Steel Targets

Polaris425 · August 28, 2017, 09:07:07 AM

Bought a bunch a few months ago, and still haven't had a chance to build my stand to hang them. But I couldn't take it any longer and I made a temporary hanger for the big 10" rifle plate.

I got these from shooting targets 7. (ST7)

^^^^^

Lipripper · August 28, 2017, 09:15:15 AM

Them pups didn't like the sound too much. ha..ha Nice little shooting range.

Polaris425 · August 28, 2017, 09:44:34 AM

no they both hid in their houses. Neither of them have ever been around loud noises like that.

Wizard · August 28, 2017, 08:05:18 PM

Not bad or a bama boy. It looks usable as a range as it is. I think the target would handle my 30-40 and .308. The indoor range I use makes me reduce the charge on the 30-40 to 70%. To shoot my .308, I have to travel 40 miles to an outdoor range. I'm guessing your AR fires .223. That's a lot of fire power and carry distance for your range. How are you with a 1911?

SteelHorseCowboy · August 29, 2017, 07:35:51 AM

Wizard, his AR is a .22, maybe you're volume wasn't up enough.

WRT, nice shooting! And I love how you give an outline of what's BEHIND your target, 60 acres of woods. I've yet to see any video of a backyard shooter mention such a thing, and it's important to stress such a safety concern.
My backyard "range" isn't good at all for recreational shooting. I'll function test guns by firing straight down a hill into the base of an oak tree in the bottom of a gully (into the ground below the trunk), but only do it on rare occasions. If I had the means of building up a horseshoe shaped berm along the top of the other side of the gulley, man, I'd about have a professional range! But if I did that, I may as well build a dam and have a pond.
At least it'd reduce the acreage I have to mow!

Polaris425 · August 29, 2017, 08:15:29 AM

Thanks...

Yes this was just a .22LR but man is it fun to shoot. And accurate!

I've seen how the internet police like to jump all over people for not taking proper precautions with, well anything. And I know it looked like I was just shooting out into the open so I wanted to make sure I mentioned there's no one living back there for a long long way. lol. The only downside is, there is a dirt road at the bottom of our property but it only occasionally see's 4-wheeler and dirt bike traffic, but I didn't hear any of them down there this day. I've got a pretty good pile of dirt/small tree's going that my actual stand will be in front of. For when I miss. lol

This 10" plate is actually rated for hi-power rifles @ 100yards. You can shoot a 30-06 at it from 100 yards according to the instructions. The smaller plates I have are only rated for pistols and small rimfire rifles. But you can shoot them with up to a .45acp I believe.

I only have one 1911 (a kimber .45) and I've only shot it once, but it's pretty accurate. I definitely plan to do some target practice with it once the range is set up. Downside is, .45acp is REALLY expensive compared to 9mm.

Wizard · August 29, 2017, 08:36:22 AM

And the upside is the stopping power of the .45. I carry a Kimber Tactical Ultra. As Napoleon said after one his victories, "God is on the side of the heavier artillery". Same goes for hand guns.

Polaris425 · August 29, 2017, 11:40:14 AM

True, and if that's the case, I carry a 9mm compact on my person at all times and a .40 is always near by....

.40 = knock down power of .45 + speed of 9mm

SteelHorseCowboy · August 29, 2017, 03:45:39 PM

None of it makes a hill of beans unless you can stay on target.
I went from a .45 to a 9 for one reason: it meant I could actually afford to practice.

Wizard · August 29, 2017, 07:25:27 PM

Try this when you practice. If your carry weapon is a .45, shot all the 9mm you want. But, at the end of practice, shoot a magazine of .45. At about $.35/round, there is little cost and you stay used to the weapon. I do not have sights on my carry weapons. You do not want to waste time acquiring the target, lining the sights and then firing. Practice until the weapon follows your eyes. Draw, look and fire.

SteelHorseCowboy · August 30, 2017, 07:08:45 AM

That's not a bad practice regimen, I actually recommend to people all the time to practice their fundamentals with a .22 or even a BB gun.
But I believe I'll keep my sights. We have differing opinions on that, but we can go to PMs or start a new thread to discuss it.

SteelHorseCowboy · August 30, 2017, 07:14:36 AM

Oh, I don't even own a .45 anymore. After I switched to 9, I ended up with a woman and three more kids in their teens all interested in owning and learning guns and how to use them. Which increased the ammo bill considerably, but all of us having 9's also means if one of us needs ammo, any one of the rest of us will have it. My Lady and I also have the same make and model carry gun, so we can even share mags if needed.

I do have my lovely Baby, but she's more for fun and hunting, plus I reload her ammo. Cost me about the same as 2 boxes of 44 mag to get set up for reloading small batches of 44 mag. Now it costs me about $50-$60 to make a batch of ammo that'd cost $250 or more if I were buying it off the shelf.

Polaris425 · August 30, 2017, 08:11:22 AM

If you're getting .45 ammo for 35c a round, please let me know where!

And I don't mean that cheap Russian Crap either.... I won't run that junk through any of my guns.

Average Target Ammo for .45 here is .60c/round or more.

SteelHorseCowboy · August 31, 2017, 06:46:37 AM

Reload! That's what I'm talking about, I'm making my own 44 magnum ammo. That's just how much cheaper it is.

So basically, where am I getting that sort of deal? At my desk in the living room!

Polaris425 · August 31, 2017, 07:39:05 AM

I need to set up so I can. My father has the die's and my unlce has the equipment. I've been saving all of my brass for a while.

SteelHorseCowboy · August 31, 2017, 10:17:52 AM

Would you be reloading for .38 by any chance? I've got a bunch of brass for that.

Polaris425 · August 31, 2017, 04:35:29 PM

not sure if we have a .38 die or not. will have to look

SteelHorseCowboy · September 01, 2017, 12:17:06 PM

Last time I counted I believe I had around 250 casings.

TWBryan · September 10, 2017, 04:45:05 PM

Brings back memories,I used to cast my bullets,Lyman 429241 and 358429. I am more of a .357 guy than .44. These days I carry a Glock 30SF in .45acp. I can't afford to buy a model 19 glock or I might have one. My Dillon 650 reloads them .45 auto rounds pretty good. It'll reload .223 as well,and .38 spl. For now I reload .357,.44 mag,and .380 on my rockchucker.

I've slowed down so much though I have days where I wonder if the effort is worth it. $:-\$

SteelHorseCowboy · September 11, 2017, 10:11:58 AM

The effort is always worth it! If you shoot enough.
I was going to get into casting, but cast lead seems to foul my .44 very quickly. Could experiment with different alloys, powders, velocities, gas checks, but I figure the Hornady XTP bullets I'm using are very accurate in my preferred velocity and can take down anything on the North American continent, except possibly grizzly and polar bears. Even then, there's a chance. Just not enough of a chance that I want to find out.

Next dies I get will be for 7.62X39 CIP. My little CZ Mini Maus is a tack driver within it's limits. Past 150 it starts shedding velocity fast enough that I don't judge it too harshly. Still, 3" groups with a 9" drop at 200 yards ain't half bad at all. Ragged holes at 100 are very nice to have.

I've had more than one comment about my "crappy" steel cased milsurp ammo, until the guys shooting patterns with their lovingly handloaded 300 mag ammo see those ragged holes. The CZ is designed around CIP spec steel cased milsurp. Even says on their website not to expect the same accuracy when using American made ammo.