What range canyou use normal steel?

[EXPRESS]

I'm looking at setting up some target at 2 miles and 1 mile. I've already got AR500 targets at 1000, 1250 meters, and I suspect that if they were mild steel, they may still be getting cratering.

Can anybody tell me from experience how far you need to stretch out, when using big .338s .375s and .408s before you can get away with "normal" steel?

 

[Bravo 4]

From my little experience with mild steel, it'll have to do quite a bit with what bullets are being used and the velocity they are being spit out at (and impact obviously). With a 1" mild steel plate and my .338 Edge shooting 300 grain matchkings @ 2850'ish: if it's at 800 yards it will just leave a splatter on the paint, at 700 I expect it to leave a small divot, 600 it'll crater, and 400 burn through at times.
With my .408 and 415 Cutting Edge @ 2900'ish fps: the two times I hit it at 400 it cratered and caught the bullets, 600 and past it really just splatters the paint off.
As a comparison though; a 3/8" AR 500 plate will stop the .408/415's @ 100 until I really push it to 3,000 fps or more. The solid copper bullet seems soft. The 300 grain matchkings will penetrate it like nothing at 100 and won't get used on it under 300 yards, and even then it will beat the snot out of it until you push it out past 500.

Hope this helps.

 

[EXPRESS]

Thanks Bravo, that tells me something.
I had noticed the CEBs impact the steel differently, at times at 1250m(1367yrds) they don't even take the paint off with the 6.5s.

I'm guessing mild steel will be ok even for the .408's.
Thing is, a lighter plate should make a louder ring when it impacts, and in any event, with AR500 I can get away with a thinner (lighter) plate so the cost might end up the same.

But then again, I highly doubt you will hear any ring from that distance.
I'm thinking a 127" (1MIL) 2MOA(70") and 1MOA(35") are going to be good sizes for 2 miles?
The ground in this location doesn't show hits very well so spotting is going to be hard, hence big targets.

 

[Bravo 4]

Yeah at those ranges I'm sure it'll be hard to hear the impacts. I wear amplified ear muffs when shooting, maybe that could help? The sound amplification is instantaneous after the report of the rifle.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

Once the bullet velocity drops below 1200fps mild steel should work thickness required will depend on ft lbs remaining