Most good steel targets warn not to shoot at them any closer than 10 yards or 25 ft for safety.
Depending on caliber you may want to stand further back.
I like steel targets, but I also like to get ones that are well made, solid, and have some down deflection to them to reduce chances of ricochet backwards.
But they are not cheap at all.
I watched some guy shoot some home made steel that was a bit too light and springy. It was at about 50 yds. He ended up shooting himself in the head. It can come back at you from a long ways. Make it stiff and allow it to pivot on a slight balance. They will still fly wild, but at least not straight back at you. Soft points are much safer also. Setting the plate at an angle similar to a bullet trap also works.
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