Shooting steel in Ontaio

Mangun

Mangun

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South West Ontario
Hello Our club resently purchased 10 AR500 plates that we will use for cowboy & action shooting. In Ont the CFO requires shrouds surrounding steel targets but the regs for such are vague at best. I contacted the CFO and was directed to the peson who is responsible for range regs then redirected to their boss. He agreed that the guidelines were vague and mentioned that he would like to remove this regulation. We discussed proper steel being used, targets position so lead is deflected down, as well as velocity of ammo so it would fragment & be less prone to ricochet. We discussed IDPA reqiring a power factor comparable to factory ammo.
This decision could not be made by one person and he asked me to send him an email to support this change.
I am asking for executives or range directors to pm me with their thoughts so I may assemble some facts and send him a comprehensive list to help change this rule.
What he is not interested in is the idea that so & so doesn’t have to shroud targets, so why do we.
The conversation I had I felt was positive and gave hope that there was an effort to cooperate.

Any input would be appreciated
Thanks
 
At the St. John's Rod & Gun Club, our range rules require that reactive steel targets be placed at a minimum distance of 50 yd for rifle class cartridges and 11 yd for pistol class cartridges. We use AR500 class targets, properly set so that they react in a predictable and safe fashion, and are of good condition (not pitted, scored, holed, etc..)
 
Mangun said:
Hello Our club resently purchased 10 AR500 plates that we will use for cowboy & action shooting. In Ont the CFO requires shrouds surrounding steel targets but the regs for such are vague at best. I contacted the CFO and was directed to the peson who is responsible for range regs then redirected to their boss. He agreed that the guidelines were vague and mentioned that he would like to remove this regulation. We discussed proper steel being used, targets position so lead is deflected down, as well as velocity of ammo so it would fragment & be less prone to ricochet. We discussed IDPA reqiring a power factor comparable to factory ammo.
This decision could not be made by one person and he asked me to send him an email to support this change.
I am asking for executives or range directors to pm me with their thoughts so I may assemble some facts and send him a comprehensive list to help change this rule.
What he is not interested in is the idea that so & so doesn’t have to shroud targets, so why do we.
The conversation I had I felt was positive and gave hope that there was an effort to cooperate.

Any input would be appreciated
Thanks
Click to expand...

Please reach out to the CSSA and other shooting orgs as well before sending anything back as a formal request.
This is actually a very important topic, and if this is the request that actually leads to changes for Ontario, there should be a coordinated effort.
They may actually have something already in progress on this (I don't know if they do)

You have the attention of the CFO's office, lets capitalize on the opportunity.

Its ridiculous that Ontario is pretty much the only province that has to shroud steel, especially considering it is a pointless action.
 
The requirement to shroud steel targets was never based on evidence. As soon as we began shrouding targets there was more spatter being deflected uprange because the shrouds give the fragments something to bounce off. Major target manufacturers have done extensive research on the fragmentation patterns with their targets that provides evidence based on actual evidence versus the 'common sense' of the author of the federal range guidelines back in the 1990s.
 
These are the guidelines we use at the EOSC based on a lot of back and forth over time with the CFO. I used these guidelines to build and hang my gongs. No problems over 6 months. Hope this helps, pictures didn't copy. We have been using plates hung like this to spec for about 2 years.

NB plate angle and bolt heads are important! I use stranded steel wire with shackles to hang the plates. Let me know if more info is required.

STEEL TARGET USE



Fabricated targets MUST meet the guidelines provided by the Chief Firearms Office of Ontario and EOSC.

Failure to follow guidelines could result in serious injury, and possible suspension or revocation of membership so please be diligent in following the prescribed guidelines.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guidelines for use of steel targets

All steel will be of a hardness referred to as AR500 with thickness depending on the calibre and firearm you are shooting. This steel is available from most target suppliers and is not particularly expensive.

All steel targets must be shrouded to prevent “splash”.

Shrouding will be constructed of a minimum of 1/2 inch thick plywood and be at least 12 inches deep, surrounding all exposed (not the bottom on the ground) sides of the target, and designed to be as close to the steel target as possible. It is recommended to line the inboard side of shrouds with a heavy rubber such as old conveyor belts/tractor trailer splash guards etc. to prolong the life of the wood. Small hinges such as "piano hinges" may be used to allow shrouding to be folded for transport. These hinges will only be used if they are not in a direct line of fire to the target surface.



SHROUDED


Steel targets will be designed so any “hex head” or nuts will not be exposed to projectile impact (nuts and washers must be at the back of the target). Only “carriage bolts” may be visible on the front of a target.



ANGLED


Steel plates must not be mounted solidly such as on a pole in the ground. They must be able to move to absorb impacts. They must be mounted 24" to 30" (approximately) off the ground.

Steel targets can be mounted or hung with chain or materials such as cargo tie-down strapping, old seatbelts etc. ( which allows movement and absorption of bullet impacts). The principle is to allow the steel to move with an impact reducing the chance of ricochet.

Steel must be designed to hang at a minimum 10 degree forward angle to direct bullets down into the ground (forward is the top of the target leaning toward to shooter).

If the target has become generally dish shaped over the whole target surface it must be retired. It has become a ricochet hazard.





PLATE HIT


All targets must be placed as close to the backstop as practical and the minimum distance from which you shoot each target will adhere to the chart supplied. DID NOT COPY WELL This is considered the standard of safe shooting distances.
 
Mangun said:
Hello Our club resently purchased 10 AR500 plates that we will use for cowboy & action shooting. In Ont the CFO requires shrouds surrounding steel targets but the regs for such are vague at best. I contacted the CFO and was directed to the peson who is responsible for range regs then redirected to their boss. He agreed that the guidelines were vague and mentioned that he would like to remove this regulation. We discussed proper steel being used, targets position so lead is deflected down, as well as velocity of ammo so it would fragment & be less prone to ricochet. We discussed IDPA reqiring a power factor comparable to factory ammo.
This decision could not be made by one person and he asked me to send him an email to support this change.
I am asking for executives or range directors to pm me with their thoughts so I may assemble some facts and send him a comprehensive list to help change this rule.
What he is not interested in is the idea that so & so doesn’t have to shroud targets, so why do we.
The conversation I had I felt was positive and gave hope that there was an effort to cooperate.

Any input would be appreciated
Thanks
Click to expand...

Where did you guys get your ar500 targets from?
 
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