Shooting Steel

[tony d willIiams]

I would not be leaving it out there for the public.
Those AH's would ruin it in short order!

Quite true.
And don't leave it when you pack up and head home.
I was out walking the foothills and found a nice AR500, small man's trunk size. Somebody left it, and it has held up at 440 yards with over 1,000 338LM impacts, and a few 308s.

 

[brant89]

FWIW, I have a 3/8" AR500 plate that has taken thousands of rounds from 5.56 up through 300WM from both near and far and the only damage done was that it cracked near the bolt holes from taking lots of rifle rounds in the dead of winter here in Michigan.

 

[meatyrem]

Sometimes we can be surprised.

3/8" plate on a T-post at 250 yards vs Weatherby 6.5 RPM, 140 grain Sierra Game King at 3035 FPS.

Never say never...

Then that's not likely AR500

I'm having a tough time wrapping my head around this, which corner was it? lol

Ive hit mine right on the edge and chipped it but when I hit further in it doesn't do anything with same round

 

[Moose Whacker]

At 200 meters my .338 WM 225 gr. Barns 2900 fps. only removed the paint on AR500.
I was amazed that the crater could only be slightly felt with my finger.

 

[Radman]

I have been talking to a local machine shop about what steel to use for targets out to 500 yds.
They tell me 1/2"AR Plate won't stand up to medium magnum calibers(7mm-300Win)
Anybody had any experience with this?

Distance verses caliber....
I've bent them, worn them thin & used them for years with no appreciable wear. Distance vs caliber. Overall, they're probably shooting straight with you, (for the long run).
You'll be able to tell after your first few shots. When I'm in doubt or know that I may be shooting closer than 200 yards I always go thicker. I ordered my last ones through Walmart.

 

[Damage Inc.]

Real AR500 last a long time.

This JC Steel target has taken tens of thousands of high power rifle rounds, from 200-1000+ yards…. Its still going strong, with almost no marks on it.

 

[Ga6570]

i made all my larger steel targets as once i got over 8" square buying steel had prices higher than i was interested in. i have access to old ATM safes. i cut one up and have made a number of shooting steel with it. 1/2" and at 400 and 500 yards just gets a small mark from the 6.5 prc but nothing but paint removal from the 6.5 creedmoor. at 1000 yards just paint removal on impact. i welded bolt nuts on the back and use some bent rods for hangers and they make audible ring when hit with the creedmoor at 1000.

if you ever make it down near bozeman - hit me up and ill give you a piece to make into a target.

here are a couple pics of them hanging at 1000 yards earlier this year

 

[Husky user]

i made all my larger steel targets as once i got over 8" square buying steel had prices higher than i was interested in. i have access to old ATM safes. i cut one up and have made a number of shooting steel with it. 1/2" and at 400 and 500 yards just gets a small mark from the 6.5 prc but nothing but paint removal from the 6.5 creedmoor. at 1000 yards just paint removal on impact. i welded bolt nuts on the back and use some bent rods for hangers and they make audible ring when hit with the creedmoor at 1000.

if you ever make it down near bozeman - hit me up and ill give you a piece to make into a target.

here are a couple pics of them hanging at 1000 yards earlier this year

Will do!

 

[vancewalker007]

I have been talking to a local machine shop about what steel to use for targets out to 500 yds.
They tell me 1/2"AR Plate won't stand up to medium magnum calibers(7mm-300Win)
Anybody had any experience with this?

My 3/8 inch AR500 gongs seem to stand up to magnum fire at 200 yards out. I have not shot them closer than 200 yards, so I can't speak to that.

 

[Moike]

I use old discs from the farm. For heavy calibers I put 2 together, run a big bolt through the center hole and suspend them from rubber belting. 6.5cm doesn't bother them at all as close as 200m. The .308 win dents them a bit the .300wm wrecks them at 250 or closer. But, there cheap. Best metal targets I have found so far and as I said, cheap.

 

[Trm82]

I've been using AR 400 1/4 " for 8 years but never shoot it closer than 400 yards and it only has 2 holes in it and that's from some ****head that shot it at 100 yards.
I've shot it with dozens of different cartridges and fast ones and it's been great.

 

[JRS3]

I called a local metal fabricator a few years ago and asked what pieces of steel they had laying around. I ended getting a deal on 10, 10" cut circles made out of 1" thick steel. They are too soft to use with larger calibers under 100 yards and at 300 yards .224 cartridges hardly move them due to their weight. I don't know the metal hardness of them but doing it again, I would invest in better quality steel.

 

[22250imp]

Quite true.
And don't leave it when you pack up and head home.
I was out walking the foothills and found a nice AR500, small man's trunk size. Somebody left it, and it has held up at 440 yards with over 1,000 338LM impacts, and a few 308s.

So you are the one that took my target!!! No, not really, LOL

 

[Tyler25246]

Hello yes it will hold up for 10 generations at those distances. Just go to your local AG implement and order in some good 6mm discs. You can get them in several different diameters for a fraction of armor steel. Put them on a T post with a flex center mount. Tell me how they are working after a couple years.

When you say flex center Mount what do you mean??