Shooting spoons or shooting targets?

[flipper35]

Dad and I were invited to a bachelor party this past Saturday and were asked to bring our Texas Star so the guys would have something to do while waiting to take turns shooting clays. I can understand that guys that don't have much/any experience with handguns would have a hard time hitting a 10" plate at 25 yards, espescially after they start moving (should be practically a gimme) and some of these guys have to qualify at a range to remain employed. We saw guys not hit a single plate the first three rounds.

Some of the guys there resorted to using .22 rifles with scopes and then got a pat on the back for being able to hit the targets. Some were deserved, my cousin hit the plates with all 10 rounds out of the .22 (that caliber has a real hard time knocking the plates off) in a very short time.

Of course I sucked at the 27 yard line for the trap shoot, hitting a little less than a third so maybe they feel the same way with the star.

Still, a fun day and we expended a lot of rounds.

[Tim Hancock]

Probably should have shot from 10-15 yards if the goal was fun speed shooting competition. Very rarely do we shoot at 8" steel plates farther than 15 yards or so at IDPA matches.

[flipper35]

Maybe so. 10" didn't seem too big at that range. I thought it funny they were using scopes at 25 yards on a 10/22. One had a scope on his .44 Magnum. I guess I have more faith in the abilities of others than warranted.

It wasn't really a competition on the star, just a fun way to pass the time. I was a little worried about getting too close and having something come back at the shooter. We went several rounds as people filtered through the trap shoot.

Everyone still had a great time shooting at the star and the clays (I don't know if you can not have a good time shooting targets). I was backup for the guy I was named after. He used to shoot marbles out of the air with his Mini-14 and it was quite humbling and an honor to back him up on the line.

The worst for me was when I switched to dad's High Standard 9 shot .22 revolver. Even using the Federal "Hyper Velocity" rounds it took two or three hits on the plates to knock them off.

Is there ever an issue with jacketed rounds splashing back at 15 yards? A couple of the guys were using 9mm Glocks and lead is a no-no with them or any octagon barrel.

[flatbutt]

why would lead be a problem in an octagonal barrel?

It is a problem with my S&W 22A slab side. But I think the problem is the breech.

[flipper35]

Glock says the lead builds up in the barrel and eventually there is enough blockage the round does not go down range, but other parts do. H&K says the same on some of their models.

[Tim Hancock]

10 yards is what most IDPA clubs consider the minimum distance for shooting steel plates (classes include 9mm, .45 & .40). A few go as low as 7 yards. I personally practice most often at 8" steel plates at 10 yards with my Glock 34 (9mm jacketed bullets) at my home range.

I have never been hit "hard" by anything significant although I have on a few occasions felt a tiny sting. I have probably shot at least 3-5k rounds including both .22 and 9mm at steel.

All that said, I would never shoot centerfire rifle at steel without being 50-100 yards away. I NEVER shoot my 3/8" and 1/2" mild steel handgun plates with centerfire even at safe distances as they would then be unsafe to use at close range with handguns. Once a plate experiences a significant "dent" from a centerfire rifle, that plate will now have the ability to turn a handgun round back at you.

Handgun rounds when they hit a flat steel plate put just a slight peen mark in the plate and result in a thin round leading nose saucer plate that drops to the ground and the rest of the bullet shatters out radially from the plate but does not travel back towards the shooter. After an extended shooting session, the grass on each side of my steel plate holder has a line carved in it to bare dirt about 10' to each side. IOW, make sure no one nor anything you don't want hit is anywhere in line with the flat surface of the steel plates.

These bullet noses are found directly beneath my steel plates


My plates all hang at an angle, but this is not really necessary.... Most IDPA plates are perfectly vertical.


M first batch of steel IDPA practice targets from a couple years ago.... I still use them often.

[on2wheels52]

Originally Posted by flipper35

He used to shoot marbles out of the air with his Mini-14..........

Curious as to what his backstop was.
re knocking the steel plates over with a .22 handgun, the one's at my range have to be hit near the top to go down.
Jim

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by flipper35

Glock says the lead builds up in the barrel and eventually there is enough blockage the round does not go down range, but other parts do. H&K says the same on some of their models.

We're talking about polygonal rifling here. I shoot lead in my stock Glocks on occasion, but run a few jacketed through when I'm done. I've not "sent anything down range". For comp guns, I'll run KKM or Lone Wolf Barrels with lead handloads. I find either to provide better accuracy for that purpose.

[id10t]

Shot an informal match this past weekend, got 3rd place. Rimfires vs. dum dum lolipops at 25 and 50 yards. Ran 10/10 on each, tying for 1st. Tie breaker was pictures of flies at 50 yards, I got 2 out of 5 and lost to 4/5 and 5/5.

I think next month is steel and rimfire pistols at 10 to 25 yards. Usually 15 targets and 30 shots, fast as you can.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

Curious as to what his backstop was.
re knocking the steel plates over with a .22 handgun, the one's at my range have to be hit near the top to go down.
Jim

He was in a quarry.

I was trying to hit the plates on the outside edge to knock them off, but a 10" x 3/8" plate is pretty heavy for a .22 and when the star is spinning it isn't real easy to hit the outside edge with a revolver. With the rifle is wasn't bad.

[flipper35]

Tim, the star is for handguns only, though some guy got ticked and shot it with his 7mm at 25 yards. That was the last time he shot at it. We had to take the plates and pound them flat again. Some of the hot loads in .44 magnum will dent it as well and we have to pound it back straight. I know most of the lead is dropped to the ground below the plates, just didn't know if any parts came back the shooters way. We never had any issues but the closest we ever shot at it was 18 yards.

I need to make a set of hanging plates like you have there. Of course I would also like a semi-auto to work the plates a little quicker.