Steel targets

pyscodog

Active member
I'm rifle chairman at my gun club. I've been trying for years to get the club to invest in some steel targets. The main reason, other than just fun to shoot, is to try and slow down the destruction of our back boards. Seems the uprights get shot up and I think some of it is out of the boredom of shooting paper all the time. After years of discussion, the other board members are finally starting to listen but they are still worried about ricochets and stray bullets even though several have said if the targets are correctly installed the chances of ricochets would me minimal if at all. Most of the nay sayer's are skeet shooters and seldom rifle or pistol shooters.

My question is, are there any manufacturers in or around Oklahoma, Tulsa area, that might be able to come to a board meeting and discuss what we need and what to buy and still be safe? I did a little Google search but didn't come up with anything.
 
Our club had IHMSA metallic silhouette range w/target lines out to 200 meters. The rams @ 200 sat on an inverted railroad rail about 24" above ground and in front of a 35' high berm which we had built as a backstop. Bullets splashed upon impact on silhouettes and or rail.

A neighbor, at least 600 yards 90* to the right of range orientation sued the gun club claiming bullets pierced the roof of his home and his chickens no longer gave milk nor his cows lay eggs, etc, etc. First of all, in addition to the 600 yard distance, a 50 yard strip of heavy brush ran between the range and his property and secondly, the area was proven to host "road shooters" shooting up road signs, gates and fence posts, all bullet riddled, many of which were oriented in a direct line towards his property. His suit requested an injunction to shut the range down and damage restitution.

We presented pictures documenting our claims that bullets splashed and showing the likelihood any bullets endangering his property originated from the network of roads crisscrossing the area Judge poured him out but did require that we take measures to prevent any splash within a reasonable timeframe.

We complied by placing a sacrificial 2 x 6 in front of rail so that bullet fragments penetrating the wood would be trapped, built "wings" at each end of rail and beside all other target lines from tires filled w/dirt.

The range had been used by the TX Army NG since WWII (w/same neighbor, who, by the way had sued the NG at least once to my knowledge.) We acquired the property approximately 25 years ago, and with club funds, supplemented by two Friends of NRA grants and an NRA range development loan, built the 150' x 35' backstop, target pits for the 200, 300 & 600 yard HP Rifle competition, a 50 yard smallbore rifle and pistol range, and the IHMSA range. We were sued one more time by same party about 20 years ago, who was once again poured out in court.

Steel might require added precautions but there are ways to safely contain any spatter, IMO.

ETA: You might check w/NRA Range Development. They were very helpful when we were in the construction stages.

Regards,
hm



 
We already have "dinger berms" built into our regular berms. The "dinger berms" are 5 foot wide and about that deep with a roof, all made from railroad ties at 25,50,100,200,300yds. Its, bring your own steel, and must be hung inside the berm. We, the board members, even talked of building a new area just for the steel targets.
 
Seems to me that you would be all the more safe w/club installed steel in those "bunkers" than leaving it up to individual members to hang their own willy nilly.?? Hard to picture a bullet escaping from what you already have if steel is surrounded by dirt or railroad tires and back into the bunker a foot or more.
 
My main problem is dealing with people that have never shot steel targets. Slowly I'm getting through to them. My next task is convincing them to let me put in a 500yd range. LOL, that's gonna be a challenge but I'm persistent and have several members to back me up.
 
the old range i grew up as a member on brought silhouettes in years back.

problem was - the local knuckleheads found it amusing to bring out steel core and punch them. they lasted about 6 months, and the first hole was in the gongs inside of 4 weeks from them being hung.

notes about it in the club newsletter, etc... couple bad apples spoiled it for everyone and we had silhouteets that looked like swiss cheese once the first holes appeared.


course, this was before video monitored ranges, or gate access badge technology... so nobody ever got caught punching holes of course.


i like the idea of BYOS with hangers ready in special berms for individual use. people whole lot less likely to treat them like crap when they're the ones dishing out the $ for the gongs.
 
Originally Posted By: Plant.Onethe old range i grew up as a member on brought silhouettes in years back.

problem was - the local knuckleheads found it amusing to bring out steel core and punch them. they lasted about 6 months, and the first hole was in the gongs inside of 4 weeks from them being hung.

notes about it in the club newsletter, etc... couple bad apples spoiled it for everyone and we had silhouteets that looked like swiss cheese once the first holes appeared.


course, this was before video monitored ranges, or gate access badge technology... so nobody ever got caught punching holes of course.


i like the idea of BYOS with hangers ready in special berms for individual use. people whole lot less likely to treat them like crap when they're the ones dishing out the $ for the gongs.

This is exactly what would happen. I haven't been a member of the local range, which is very nice, for 10 years or more now. But they had some nice steel for matches they put on, but not hanging there for every day use.

I think a facility available for hanging one's own steel would be a decent idea, but I wouldn't furnish the steel for the public. But then I suppose the problem is that people have to figure out a way to get heavy steel targets downrange and hung while the range is cold, and how long that might take could be a problem.
 
