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Min safe distance for 5.56 on steel targets

PcouchPcouch Posts: 3 New Member
in Personal Defense #1
Folks I need some help finding the minimum safe distance for shooting 5.56 ball ammo at steel targets. Specifically, I am running a range for my team in Afghanistan and need to know how close we can shoot our M4 and M9 at steel e-type targets. Any info will help.
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  • SirGeorgeKillianSirGeorgeKillian Posts: 5,463 Senior Member
    #2
    Any chance of ditching the ball ammo for frangible?
    Unless life also hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is gonna suck!
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    I'm in love with a Glock
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  • BigslugBigslug Posts: 9,875 Senior Member
    #3
    Hopefully, your targets are angled in such a way that the projectiles are deflected downwards, and are hard enough (500 on the Brinnel scale) for rifle use. 15 yards is as close as I'll run a course with steel under those conditions. If the steel is not angled or is cratered from rounds more powerful than it's rated for, all bets are off.

    Eye protection and body armor - make them mandatory. Fragments can do ugly things.
    WWJMBD?

    "Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
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  • CHIRO1989CHIRO1989 Posts: 14,857 Senior Member
    #4
    You must have some regulations to refer too in your unit.
    I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn away from their ways and live. Eze 33:11
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  • SirGeorgeKillianSirGeorgeKillian Posts: 5,463 Senior Member
    #5
    There is always a chance that he is a private contractor. In that case, they could be flying by the seat of their pants...
    Unless life also hands you water and sugar, your lemonade is gonna suck!
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    I'm in love with a Glock
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  • bruchibruchi Posts: 2,581 Senior Member
    #6
    Always heard that the safe distance for 223 rounds on steel targets is 100 yards?
    If this post is non welcomed, I can always give you a recipe for making "tostones".
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  • rapier5316rapier5316 Posts: 312 Member
    #7
    100 yards will give the targets a longer life. Hanging the targets from chains also will redirect the splash into the dirt nearby.
    "The power of the United States has peaked, oppression follows." Robert Prector, Socionomics.net
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  • bruchibruchi Posts: 2,581 Senior Member
    #8
    I got 3 AR500 metal targets, one is an 8" similar to this:

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/AR500-hardened-Steel-Target-with-auto-reset-spring-return-/160733731750?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item256c7a1ba6

    Another 8" and a 6" that I hang from chains, no issues at 100 yards with 223, 7.62 and 308 but the ones hanging on chains really fly when you hit them with 308".

    Ebay is a great source for them and many of the sellers will ship as many they can fit on the flat rate shipping boxes saving you as lot of money there.
    If this post is non welcomed, I can always give you a recipe for making "tostones".
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  • bruchibruchi Posts: 2,581 Senior Member
    #9
    I have to admit that on local 3 gun matches metal targets are sometimes positioned as close as 50 yards but those are targets that reset themselves via a spring and that ought to help some to reduce ricochets. A static metal target at a "close" distance might not be the wisest thing.
    If this post is non welcomed, I can always give you a recipe for making "tostones".
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  • PcouchPcouch Posts: 3 New Member
    #10
    Pcouch wrote: »
    Folks I need some help finding the minimum safe distance for shooting 5.56 ball ammo at steel targets. Specifically, I am running a range for my team in Afghanistan and need to know how close we can shoot our M4 and M9 at steel e-type targets. Any info will help.

    Thanks for the help. We will stick to 100 as im not sure what kind of steel we are getting. I'll post how it goes after a bit of trial and error (with body armor of course).
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  • NNNN Posts: 25,236 Senior Member
    #11
    We used 25 yds at the shoot, the .223 was fine; but, we took some shrapnel
    hits from the pistol ammo.
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  • bruchibruchi Posts: 2,581 Senior Member
    #12
    NN wrote: »
    We used 25 yds at the shoot, the .223 was fine; but, we took some shrapnel
    hits from the pistol ammo.

    At one local IPSC pistol match we had metal targets at 25 yards, "Pepper Poppers" which fall when hit, a 9mm ricochet hit one of the guys who was watching the guy running the stage and he bullet went inside his leg, a doctor that was present took it out with a Leatherman tool, patched him up and was taken to the nearest hospital, couple of weeks later he had recovered 100%, it happens.
    If this post is non welcomed, I can always give you a recipe for making "tostones".
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  • NNNN Posts: 25,236 Senior Member
    #13
    I shot myself in the chest, as I posted before, shooting a refrigerator.
    No injury except a slight bruise.
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  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    #14
    NN wrote: »
    I shot myself in the chest, as I posted before, shooting a refrigerator.
    No injury except a slight bruise.

    Yep, I reckon your .327 Federal Magnum ain't CFC rated.........:tooth::roll2::roll2::roll2::rotflmao::rotflmao:
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
    Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
    I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
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  • PcouchPcouch Posts: 3 New Member
    #15
    Pcouch wrote: »
    Folks I need some help finding the minimum safe distance for shooting 5.56 ball ammo at steel targets. Specifically, I am running a range for my team in Afghanistan and need to know how close we can shoot our M4 and M9 at steel e-type targets. Any info will help.

    Ok, so needless to say we had a blast shooting our new steel targets. Thank you for all the great info. We found that the 5.56 will penetrate at 100m and up. 9mm will splash but not penetrate. M240B what steel? Lol
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  • armymedicarmymedic Posts: 36 Member
    #16
    Just make sure to wear your reflective belts
    There are only three solutions for terrorism, 2 in the chest and 1 in the head
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