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What's in YOUR backstop?

machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
edited May 2009 in General Discussion
Saw the video on You-tube of the guy who had his hat taken off by a rebounding projectile.

It sure happens.

Last summer I took a Mosin out to check the sight regulation. Our range includes a berm at 35 yards that has things that we use for pistol plinking, including heavy-duty tractor parts that last forever. I set up a target stand at 25 yards, ten yards short of the berm, with the berm as a backstop, to check the sights, and fired a shot. It was steel-core surplus. Two holes appeared in the target about two inches apart: one round hole, and one keyhole. The round hole was made by the departing bullet, and the keyhole was made by it coming straight back. Figuring the angles, it went right past the left side of my head. But with hearing protectors, I never heard it pass. Wheeee!

Anybody else have interesting 'bank' shots to relate?

Comments

  • storm6490storm6490 Member Posts: 8,010
    edited November -1
    my friend and i were shooting paper targets and i hit the post sending it into his target and ripping it in half. tried to say it was a trick shot. [:D]
  • EhlerDaveEhlerDave Member Posts: 5,158 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I shot a metal swinging target with a AMT 22 mag and the bullet bounced back and hit me in the crotch. Hurt something awful ... was funny a couple days later.
    Just smile and say nothing, let them guess how much you know.
  • shoff14shoff14 Member Posts: 11,994 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by EhlerDave
    I shot a metal swinging target with a AMT 22 mag and the bullet bounced back and hit me in the crotch. Hurt something awful ... was funny a couple days later.


    Standing or in your chair? [:0]
  • TopkickTopkick Member Posts: 4,452 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.
  • VinhlongVet71VinhlongVet71 Member Posts: 4,605
    edited November -1
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]quote:Originally posted by Topkick
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.
  • Locust ForkLocust Fork Member Posts: 31,909 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I don't understand what people think when they shoot at metal. Where do they think the bullet goes when it "pings" off the target? Something that falls over is one thing.....but tractor parts....metal sheets as backstops...it just seems like the thinking stopped passed pulling the trigger.

    I don't get out and shoot as often as I could, but I do worry about these things every time I do.
    LOCUST FORK CURRENT AUCTIONS: https://www.gunbroker.com/All/search?Sort=13&IncludeSellers=618902&PageSize=48 Listings added every Thursday! We do consignments, contact us at mckaygunsales@gmail.com
  • Spider7115Spider7115 Member Posts: 29,702 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by VinhlongVet71
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]quote:Originally posted by Topkick
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.




    That would depend on the size of the rabbit. [:D]

    giant-rabbit.jpg
  • TopkickTopkick Member Posts: 4,452 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by VinhlongVet71
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]quote:Originally posted by Topkick
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.






    I have taken many cottontails with a .45. Head shots. Difficult, but doable for me. I shoot a lot compared to most armchair rangers. I am a sportsman, hunting in Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico. I hunt deer, antelope, hogs, and rabbits.
    I do eat what I shoot except paper targets at the range.
    Please forgive me, but paper doesen't taste so good, even with Shiner Bock beer.

    And again, yes, we do eat rabbits in Texas.

    I will put past your snide, armchair remarks.
  • mogley98mogley98 Member Posts: 18,291 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    lead and copper jackets
    Why don't we go to school and work on the weekends and take the week off!
  • tazzertazzer Member Posts: 16,837
    edited November -1
    [:D]Iv got about a 10' wide by 6'tall dirt mound back by big trees just incase for my back stop [:D]
  • machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    When pistol bullets ping off tractor parts, they ping in the same directions as when they ping off the other metal targets that we use, including ones that are designed to fall over, whether they do or not, or the other commercial ones that spin around their axis. We don't stay out of the kitchen because the heat ain't that bad.

    But we do have a sign that advises against purchasing or using any kind of fireworks. It's on the door of our fireworks shed.
  • EhlerDaveEhlerDave Member Posts: 5,158 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by shoff14
    quote:Originally posted by EhlerDave
    I shot a metal swinging target with a AMT 22 mag and the bullet bounced back and hit me in the crotch. Hurt something awful ... was funny a couple days later.


    Standing or in your chair? [:0]


    I was in my chair, missed my knees, my kind of luck. [8D]
    Just smile and say nothing, let them guess how much you know.
  • moonshinemoonshine Member Posts: 8,471
    edited November -1
    quote:

    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it
    quote:
    Originally posted by Topkick

    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.




    I like to use my .41 mag then I dont have to do any cleaning
  • JnRockwallJnRockwall Member Posts: 16,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Originally posted by VinhlongVet71
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]

    I think he was planning on killing a field dressing in one fatal shot...
  • JnRockwallJnRockwall Member Posts: 16,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by machine gun moran
    Saw the video on You-tube of the guy who had his hat taken off by a rebounding projectile.

    It sure happens.