Thats one of many reasons I built my own range! I have probably 4k in steel and we have ran it for years without even a dimple! Pretty much every weekend someone is shooting and my guys really take care of it. Honestly 300 and out is really hard to hurt, its the 22 & 24 caliber stuff thats screaming at 200 and in is the hardest on steel.
 
I talked a little more to the club president and told him what you've been saying and we both are leaning more towards bring your own. If you tear it up, it cost you, not the club.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogI talked a little more to the club president and told him what you've been saying and we both are leaning more towards bring your own. If you tear it up, it cost you, not the club.

Check with your insurance, or the NRA if your insurance is through them, bring your own steel might run into liability issues.

Our range has fixed steel targets out at 200, we also have steel practical pistol practice stages but you must get signed off by the practical division director to use those bays. We don’t allow anything but paper on the rest of the range.

Even then we have problems with members following the rules. Our newest practical pistol practice bay was open for a week before some moron started shooting the steel with high powered rifle calibers. It didn’t damage the steel but it’s a safety issue.

No matter what you do some moron’s going to screw it up…
 
Bring your own is a great idea until some guy just takes it upon himself to send 3 highpower rounds through your 22 rimfire target and just leaves without saying a word. I guess there's always going to be the people that have no respect for other's property.
 
Our main issue is on the pistol range. The target backs and uprights get shot up really quick. Part of the reason is people shoot in the same spot over and over until there is a huge hole in the backers then they shoot the uprights. When the uprights are shot to he11, its considerable work to change them. I was thinking some steel targets might lengthen the life of the backers and uprights. People that don't have to do the work don't understand or even care about the amount of work involved to replace all of it. No one draws a paycheck for any of the work as it is all volunteer and the volunteers are the same handful of board members and a few members that do all the work. I've had members ask how long I was going to take until I would be finished so they could shoot. Very few offer to help. I usually say until I'm done. Even had a few get mad about it. LOL, I usually slow down when that happens.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogOur main issue is on the pistol range. The target backs and uprights get shot up really quick. Part of the reason is people shoot in the same spot over and over until there is a huge hole in the backers then they shoot the uprights. When the uprights are shot to he11, its considerable work to change them. I was thinking some steel targets might lengthen the life of the backers and uprights. People that don't have to do the work don't understand or even care about the amount of work involved to replace all of it. No one draws a paycheck for any of the work as it is all volunteer and the volunteers are the same handful of board members and a few members that do all the work. I've had members ask how long I was going to take until I would be finished so they could shoot. Very few offer to help. I usually say until I'm done. Even had a few get mad about it. LOL, I usually slow down when that happens.

Pretty sad commentary on some of the shooting community…we face the same challenges…folks like those are how much of the shooting judges the rest of us…
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoOriginally Posted By: pyscodogOur main issue is on the pistol range. The target backs and uprights get shot up really quick. Part of the reason is people shoot in the same spot over and over until there is a huge hole in the backers then they shoot the uprights. When the uprights are shot to he11, its considerable work to change them. I was thinking some steel targets might lengthen the life of the backers and uprights. People that don't have to do the work don't understand or even care about the amount of work involved to replace all of it. No one draws a paycheck for any of the work as it is all volunteer and the volunteers are the same handful of board members and a few members that do all the work. I've had members ask how long I was going to take until I would be finished so they could shoot. Very few offer to help. I usually say until I'm done. Even had a few get mad about it. LOL, I usually slow down when that happens.

Pretty sad commentary on some of the shooting community…we face the same challenges…folks like those are how much of the shooting judges the rest of us…

I'd like to say that I'm surprised, but that's the type of crap I'd expect. The shooting public is basically not much different than the community at large. It's the same in every sub group of society.
 
We go through the same problems at our range,pistol shooters shooting uprights.Of course when replacement time comes some of us old men fix the problem but there are never any pistol shooters there.We are volunteers too
 
Last edited:
Try as we might, you can not fix stupid. I and others have tried for numerous years.
We have made target stands out of about everything that is easily picked up out of the pockets and layed down. There is a concrete slab with plastic pipe inserts, so you just slide the legs in and out.
Seems most of these clowns can not replace backers, even if they are there and pre cut.

Steel targets. I don’t care how thick or what steel, some one will come up with something to damage them. We have a 20x30 steel plate 5” thick @ 200. It has some serious craters in it, it pretty much shred bullets now. But, some of the 375-50 caliber pucker marks will make a 22 FMJ do a hard U turn. None have made it back to the firing line, but watching closely with a spotting scope you can see them bounce at various places.

Short of a full time RO on duty at all shooting times problems will continue. It is not a localized issue either. N,S, E or W, I have visited with and discussed this very issue. There isn’t much that has not been tried at some time or another to solve these issues.
Signage and education, the clowns can’t read, and they don’t listen.
FYI I have found if your nice about it, they pay little attention to you when you point out there ignorance of the rules. I have tried to be nice, then only to find them doing the same thing a few minutes later.

Good luck to you. If you solve the problem there are thousands of folks that would be greatful for the solution.
 
Back
Top