Moltke Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 I was reading MGM's FAQ's and they recommend not shooting slugs on steel targets closer than 50 yards http://mgmtargets.com/faqs I think that's about the closest I've seen them? Is that because it hurts the steel? Or the frag can hurt the shooter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I've seen a shooter injured from a knockdown plate at 50 yards. A hanging target that swings deflects the slug and or bullet much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 When I first set up my backyard range I shot rifle and slugs inside of 15 yards on swinging steel because I was dumb, curious and wanted to see where I wouldn't allow guests to shoot from. With eye protection on nothing fatal or life changing occurred but there was bleeding and I got real good at tweezing copper out of my arms. I'm not condoning such behavior, there's no saying I wasn't an inch away from something bad happening. Since then thousands of rounds outside of 30yds have got me nothing more than some scratches but I make my guests take a few more steps back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Marques Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Yea, the slug can spall and people have gotten hurt bad enough to get stitches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtm Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Um I'm pretty sure that Lead doesn't spall....(breaking or chipping of rock or concrete). What slugs do do, as lead is ductile, is turn inside out (especially Foster type) and bounce back. This looks like a gigantic candy kiss and it can cause serious injury back as far as 40-45 yards. Sounds like 50 yards would be minimum stand off to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I have a huge collection of funny shaped lead chunks out back. I've found them as far as 70 yards back from swingers and got tickled by slugs, shot, rifle, pistol and rimfire all back to about 60. Most of the time it's when someone else is shooting and I'm off to the side. The level of tickle is pretty proportionate to the size of lead/copper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 "Tickle"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stlhead Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Me elmo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 While the energy can cup the plates, low recoil shotgun slugs are the most prone to return to the shooter of any round we shoot at steel in 3gun. Cowboy loads more so since they shoot low power loads close. The safest for the shooter are high power rifle rounds. The only reason they have a distance requirement is to save the steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 Yikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I have not been hit, but I have heard slugs zing past at 50-60 yards. From the sound, they could ding you pretty bad. Sounds like the "ground bloom flower" fireworks. The little cylinders that spin on the ground and scoot around. Biggest slug chunk I found still weighed almost a half-ounce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Yeah there's that noise when they're coming at you but my favorite is the going away noise, you know, the old western movie ricochet noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdcguns Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I think my favorite would have to be the "ding". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 Touche, that's the best noise. I like it even better when you see the impact but dont hear the ding for another 3 or 4 seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 For slugs, thick and heavy is beneficial, but hardness is important. I have been testing some steel from some different manufacturers, all "rated" AR500, but the performance is not the same dues to thickness and or manufacturing processes, based on the type of round they are hit with. I had some set at 25 yards...one cored and another had a weld spot of lead with various performance on the others in between. The harder the steel, the more predictable the splatter doughnut will be. When the bullet hits at an angle, the less predictable the splatter doughnut. The predictability is also coupled with the velocity and hardness of the fired projectile. As hardness increases and velocity decreases, the splatter doughnut likewise increases in size to a certain point, and then becomes unpredictable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 That is a slow moving slug at 50 yards for a 4 second ding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 7, 2014 Author Share Posted October 7, 2014 So I'll keep them 50+ yards for sure thanks for the input everyone How's shooting them on auto resetters like a 8 inch cowboy round? Assuming it doesn't get knocked over it should be fine right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 When we tried slugs on auto poppers the spring broke within 30 hits. Don't know if that's normal, we didn't keep trying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 There are both spring and gravity auto-resetting targets. The gravity ones have no springs to break or wear out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wgj3 Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Wouldn't the auto-resetters tend to launch fairly large and still relatively intact hunks of lead to who-knows-where when engaged with the typical low-recoil slug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moltke Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 With a smooth face on the steel I think the round will splash out much faster than it can react or reset and fling anything, check out this high speed video of bullets on steel, birdshot is at the end However with a pock marked face, no telling where the splash is going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Anyone shooting frangible slugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I went to frangible slugs, had two MDs tell me they would DQ me since they slightly stick to a magnet. Did the testing to prove they were safer... But no dice, sometimes better is not wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANDERSEN Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Over the years I have seen several people injured by slugs off of steel. In one of our cadet classes many years ago a chunk of slug came back off a steel target (50 yards) and penetrated the chest cavity of one of the cadets, before anyone could do anything the shooter fired another round and another cadet was also injured although much less seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Thanks for the peace of mind CANDERSON. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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