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Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Had something bounce straight back from the pattern board (steel plate) at 20 yds the other day. Struck my LH middle finger, boy did that smart. Not sure what it was, thought I saw something glance off. Always wear eye protection!!

B.

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

I learned that lesson about 65 years ago. On my grandparents farm I was shooting my Daisy BB gun. the target was empty soda-pop cans- back when they were made out of steel. The cans were sitting on top of wood fence posts. From about 25 feet the BB hit the can and bounced right back at me, hitting me in the cheek, about an inch below my left eye. I didn't mention the incident to anyone but changed my shooting practices.

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

Glad nothing serious. Is the plate flat? Maybe pock marked from rifle rounds or steel shot? Steel targets will "spit back" if lead hits a dished shaped pock mark just right.

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

There was a video making the rounds of a guy at a rock quarry plinking with a .45 and a ricochet takes his hat off.

I guess he needed a new hat and a new set of underwear after that!

again , about 65yrs ago ... dad let me take the ole 97 out once I proved that I could work the action . Didn't have a clue what a pattern looked like . Found a grain tub top and hooked it to the barbed wire . Touched one off , and a pellet ricochet and hit a 1/2'' below my eye . Got the hang of it real quick from that pt on . Soft grain tub top , old soft shot and maybe 25yrds !!

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Putz,
Yes, some knucklehead sneaked into the range one night last year and put some pockmarks on the plate. Looked like .45 cal. Didn’t penetrate but left good sized craters. Videocams were down for replacement.

B.

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3178 Location: NCWa

I went to college in Chicago and before the anti's took over the athletic dept we had a shooting range in the field house. It was about a 25' range and the targets were in front of a full wall size steel plate angled at about 46 degrees, deflecting bullets down into a one foot deep sand box. We fired 22 rifles and security used it for training- mostly they carried Pythons but I think they just used 38 loads at the range. I'm wondering it a patterning board/plate would be safer if it was angled like the range at school.

"You'll shoot your eye out kid!"

Member Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 2350 Location: West MI

Kinda figured, gotta love knuckleheads, been there done that....FWIW; I fill the pock marks in with common MIG welding wire and dust off with an angle grinder + flap disk and it lasts for a little while on the pistol range but eventually the HAZ on the AR plate in the repair gives up and more fill is required. Still better (less cost) than complete AR replace. IMO justifies less costly CR/HR (not AR) plates for pistol range and fill in the pass through when the knuckleheads show up, holes don't spit back & common MIG repairs hold up well to the relatively low FPS/energy of pistol rounds and lead or bis (not steel or tungsten) shotgun pellets.

Rifle range, fergettaboutit, don't bother, too far for spitback and too much terminal energy to fix properly...gotta love knuckleheads.....

Joined: 08 May 2018 Posts: 196

I use brown paper that comes on a roll 24” x24” taped to a piece of cardboard leaning against a barbed wire fence.