What is the safest alloy to shoot steel targets from a pistol 10-25 yards?

[Ole]

I have some spinner targets that I bought from Midway. They are similar to these:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/377497/caldwell-plink-n-swing-swinging-target-twin-spin-45-caliber-steel-black

Anyway, I was shooting some of these @ 12-14 yards (Ruger GP100 with 750-800fps 38's) last Thursday and I felt a really small chunk of lead hit my stomach. It didn't break my shirt/did no harm, but it kind of scared me.

What are your thoughts/experiences? Looking for something "frangible" when it hits steel but shoots good.

[Pitchnit]

Safety Glasses every time! I've caught several pieces at the indoor range from someone else that drew blood. Small but they smarted.

[a.squibload]

Soft lead and/or high velocity, you want 'em to smash real good on the steel.
Spinner targets may not be massive enough to "resist" the boolits, may not
break 'em up enough.
I used to shoot IHMSA, there was a small trench in front of the steel targets
made by lead fragments. Think "splat".

Our very experienced range director recommends no less than 20 yards
for steel targets. He's been hit by fragments many times.

[Lead Freak]

I never shoot metal plates, nor do I let anyone else shoot them while I'm at my range. I shoot at a club that has 8 separate multi-use ranges that are on a first come, first served basis. They all have a plate rack with 6 convex 6" plates. I asked one of our Range Masters how many serious accidents they've had and one in particular involved a shooter who took a slug in the stomach that riccoced back from the plate he was shooting at. He survived, but spent 2 weeks in the hospital. The next time you are at the range, look on the ground behind the 20 yd line. You may be surprised at the amount of lead there.

[waksupi]

You are going to have to back up. I've seen .38's come back at least 20 yards. My X got a dandy boob bruise from one.

[FRJ]

I used to direct IHMSA matches and on several occasions I was hit by bullets that had deflected back from the 50 and 100 yard targets! Other shooters were also hit on occasion.Today I wouldn't shoot at a close range steel target if you paid me. FRJ

[fecmech]

I mentioned in a previous thread about 1 of my acww bullet pieces came back from a 50 yd pig and landed next to the RO on the line. I shoot .38 spl 158RN@ 900 fps in Hunters pistol.
Also not a cast bullet but a heck of a rebound. I was shooting bowling pins many years ago with GI ball ammo on my property. My neighbor had an Agway feed store next to my property and when he opened in the morning found a .45 bullet laying in front of the door. Where I was shooting pins was about 125 yds north and the same distance west of his door and I was shooting towards the north. That bullet went about 150 yds in the opposite direction from which it was fired after bouncing off a bowling pin! That was the end of my pin shooting.

[bobthenailer]

If your shooting at steel targets you are from time to time going to get splash back even if the target is 100 yards away & more frequent if closer, its just the way it is ! accept it & use saftey glasses or dont use them! Ive never seen anyone seriosuly hurt where they needed more than what you could do with a normal medical emg kit at the range.
Usually target condtion and how they are designed can affect how much splash back you get

[Defcon-One]

I used to shoot Cowboy Action and took a few hits from that. The worst was a flat chunk of lead from a .45 Colt rebounding off of a steel cowboy plate at 15 yards. It hit my chest about 8" below my chin, just left of center. You got it, a heart shot. It bounced off my leather vest with a thud so loud that the other guys looked at me and were waiting for me to fall down. More of a shock than pain, but it did smart a bit the next couple days.

Bottom line, we angle our targets down a bit and use 15 yards as a minimum, though I read a lot that says 25 yards should be the closest you shoot at steel plates. Soft lead helps too, but it is no guarantee.

We always wear good qualty eye protection! No skimping there!

[ShooterAZ]

Back in the good ol' days I shot at the "World Shootoff Championships" at the San Juan Range in Montrose, CO. ALL targets were steel plates. Minimum distance IIRC was 15 yards. Once in a while we would get a little splash back, no big deal. Of course safety glasses were required. I love shooting steel, and the satisfying clank of the targets!

[Crash_Corrigan]

I shoot a lot of steel targets. First and foremost is good eye protection! I spend a lot of time out in the desert South of Vegas with a group of shooters.

Eye protection is required by everybody in the area when a shooter is on the line.

We shoot at ranges from 5 yds to 500 yds with a large variety of cast boolits. Most of our steel targets are built by one of our members. He always mounts the brackets to hold the target so the face of the target is facing down at about a 5% angle towards the ground.

Yes there is a trench dug out by the flying debris of spattered boolits in front of the targets but even with that sometimes a bit of spatter finds it way to hit somebody.

[finishman2000]

i shoot a lot of steel...mostly steel. i bring my own to the range and have tried many different things to get the safest fun i can. i find that the steel has to be correct type, not just some stuff from the junk yard. ar400 for handgun 1/4" thick.
next there has to be play in the steel. i use lawn tractor strips of rubber (no steel belts). the rubber allows bullets to go right through and seals right back up yet allows the impact to move the steel freely.

i tried chain, steel strips etc. nothing worked as well as the rubber strips. plate racks that are hinged, if hit low on the plate allows the likelyhood of a piece coming back. evil roys that have no play better have a good downward angle on them or else you will get sprayed.
and lastly, distanve from shooter. for hangun and rimfire, i won't set up less that 12 yards. my 3/8" thick ar500 plate for rifle 100yards is the min. because of the weight is moves less with smaller power guns so more likely to allow a straight back splatter of bullet. aslo, if you use the wrong steel and it gets divits or deep pock marks this will send lead back for sure.

[popper]

Shot at an oak tree @ 10 yds with a pellet rifle(.177 LFN break action) and the pellet bounced off the pine wall behind me! 5 gr soft lead, 700fps, 20 yd trip, still dented the pine. Almost a stupid as unloading a 12 double @ 5 ft on a fridge - vintage '50s, I did have long pants on but NO eye protection.

[fredj338]

A lot depends on the vel. At lower vel, harder bullets are going to bounce. At higher vel, harder bullets will fragment. So for low vel shooting, softer is better IMO, they'll tend to flatten & hit the ground sooner than later. I've shot 100s of CAS matches, all steel, some really close, like 7-10yds.