    Last summer I took a Mosin out to check the sight regulation. Our range includes a berm at 35 yards that has things that we use for pistol plinking, including heavy-duty tractor parts that last forever. I set up a target stand at 25 yards, ten yards short of the berm, with the berm as a backstop, to check the sights, and fired a shot. It was steel-core surplus. Two holes appeared in the target about two inches apart: one round hole, and one keyhole. The round hole was made by the departing bullet, and the keyhole was made by it coming straight back. Figuring the angles, it went right past the left side of my head. But with hearing protectors, I never heard it pass. Wheeee!

    Anybody else have interesting 'bank' shots to relate?


    Did you see the one where his hat came off or his hearing protection? Cause the dude that lost is hearing protection was shooting a .50 caliber rifle, so imagine that?
  • JnRockwallJnRockwall Member Posts: 16,350 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Spider7115
    quote:Originally posted by VinhlongVet71
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]quote:Originally posted by Topkick
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.



    Add 1 30 pound rabbit to survialist BOB. It will add a full weeks worth of meals.


    That would depend on the size of the rabbit. [:D]

    giant-rabbit.jpg
  • shadowhawk176shadowhawk176 Member Posts: 1 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Best backstop I have seen is part of the side of a hill carved out like a buddy of mine did on his land. This way you're shooting into the side of the hill with no chance of rounds coming out of the other side or hitting buried things like plows.
  • Colt SuperColt Super Member Posts: 31,007
    edited November -1
    SPIDER _

    Is that an Omega ??

    Doug
  • westkybandedwestkybanded Member Posts: 259 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by VinhlongVet71
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]quote:Originally posted by Topkick
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.




    Are you 12?

    You've obviously never killed an animal before. Before our state made it illegal to do so, my favorite squirrel gun was a Uberti 1866 in 44-40. Head shots is the key here. Shooting a rabbit with a .45 colt won't do anything other than put a .45 caliber hole through it. Even if you shot one in the body, it's not going to blow it in half or anything silly like that. Handgun bullets are not explosive. You've seen too many movies.
  • 11BravoCrunchie11BravoCrunchie Member Posts: 33,423 ✭✭
    edited November -1
  • fideaufideau Member Posts: 11,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "Is THAT a rabbit over there". Earnest
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Spider7115
    quote:Originally posted by VinhlongVet71
    Shootin' at a rabbit with a .45? A real sportsman for sure[V] I
    guess your plans were just to kill the rabbit with no plans of
    eating it[?]quote:Originally posted by Topkick
    I was shooting at a rabbit at 15 yards and missed, hitting a plow that was half-buried. Ricochet went right by my head. 45 Long Colt in a Ruger Bisley Vaquero.

    Would have killed me.




    That would depend on the size of the rabbit. [:D]

    giant-rabbit.jpg


    Spider, nice pic of a Flemish Giant rabbit. I used to raise them. My buck was 35 pounds. He was a big boy, that ate like a dog. They are expensive to raise, and no profit raising them unless you pedigree them.
  • retroxler58retroxler58 Member Posts: 32,693 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Shootin' rabbits is a whole lot more fun and actually a lot safer than how we did it when I was a kid...
    I'm sure many of you have seen the "Have-a-Heart" wire traps...
    Well, we used to make our own wooden rabbit gums out of old wooden slabs. Couldn't see in the box unless the rabbit had started to chew its way out.
    Made the mistake once of reaching in to get the "rabbit" one early morning and came back out with snarling opossum... not good... really not good.
    Couldn't reach into a rabbit gum again for a LONG while. I learned to turn the gum up on end and carefully pull back the sliding trap door with flashlight in one hand and trusty Louisville slugger in the other!!!!!!!!
    Didn't take long to save up for a 22LR to use instead of the gums. Problem was..., that we ate better when I used the gums... [:D][:D][:D]
  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    quote:we used to make our own wooden rabbit gums out of old wooden slabs

    I figure it's some sort of trap, but what exactly is a rabbit gum?
    as far as backstops, train runs across the back of my property.
    25 ft high earth berm for my backstop. no rebounds yet.
  • fideaufideau Member Posts: 11,895 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by tplumeri
    quote:we used to make our own wooden rabbit gums out of old wooden slabs

    I figure it's some sort of trap, but what exactly is a rabbit gum?
    as far as backstops, train runs across the back of my property.
    25 ft high earth berm for my backstop. no rebounds yet.
    A trap could be made to catch rabbits from hollow gum trees by closing one end and making a trigger attached to a trap door. Hence rabbit "gum". Most we had were made from scrap lumber so it could be various sizes but basically a box a couple feet long and 10-12 in square. A hole cut for the trigger near the back end, a post in the middle where you could stretch over a string attached to a loose fitting door at the front . You put a bait, like a piece of apple in the back and as the rabbit went after it he would slip the trigger dropping the door, rabbit for dinner. Hopefully not a * or skunk. It worked very well. We always had several around when I was growing up. I think I'll make one as I have seen rabbits in the yard and my wife is worried about her garden.Might be fun.
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