StealStick 17 Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 Does anyone have an info about buying steel targets? I saw plenty of people out there making them I just don't have any experance with them. I know it has to be AR500 Steel. Any help would be good. Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott Kenny 144 Posted February 3, 2012 Report Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) Let's see... R&R is a forum sponsor. MGM targets is not, but I have met Travis Gibson, and know their products. (Sorry R&R, haven't been to a shoot you sponsor, yet!) Pricey. Like converted-for-full-race Tromix Saiga-12 pricey if you want a plate rack or a dueling tree. My regular shooting buddy made a few steel targets, and didn't use armor plate. Pistols will not put holes in 3/8 mild steel, but 55gr Armscor FMJ at ~3500fps (26.5gr of Varget and a 24" barrel) will blow big craters (nearly all the way through). If you get a crater, you have to scrap the plate, it's unsafe to shoot at any more. Paging R&R! Anything important I missed? Edited February 3, 2012 by Scott Kenny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 What makes a plate with a crater or hole less safe than one without? Either one can cause ricochets the same. Not trolling here, I just don't see the rationale. (except from the companies selling them.) I have cut myself on metal that people shot up, but that is the only real safety issue that comes to mind unless you are using the target to hide behind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott Kenny 144 Posted February 4, 2012 Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 A dent or crater makes it more likely to get a reverse-angle ricochet, as I understand it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Buford T Justice 17 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 I cut myself out some targets to use this spring. I just used 1/8 steel and welded on a stem with a washer on the other end to let it spin when I hit it. I figured with them spinning upon contact they would be ok. Yes or no? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott Kenny 144 Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 1/8" plate is probably too light/too thin, and it will likely dish a little bit as you shoot it with pistols. Just flip it around so that you shoot both sides, it should last a while. HOWEVER, any rifle will blow clear through it (as will something like a 5.7). My friend's falling steel was 1/4", IIRC, and it flies pretty well if you smack it with #6 shot from a 12 gauge. The 3/8" plates on the plate rack and auto-resetting sniper target don't even take a mark from 9mm or .40 jacketed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IndyArms 10,186 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 I had hanging plates in the bushes/trees behind my house where I shoot... I was using 3/8th inch mild steel 10" X 10" plates... 22 LR never is an issue... and even the 458 SOCOM at 100 yards will not dent the plate... ( it will just about spin it over the top though!! ) but any other centerfire rifle... from 223 up to 50 BMG will punch holes clean through at 100 yards or less... ( like a 50 punching a hole is a surprise... LOL ) I used to have a spinner target that I made out of 3/4" plate... even that didnt hold up well to higher power rifles like the PSL, or the 308 at several hundred yards. After a short time... it looked like swiss cheese. It took a LOT of hits... but it was not immune to getting holes in it... and that was free spinning and thick steel!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Buford T Justice 17 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 well the next ones I will make from thicker steel. These I will use for hand gun and my Ruger 10/22. I am sticking with spinning for safety reasons I figure that will keep ricochets less possible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
akastormi 617 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 well this was a spinner I made from 3/8" plate, it didn't fare well to some calibers shot at it; Manhole covers are fun, but dont hold up at all, cast steel. That's a 3/8" plate behind it; Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Buford T Justice 17 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Wow back to the drawing board. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodes1968 1,638 Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 And people wonder why Uncle uses depleted uranium. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scott Kenny 144 Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 Well, them Russkies like using 4" or more of hardened steel plate as one of the layers in their armor. Takes a bit more oomph to put holes in that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rhodes1968 1,638 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 (edited) Think the days of hardened steel armor are a thing of the past. Uranium rounds and armor, what a freaking world to live in huh. And they freak if we find a source of simple AP... Back on target so to speak, commercial sources are not even that confident of their targets. Edited February 13, 2012 by Rhodes1968 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rottieman33 90 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 You don't need AR500 waste of money, AR400 will do the same job. I made a target at a 100' my .308 wouldn't even dent it. http://s1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd369/Rottieman33/?action=view¤t=001-12.jpg http://s1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd369/Rottieman33/?action=view¤t=227272_1824310322682_1087961132_31800688_2644318_n.jpg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JC GoF 70 Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 For some cheap steal plates just go a walk around your local RR tracks and you will find 6" by 10" steal plates that were used under the tracks and where ether replaced or just slid out from the wood rotting away. they are very heavy and will hold up to you 22 all day long. I have gone 2 times to try and find some and have found them just laying in the rocks near the tracks within five minutes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted February 16, 2012 Report Share Posted February 16, 2012 That would be stealling. Same as if I found something on your driveway and took off with it. And there are extra laws that hit you harder because they don't want people causing train wrecks. You can get hit with both state and fed charges over that, and railroads have detectives with legal arrest authority. Buy them at auctions where the RR sells their old equipment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aubie515 2 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 AR500 is where it's at...whoever said it's a waste of money is full of crap...shoot 338LM and tell me that AR500 is a waste of money. I have a 100% IPSC target from MGM and it's awesome...we were shooting at it with FAL, ARs and SK74 and it didn't do anything to the steel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rottieman33 90 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 I have a 100% IPSC target from MGM All that means its approved my IPSC standards. I have worked with both metals at my job. You could get AR400 and AR500 steel plates put them side by side and shoot at them and you will see no difference. And a 338LM nothing special about that round, looked it up in my reloading manuals. And a AR in .223 cal will not even put a hole in 3/8" mild steel. AR400 steel plate 100' with my .308 didn't even dent it. 185gr. bullet, going by my book 2800fps Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Is AR500 steel any different to weld than a "mild steel"? I have an AR500 sillhouette plate and want to weld it up to a swinging mount of some sort. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rottieman33 90 Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 all depends on the thickness of the plate. the 3/8" plate when I cut it using a oxygen/acetylene, I would make small cuts and then cool it with water so I wouldn't lose the hardness, it was the same with welding it you get it to hot and let it slowly cool down you will lose a little of the hardness. So when you weld it do about 1" then dump some water on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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