Need advice on steel target shooting

[Billrube]

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this. I have a couple of steel gongs ordered for shooting at home. 

My intention is practice pistol shooting with these. I have only previously shot at steel plates at 100yds with a rifle. 

What are safety dos/donts when setting up and using these. Any and all advice is welcome.

Thank you in advance!

[Sidecarist]

I have mine set up so they are angled down about 20deg. This helps direct the splatter to the ground. I don't shoot close than 10 yds. ALWAYS wear glasses. I also limit my shooting to cast or plated bullets rather than jacketed. The jackets are more likely to come back at you.

 

[Omega]

I started by hanging them by a chain, with a small forward slant so ricochets go into the ground.  On my personal range (me only), I shoot pistol at 10-30 yards, rifle at 100 (AR 300 Blk at 50), but velocity rather than pistol/rifle is the key.  Now I have a setup where they hang by AR500 hangers off a steel gas pipe which gives them better swing (no twist) and if I miss I don't damage the hangers.  The slant is still maintained though and the splatter doesn't damage the pipes much.  The condition of your plates needs to be assessed often, cratering will change the dynamics of the ricochet, that is why all my plates are of the thicker variety  (1/2" rifle rated I think)  so they will probably last my lifetime.

[Jeb48]

My private range the closest target is 7-10 yards with down angle mount on chains plus I shoot from my deck that is about 5' up increasing the angle. After thousands of rounds I have only found copper jackets a couple of times more than 10 feet from the target and never back as far as the firing line. I do wear glasses when ever shooting. I have shoot as big as .45 Long Colt at the close target but most of time 9mm is as big as get shot at the close target.

I have a variety of mounting techniques and I think I like 2x4 cross pieces to hang the targets from the best, one less thing that might cause a ricochet if it is hit. I know all of you never miss by that much but I do sometimes and when I'm teaching new shooters they do.

[Billrube]

Guys I appreciate the information. My targets have arrived and I will set them up and try them out this weekend. I will take all safety precautions. 

Thanks!