backstop's

yog1

what do you guy's think is an acceptable backstop is, there's a few fields i own that have a clay ditch around them, and i was wondering what depth of backstop would be the min,
now i'm not going to go out and start shootin through hedges (that would be a accadent waiting to happen0, but i was wondering if you saw a fox walking around the edges of a field and you know there's a clay bank behind him, what depth would it need to be before you'd even think of taking a shot

s-cogan

id say most clay dithces would stop any bullet really
sure theyd be a few feet deep anyway wouldnt they

murphy125

If I there is a clay bank behind i would not worry at all but what is it that you are shooting with

yog1

murphy125 wrote: »

If I there is a clay bank behind i would not worry at all but what is it that you are shooting with

not shooting withanything at the min:(, waiting to the permit back for a 22-250, and the .22 is due a change (pending funds), cracked action on a anschutz 520 semi:eek:, it was just a general question

meathstevie

Unless you're going to fire a belt of .50 machine gun ammo into the one spot of the bank you should be ok with just about anything you can posses in a hunting context.

jamesomara

One of the most important rules to shooting is to know your target AND what's beyond.

Under usual conditions, a few foot of clay will stop most any round that you are likely to have.

Even a .50 cal becomes ineffective after traveling through 3 foot of water when hit at an angle. When you hit perpendicularly, it is a whole new set of rules. Perpendicularly, I know the 50 cal will be lethal in more than 20 ft of water.

If you are shooting into a normal ditch (feet thick) at a downward angle, there "should" be no problem. The ditch, being more dense than water, "should" dissipate the energy of the bullet even better.

Key word: "should." Weird things can happen. So if you know there's a house downrange, livestock, whatever, don't shoot. If you know the land, let lead fly.

There was a case abroad where a person was shot on a highway paralleling a coast. They could not figure out why. Ballistics showed the shot, of all places came from the sea, and not another car.

Turns out, a fisherman 2 or three miles out shot into the water, not realizing that on certain surfaces, you can skip a bullet.

They teach this in the Army as well - skipping for when targets are crouched behind cars.

Keep in mind that bullets can have a lethal range of up to 6 miles.

Do I think it's probable that this will ever happen in a field, with brush, grass, rushes, whatever - no.

Would I take a shot I wasn't 100% confident of what's behind, no.

What round are you using? A 22 will easily give up its energy in the ditch.
Other rounds such as, high powered, high mass, and or high speed, I would want to ensure the clay was at least 5 feet thick at the point I knew I would hit.

Concisely: avoid the head/on perpendicular entry into the tops of ditches, avoid shallow angles, and know what's beyond.

Keep in mind that a bullet fired horizontally from a firearm hits the ground at the same time a bullet dropped straight down. A little angle up and the time of flight is increased.

If you keep the firearm level or pointed down, the trajectory is more safe for all.

Finally, if you do not take many shots and this is a real concern, consider frangible rounds. I got them in the states, haven't looked for them since.

Basically, a lot of law enforcement professionals aren't, shall we say, much of a shot. Thus, places require their personnel to use rounds that shatter on impact. Thus, destroying trajectories, lethality, and decreasing energy.

The rounds are more common to handguns than long-guns, but if your long-gun shoots a cross over round you might get lucky.

*****
Just saw you're waiting on a 22-250 - the old barrel burner as we used to say. That's a feckin hot round, pardon my French. BE CAREFUL. That round flies nice, fast, and flat. I know it says 22, but it has little in common with what people refer to when hear 22. Nice for foxes, a bit pricey.
*****
Good Luck

Tackleberrywho

yog1 wrote: »

not shooting withanything at the min:(, waiting to the permit back for a 22-250, and the .22 is due a change (pending funds), cracked action on a anschutz 520 semi:eek:, it was just a general question

I've fired 6.5x55 .308 and .223 into clay.
All rounds can be dug out of ditch between 6 & 9 inches in. Depending on soil.
Sandy fields round found about 4 inches in.

Once the angle you shoot at behind the target is greater than 30degrees it should be ok.
Almost every rabbit I shot was beside a clay bank, hey man thats where they live.

I personally like to shoot from hill to hill as there is nothing that can pass in the way of the shot either.

Hope this helps!
.22/250 great varmint round. Pricey though. .223 Hornady under €30 a box 20 for similar accuracy.
How much is your .22/250 rounds?
I know a lot of guys who can't give away .220 swifts as nobody wants them anymore

yog1

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

I've fired 6.5x55 .308 and .223 into clay.
All rounds can be dug out of ditch between 6 & 9 inches in. Depending on soil.
Sandy fields round found about 4 inches in.

Once the angle you shoot at behind the target is greater than 30degrees it should be ok.
Almost every rabbit I shot was beside a clay bank, hey man thats where they live.

I personally like to shoot from hill to hill as there is nothing that can pass in the way of the shot either.

Hope this helps!
.22/250 great varmint round. Pricey though. .223 Hornady under €30 a box 20 for similar accuracy.
How much is your .22/250 rounds?
I know a lot of guys who can't give away .220 swifts as nobody wants them anymore

was looking for a 204 but they couldnt be got in tikka t3 light stainless so i went for the 22-250, was told about £22 stg for 20 as well, near enough the same as the 204 round, must check the make and brand he was selling me

Tackleberrywho

yog1 wrote: »

was looking for a 204 but they couldnt be got in tikka t3 light stainless so i went for the 22-250, was told about £22 stg for 20 as well, near enough the same as the 204 round, must check the make and brand he was selling me

Do as some brands are sh1t
.223 wolf are €10 a box but rubbish, if you spend €13 you get remington 40grn hollow point a much better round.
But Hornady is the best small cal hunting round IMHO
Norma for anything over .24
Hornady offer best value for money.

Remember the cal for resale and ammo availability
A guy i know got a 5.6x68 magnum and could only get ammo off one dealer:eek: