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Old July 11, 2013, 11:23 AM   #1
mfreem08
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Shooting Steel

Not quite sure this is the appropriate forum but what distance is recommended for hand gun shooting of steel targets? I've seen YouTube videos where it looks like people are ~10 yards from their target. Is there no ricochet possible or are the targets angled to a certain degree? Also, I mean this to apply to all calibers not just .22lr pistols.
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Old July 11, 2013, 01:12 PM   #2
NoSecondBest
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Use the search function on this question. It's been discussed multiple times at great length. Lots of useful (and some useless) info on this subject. I believe this was posted on here within the last couple of weeks. Good luck and be careful shooting steel. It can be very safe or very dangerous depending on the targets being used. Not so much on the distance.
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Old July 11, 2013, 02:06 PM   #3
mfreem08
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Gotcha. I just wasn't entering words correctly. Disregard. Found allll of them.
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Old July 11, 2013, 03:30 PM   #4
armoredman
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I set up steel at 25 yards minimum.
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Old July 11, 2013, 04:46 PM   #5
allaroundhunter
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Re: Shooting Steel

A good safety net is no less than 10 yards for pistols, and 100 yards for centerfire rifles.

At 10 yards you will still catch some splash, but as long as you are wearing eye pro you'll be just fine.

For .22 lr rifles I use the same 10 yard minimum.
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Old July 11, 2013, 04:46 PM   #6
FM12
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ALWAYS wear eye protection!
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Old July 11, 2013, 07:50 PM   #7
Dwight55
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The only time I want steel, . . . is when I want instant feedback without resorting to a spotting scope.

Steel, . . . especially a "gong" will give you that.

AND, . . . for me, . . . at least 100 yd from the target.

May God bless,
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Old July 11, 2013, 08:10 PM   #8
kutz
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I've been shooting action targets company steel falling plates &dueling tree with "45acp lead semi wad cutters at 10 yards. What about jacketed ball ammo like federal white box 45 cap, is it safe?
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Old July 11, 2013, 08:30 PM   #9
Glenn E. Meyer
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Steel in fun, moving to Competition
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Old July 11, 2013, 08:37 PM   #10
allaroundhunter
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Re: Shooting Steel

Quote:
Originally Posted by kutz View Post
I've been shooting action targets company steel falling plates &dueling tree with "45acp lead semi wad cutters at 10 yards. What about jacketed ball ammo like federal white box 45 cap, is it safe?
Any pistol ammo is safe except for steel core, AP, and incendiary stuff.

FMJ is just fine.
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Old July 11, 2013, 10:50 PM   #11
GJSchulze
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10 yards for pistol is the minimum for USPSA matches.
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Old July 12, 2013, 05:34 AM   #12
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Quote:
10 yards for pistol is the minimum for USPSA matches.
23 feet for pistol is the minimum for USPSA matches, rule 2.1.3.

Steel in USPSA or Steel Challenge will move some when hit, either fall or swing.

Having undamaged steel is important. If it is pockmarked, then ricochets happen. Pockmarks happen when steel is hit with bullets not suitable for targets (e.g., shotgun slugs on pistol steel). Pistol, even major power factor 9 or 38 super from an open gun, will not be a problem. But targets have to be placed knowing where the bullet splatter will fall.
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Old July 12, 2013, 01:07 PM   #13
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Isn't the steel supposed to be set at a minimum of 10 yards from where it is expected to be engaged, and if you engage it at less than 23 feet you are disqualified?
I've been shooting USPSA and IDPA for fifteen years, and we always set the steel at least ten yards from where it is (expected to be) engaged.
We have specially hardened plates that we engage with rifles at 50 yards, and have had no issues, but a self-imposed limit of 100 wouldn't get any complaints from me.
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Old July 13, 2013, 10:36 AM   #14
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From 2.1.3:
Quote:
If Fault Lines are used to limit the approach to metal targets, they must be placed at least 26 feet from the targets so that the competitor may inadvertently fault the line and still be outside the 23 feet minimum distance (see Rule 10.5.17).
Yes, shooting a steel target closer than 23 feet in USPSA is a DQ. Nothing in the rulebook about 10 yards, although a club might say "10 yards" because that is usually implemented as "10 paces" and not everyone has a calibrated "pace", and 10 paces will probably exceed 26 feet.
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Old July 15, 2013, 10:54 AM   #15
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Shooting jacketed hollow points at steel is bad, the jackets separate from the core and come flying back at the shooters like mini buzz saws.

This is especially true when shooting them out of 38 super raceguns with loads making major power factor.

Many shooters at the American Handgunner World Shootoffs suffered cuts from these mini buzz saws, some of the cuts were pretty bad, so those running the match outlawed JHP bullets altogether.

The minimum distance of the steel at the match was 12 yards.

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Old July 15, 2013, 01:02 PM   #16
RickB
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Quote:
From 2.1.3:

Quote:
If Fault Lines are used to limit the approach to metal targets, they must be placed at least 26 feet from the targets so that the competitor may inadvertently fault the line and still be outside the 23 feet minimum distance (see Rule 10.5.17).

Yes, shooting a steel target closer than 23 feet in USPSA is a DQ. Nothing in the rulebook about 10 yards, although a club might say "10 yards" because that is usually implemented as "10 paces" and not everyone has a calibrated "pace", and 10 paces will probably exceed 26 feet.
Is 26 feet supposed to be the equivalent of eight meters?
For years, IDPA has had no minimum distance for steel, but they now have a minimum of ten yards.
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Old July 19, 2013, 06:30 AM   #17
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Is 26 feet supposed to be the equivalent of eight meters?
Well, about 8m but in the US not many of us carry metric tape measures.
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Old July 21, 2013, 10:26 AM   #18
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I'm just trying to figure out how they settled on a number like 26 feet? Every match I shot for many years never had the steel set no closer than 30 feet, so why shorten the distance by four feet? I thought it may be a nice, round number in metric terms.
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