How strong is your saiga?

[Joeddox 1]

At about 25 yards does anyone know how much there saiga would penetrate a steal sheet? I'm wondering how thick a sheet I would need to make some reusable targets for myself. If anyone has done this let me know or where I could buy some that are reasonably priced that I won't destroy after a few 100 hits.

 

Thanks

 

I'm thinking about using the back of some various size cast iron skillets since they are pretty cheap.

 

Having them hanging from a length of metal cable so I can easily transport it with a few metal pipes. Anyone know the chances of a ricoshay? ( I don't feel like shooting myself anytime soon.)

Edited September 25, 2007 by Joeddox

[Zoub 0]

What are you going to use? Buck or slugs? At 25 yards and closer you may occasionally be hit with some splash from slugs and larger buck, but chances of a full blown ricochet coming staright back at you are minimal.

 

Slugs and buck are not bad on steel plates due to low velocity and soft lead. Copper plated magnum buck is a bit rougher. What it will do is tear up the cables, target stand and any gophers nearby.

 

As for cheap pans, if new, buy chinese ones from any sporting goods store. Even better, buy pans from good will stores and garage sales. They will be so cheap you wont care how long they last.

 

Hang them on chains and make up a bunch of cheap "S" hooks and have some adjustable links. If a pan flies off or you hit the chain, you can hang on the next whole link, fix the chain with an adjustable link or just hang directly on the pipe. Even better, get an old car!

Edited September 25, 2007 by Zoub

[Ronswin 26]

If you have access to a scrap yard try to obtain some "Diamond Plate" steel walkway material 3/8's or thicker. It's cold rolled steel and highly bullet resistant. Cast iron may actually shatter if it's thin and cheap. Do not use anything other than soft lead slugs or shot as copper plated slugs and shot will splash back quite a distance. Of course, wear ballistic rated eye protection anytime you are firing or anyone else is shooting.

[notenoughtime3 0]

Beware of the edge on round pans!!!!!

 

I had a fried who got tonked in the head when a 9mm round rolled around on the edge of the pan and struck him in the temple at 25 yards.

 

12 gauges are more powerful, but be careful and think about what you are doing.

[GTwannabe 1]

You should probably stick to bird shot for that... much less likely to break skin when it does bounce back at that range. Eye protection is a must.

[Joeddox 1]

You should probably stick to bird shot for that... much less likely to break skin when it does bounce back at that range. Eye protection is a must.

 

 

When I see compititions where they have the targets fall when hit. Do they have a chance of bounce backs also? I've seen a few on youtube.

[notenoughtime3 0]

If you use a pan, just make sure to cut the edges off and you should be fine.

 

If the plate gives, you should be free of ricochets.

 

Be careful.

[Joeddox 1]

If you use a pan, just make sure to cut the edges off and you should be fine.

 

If the plate gives, you should be free of ricochets.

 

Be careful.

 

 

Gives cause it is hanging from a chain or metal gives? How am I going to cut the edge off a cast iron skillet?

Edited September 25, 2007 by Joeddox

[polik6887 0]

seriously wear eye protection!!!! I was once shooting an empty keg and caught enough splash to leave a nice gash on my chin, and kegs are pretty soft metal. (aluminum???) now I always wear shooting glasses.

[notenoughtime3 0]

If you use a pan, just make sure to cut the edges off and you should be fine.

 

If the plate gives, you should be free of ricochets.

 

Be careful.

 

 

Gives cause it is hanging from a chain or metal gives? How am I going to cut the edge off a cast iron skillet?

 

Gives cause it is hanging from a chain or propped up, yes.

 

As for the cutting, do you know anybody that works at a garage or a machine shop?

[Joeddox 1]

If you use a pan, just make sure to cut the edges off and you should be fine.

 

If the plate gives, you should be free of ricochets.

 

Be careful.

 

 

Gives cause it is hanging from a chain or metal gives? How am I going to cut the edge off a cast iron skillet?

 

Gives cause it is hanging from a chain or propped up, yes.

 

As for the cutting, do you know anybody that works at a garage or a machine shop?

 

Oh I think i see why people are saying cut off the edges cause they think I will be shooting at the face of them? I plan on hanging it from something like a metal hanger so it cann't twist in the wind. I'm going to be shooting at the back of them. But the wire will still allow them to swing away from me. So I don't really have to cut the sides off right?

[G O B 3,516]

I'd think an aluminum pan is probably a good bet. There are a bazillion cheap ones and plenty to trash pick. It's light enough to make hanging easy. Blow the crap out of them and then re-cycle whatever is left.

[Joeddox 1]

I'd think an aluminum pan is probably a good bet. There are a bazillion cheap ones and plenty to trash pick. It's light enough to make hanging easy. Blow the crap out of them and then re-cycle whatever is left.

