated my chest. Not deeply, but it was bleeding. No stitches required but had I not leaned back and only caught a glancing blow who knows how deep it would have gone. Steel targets need to fall or swing. They must never be dimpled or pitted. My own targets are all AR500 steel which haven't been dimpled by anything they've been hit with yet. Moral of this short narrative is always wear glasses even if you're just watching and if you're going to shoot steel targets make sure they are flat, no dimples and swing or fall freely. Be safe.

June 28, 2013, 07:06 AM	#7
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I've shot "steel" targets for about 25 years now. I've shot literally hundreds of thousands of rounds at steel targets in both rimfire and centerfire. I can tell you that I've witnessed some serious accidents where bullets have come back and hit the shooter or a spectator. In every case it was shooting at pitted/dimpled steel targets and/or rigid/fixed targets. I was at a match in Mass. several years ago and saw the RO being struck by a "returning" 38Super bullet and he was 35 yards behind the shooter. The bullet struck him in the center of his face and penetrated into his sinus cavity. He required surgery to remove the bullet fragment with partial jacket attached. Believe it or not, he was shot on a Friday and didn't have the surgery until Monday. When he got shot he went to the emergency room and they x-rayed it and told him it wasn't immediately dangerous and he came back bandaged up and finished the three day event! He was a much better man than me. I've seen eye injuries due to 22lr coming back at an angle to the target and hitting a spectator who wasn't wearing safety glasses (who says only the shooter needs them?). In Florida about ten years ago I was at a match and caught what looked like a bumble bee coming at me as I was standing behind the firing line. I caught it out of the corner of my eye. I leaned back to avoid being hit but didn't quite make it. A large chunk of bullet fragment hit me in the chest and cut through my shirt and lacerated my chest. Not deeply, but it was bleeding. No stitches required but had I not leaned back and only caught a glancing blow who knows how deep it would have gone. Steel targets need to fall or swing. They must never be dimpled or pitted. My own targets are all AR500 steel which haven't been dimpled by anything they've been hit with yet. Moral of this short narrative is always wear glasses even if you're just watching and if you're going to shoot steel targets make sure they are flat, no dimples and swing or fall freely. Be safe.