Mild Steel Safety

[rodneyb]

Just poking around on the internet, I have recently discovered that many consider shooting mild steel extremely dangerous in terms of a round coming back at your face. I get that you shouldn't shoot badly cratered steel, or irregular shapes, shoot at an angle, etc. Ive been shooting at mild steel with rifles (only rifles) for probably twenty years, no issues. All center fire rifles I own easily penetrate up to 3/8" a36 mild steel. This is at 30-100 yards.The steel I shoot is typically 3/16-1/4", this is new steel with a flat surface, usually placed on the ground, ill put 10-20 rounds in it and get a new piece. Im failing to see the ricochet danger, please educate me, would like to know if this is a stupid maneuver.

Edit: I do own AR500 steel targets as well, so I understand the difference. Just talking about disposable a36 drop pieces.

[Lonestargrizzly]

You just gotta know what's in front of your barrel and what's behind your target.

[rodneyb]

[IMG][/IMG]

You just gotta know what's in front of your barrel and what's behind your target.

Attached photo is behind my target. In front of the barrel is a 14" piece of 3"x3"x.1875" wall mild steel.

[Lonestargrizzly]

Looks safe to me!

[rodneyb]

Based on:

1. 156 people have viewed this and no ones flamed me or had a story about their brothers cousins dog that caught a deadly ricochet off of mild steel.

2. I've been doing it for a while with no ill effects.

Im going to conclude that shooting new mild steel with a rifle, at common sense safe distance, is a relatively safe activity in terms of bullet returning to the shooter.

[IMG][/IMG]