 

I think if I do aluminum then I use a slug I'm going to have aluminum pan confetti. I want something I can shoot at a few times. I live in New Mexico and just plan on going out somewhere in the desert to shoot.

 

Thanks for the input though. :-)

[MadMax 0]

Edited September 26, 2007 by MadMax

[Joeddox 1]

So I'll need some dragon skin armor and a bullet proof helmet huh... :-(

 

This is the video I believe you were talking about.

[quinci956 1]

Cast iron is brittle and will eventually shatter. I have a steel supply yard close by and they gave me some scrap pieces of 1/2 inch steel plate. It works great. Hanging it or setting it up where it will fall will reduce the splash back. I also have steel plates that stay stationary but the rack that holds them has the plates sitting at an angle that directs the projectiles down into the ground. Most welding shops will give you scrap pieces of sheet metal. I did have an incident a while back that proved a little dangerous. I had a piece of 1/2 inch steel and taped it to a post. I shot it with an AP round from my Garand at 50 yards to see if it would punch through. It cut through like butter but the metal jacket came back and struck the the guy standing behind me. It actually hit his ear muffs where it embeded in one side. 1 inch to the right and he would have lost his eye. I was suprised and embarrassed. I never though that shrapnel would come back 50 yards at a velocity that woud be dangerous. I shoot a lot of steel plates. Slugs, buckshot, and lead handgun rounds are not a problem as long as the plate is set up to swing or fall. It is fun shooting a target that reacts and beats the hell out of shooting paper. I would not advise shooting any steel with a rifle. It tears up the steel so you waste your targets and even if they fall or swing you still run the risk of getting hit with shrapnel.

[quinci956 1]

I went to one of the local bowling alleys and asked for bowling pins. I found that they replace them periodically and they gave me several crates of them (more than I'll ever need). They are great. You shoot them and they hold up for a while except when using a rifle or a S&W 500. They absorb the entire projectile and fly around and fall over leaving no doubt that they have been hit. 12 gauge slugs get a nice reaction from the pins when they are struck center mass. Shoot the hell out of them and throw them away. The neck of the pin makes a good place to tie a string for hanging them.

[Joeddox 1]

Hey madmilo thanks for the ideas. I totally forgot about pin shoots and how fun they are. The ones I've seen most of the projectiles get stuck in them or go threw them. I highly doubt there is a possiblity of a return shot from a bowling pin.

 

Plus whats more fun then bowling with bullets!

 

Time to start calling some local alleys

[kmoore 3]

bowling pins up close do return birdshot.

 

competitions require 7 yards (increased to 10 yards?) between steel targets and pistol shooters. We had a stage where we shot down steel targets at contact distance, but with the steel at an extreme angle. Also shot bowling pins that way (< 1yard). They don't last as long from that distance.

 

If you can get ballistic steel it'll last forever with shotguns (not so much with rifles). A real good hanger for a permanent piece of steel is conveyor belt, or strips of tires.

 

Lastly, it is the curved surface that is best at returning "fire". If whatever you are shooting develops dimples, it will return the round.

 

If you can spare the money, there are some very nice targets that are made by MGM and others. Pricey, but you'd only need to buy them one time.

[Joeddox 1]

Won't MGM stuff return a round? I don't know about the physics but even if it falls over I believe it could return a round?

 

(Object in motion tends to stay in motion & an object at rest tends to stay at rest until acted on by another force..)

 

I know the bullet (slug, shot) is the force that will make it move but will it move enough to not direct it back. I mean after seeing that 50 cal hit that plate and knock that guys ear protection off I'm kinda not wanted to shoot at plate...

[Ronswin 26]

Won't MGM stuff return a round? I don't know about the physics but even if it falls over I believe it could return a round?

 

(Object in motion tends to stay in motion & an object at rest tends to stay at rest until acted on by another force..)

 

I know the bullet (slug, shot) is the force that will make it move but will it move enough to not direct it back. I mean after seeing that 50 cal hit that plate and knock that guys ear protection off I'm kinda not wanted to shoot at plate...

 

3-gun matches often use steel plates and reactive steel targets with 12 ga. slugs, buck/bird shot, rifle and pistol bullets. The key is safe target placement (i.e. distance and angle) and ballistic eye protection. Slugs and rifle targets will obviously be at a greater standoff range than say, pistol rounds. I've run the timer behind the competitor for the R.O. at one event and we were getting some splashback from 00 buck off steel plates at 20 yards. This was probably "Danger Close" and was not typical. You can actually see rifle bullets such as .223 Rem. and 5.45 Russian hit steel and disintegrate into a puff of lead dust and it's kinda fun to watch (5.45 with it's steel/copper jacket will spark a little). Personally, I've received more bounced back bullet fragments from indoor target ranges than outside shooting.