I am off work on Friday and am going to shoot my new to me model 25. I've never shot a .45. My range is my back yard and I have no close neighbors. I usually shoot 8" steel targets (high quality) and never stand closer than 15 yards. Will be shooting FMJ ball ammo. Does this sound like a safe combination? Anything I should change? Thanks
Shooting steel with .45 acp
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Sounds ok to me. I routinely shoot steel plates at 11 yards with .45 ACP ball. You WILL receive tiny bits of lead and jacket so wear eye protection and keep spectators back.
austintexas
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A friend of mine was shooting at a stump with hard ball at about 30 feet and had a ricochet come back and graze the side of his leg. .45 is slow enough to bounce back.
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SWCA 892
It is best of the steel is angled downward somewhat to deflect the round into the ground. 15 yards would be the minimum, as a friend of mine had to have some jacket materiel splatter back removed from his abdomen in the ER. Paper targets with a dirt backing is much better.
jimbo728
Member
My plate range is 33 ft. Shoot all handgun calibers up to .44 Mag and will shoot at an angle but sometimes straight on. Ive never been hit with splatter or a bullet on steel but have been splattered with bowling pin lead splinters.
Oh , never shoot a cinder block head on.
Ask me how I know.
Jim
Oh , never shoot a cinder block head on.
Ask me how I know.
Jim
We shoot steel all the time at USPSA matches where I RO, and I have many scars on me from jacket fragments, and got one bruise from a .45 FMJ that apparently bounced from a plate support. We had one shooter who got hit hard enough by a TMJ to draw blood on his leg.
I always appreciate it when the shooter used lead bullets that always spatter harmlessly, leaving caliber-sized discs lying on the ground. I have never been hit by lead bullet spatter at our min distance of 10 yds.
One more hazard is if FMJ bullets accumulate in the dirt from misses, a hit in the pile of bullets can send the old bullets flying in all directions, including back toward the shooter and spectators.
I always appreciate it when the shooter used lead bullets that always spatter harmlessly, leaving caliber-sized discs lying on the ground. I have never been hit by lead bullet spatter at our min distance of 10 yds.
One more hazard is if FMJ bullets accumulate in the dirt from misses, a hit in the pile of bullets can send the old bullets flying in all directions, including back toward the shooter and spectators.
coltle6920
Member
I see a lot of steel plates mounted on a 2x4 and angled towards the ground.I would guess that the angle determines whether or not you would get hit by ricochets.
I prefer to use 1/4" plates hung from a chain.When hit with anything .38 cal or above the plate is pushed back almost horizontal negating any chance of a ricochet.
At least that's been my experience.
I prefer to use 1/4" plates hung from a chain.When hit with anything .38 cal or above the plate is pushed back almost horizontal negating any chance of a ricochet.
At least that's been my experience.
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You're going to love shooting .45ACP in an N-frame!
I shoot lots of steel, I wear eye protection and don't park my truck behind me. Sure sometimes things bounce back, but at greatly reduced velocities. I try to keep the distances at 25 Yards or more. Nothing is more satisfying in the target shooting world as the sound of your bullet clanging steel.
I used to shoot steel with a 45 acp all the time during my IPSC days. Steel plates and "Pepper Poppers" both. Pepper Poppers are FUN. BANG (gun), "KLANG" (hit), THUMP (Popper falling)
Steel plates we probably shot as close as seven yards...it's been a long time, but the bullet would just sweep them off the railroad tie put down for a base. I think the poppers were at least at 15 or so.
I seem to remember someone getting hit by splatter at one time or another, but no one getting really "hurt." I always shot lead bullets, but I know the others shot jacketed.
Steel plates we probably shot as close as seven yards...it's been a long time, but the bullet would just sweep them off the railroad tie put down for a base. I think the poppers were at least at 15 or so.
I seem to remember someone getting hit by splatter at one time or another, but no one getting really "hurt." I always shot lead bullets, but I know the others shot jacketed.
Your distance is fine. As mentioned above, it's best if the steel is angled, preferably down, to deflect the fragments away from the shooter.
I've never seen a .45 ricochet back off of steel. In my experience, they totally fragment. However, I was hit square in the chest by a .45 that ricocheted off of a stack of old wood pallets. I actually saw it coming. Grazed my left elbow and smacked me just left of center mass in the chest.
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I've never seen a .45 ricochet back off of steel. In my experience, they totally fragment. However, I was hit square in the chest by a .45 that ricocheted off of a stack of old wood pallets. I actually saw it coming. Grazed my left elbow and smacked me just left of center mass in the chest.
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15 yards is perfect, NO LESS. Splater and bounce backs can hurt. Always wear eye protection. I have had many painful hits including one from the bay next to me where the ball ammo went up and over the berm and came directly down on the crown of my head. Had a bloody mess even though I was wearing a cap. Should have had a helmet!
Shoot and have fun.
Shoot and have fun.
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