steel target questions

[Jeff45]

I am interested in making my own steel targets. Any advice on what materials I need to use and also what type of loads are fired at steel and which are not and why. Thank you

[27hand]

I am interested in making my own steel targets. Any advice on what materials I need to use and also what type of loads are fired at steel and which are not and why. Thank you

Jeff,

If you are making your own targets, I would follow a few guidelines.

AR500 plate would be the best for rifle and pistol and would hold up for thousands of hits.

AR400 would outlast regular mild steel for rifle but is not the best choice. For most pistol rounds, 400 would be fine.

Mild steel is cheap, usually pretty easy to get, can be replaced when cratering of the surface is at a point it is no longer safe to shoot at. Mild steel will crater (severly with rifle, less with pistol). Safety is compromised when shooting at cratered steel because a hit in a crater or partly in a crater can send pieces of bullet back at you.


Mild steel. Points 1 through 4 .

1) I would use 1/4" for rimfire and low velocity smallbore handgun.

2) 3/8" plate for most pistol calibers except magnums.

3) Mild steel can be used for rifle if it is to be sacrificial and disposed of after a session.

4) I believe 23 feet is as close as you should shoot at steel with handguns. 100 yds is as close as you should be to shoot rifle at mild steel.

AR 500 even has limitations on rifle use.

You can shoot at 3/8" thick AR 500 with everything but heavy rifle magnum calibers which I would use 1/2" thick AR500.

These are some old pics of various steel targets I made or bought.
This pic is a piece of 1/2" mild steel with hits top to bottom as follow.

top 2) .308 (7.62 X 51) Milsurp 147 gr NATO through Spanish FR-8 and Ishapore 2A

3) (hole) .300 WinMag 165 gr wolf
4) .44 MAG 240 gr soft point 7 1/2" barrel
5) 7.62 X39 through AK
6) (right side) .40 S&W 4" Glock
7) (center) 30-30 170 gr flat nosed
8) (just left center) 30.06 150 gr Nosler Bal tip
9) (center bottom) 9mm 3 1/2" bbl Kahr.
10) (bot right) .223 wolf 155 gr AR
11) 7.62 X 39 Chinese SKS



Handgun cratered steel. .44 mag .357 mag and down IIRC


I angle my steel down to deflect a lot of fragments downward.

OR make swingers which also move when hit and deflect downward I gave these swingers to the guys running the westie PMSC/pafoa group shoots.

Happy steel


I'm assuming you can weld. If you go with mild steel and it starts to crater, you can grind the high spots or if badly cratered, you can grind,weld with filler and grind flat.

Good luck.

A guy with a handle of mcosman on The High Road has AR500 targets reasonably priced.

ALWAYS WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND A BILLED BASEBALL CAP ( BILL IN FRONT) WHEN SHOOTING STEEL.

Shoot steel at your own risk. Google shooting steel targets for more info.

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[Jeff45]

Much, much appreciated. Thank you.

[P-11 shooter]

Much, much appreciated. Thank you.

Great info Hans. Even with swingers it never hurts to angle the plates down.

I can't think of much more to add to that great post but if you have an questions don't hesitate to ask. I think it's as much funto make steel targets as it is to shoot them

[Stooperzero]

I had a full sized 3/8" AR500 silhouette that took over 3000 hits from rifle fire over 100yds and up to 1000yds

at 200 yds 55gr 223 will just ping/splatter at 1000yds Old cordite 303 ammo would punch a hole clean through it, same with 762x54r Polish ammo.

and I can agree. I would angle it downwards AND shoot no closer than 25yds with a handgun.
I shot a cz-52 at it with Yugo ammo from 10 yds and got showered with parts of the bullets every shot.

[brian]

you will get stuff back. no if's and's or but's. so dress appropriately.
we shoot under a tin roofed firing line stuff and is always tickling down on it.
the best advice for shooting steel, is hot loads, the faster the stuff bullet the better.
lead bullets would be recommended, but far from required.
i was shooting slow 158 gr 38spl loads the other week.
i popped the steel at 25yrds and immediately saw a glint of something arcing up and back....i was able to follow it all the way to it's landing spot....5' in front and to the right of me.....it was almost the complete bullet....it had a hang time of about 2seconds.
ar500 from .5" thick and above will make targets that last a very long time.
i finally let somebody hit one of mine with a .50bmg ball round at 50yrds, it put a slight "dent", that is almost invisible on it.

i do not know how many thousand rounds this plate has seen, but it's a lot.
it is getting to point where i don't feel as good about it as i once did. the next it get's shot off the base, i'll spin it around.

[27hand]

I'm not sure about splashback angle of rifle bullets but pistol bullets explode from steel impact at about a 20 degree angle. This is the reason a brimmed ballcap needs to be worn. Splashback of bullet fragments will come down at close range and could get behind safety glasses if the brim didn't prevent this.

Understand one thing when shooting steel at close range. You will be struck with fragments.

I bought 2 of the Colt speed plates from Mike Gibson. They automatically reset after each hit. One of mine was hit with a rifle round at a group shoot at 25 yds or so with no damage but that is too close.

Here is some additional info about steel from MGM targets.

http://www.mgmtargets.com/faqs/index.php

Here are some AR500 8" round plates I bought from Mike Cosman on The High Road. A couple years ago they cost about $20 ea,. I think they are about $25 or so now.



Hope this helps

There's Brian . Always good info.

I was cleaning out my garage and threw away a monkey hood and a hardhat mounted welding hood. I probably have a half dozen more I have to decide what to do with. The monkey hood was a hot bitch to weld in but easier than a mirror . I heard Huntsman isn't making the replacement liners anymore so I may keep those.
I'm too old to worry about doing it on the job anymore.

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[Jeff45]

Awesome guys. AR500 it is. Going to have my machine shop cut a few out. Holler if you want any or have any ideas on size or shape. Will have them angled down. Any ideas if anyone has tried a (very slight, think dinner plate, not soup bowl) cone or dome shaped target?

[brian]

flat is best.
odd things can happen, and it's best to keep things simple.

[27hand]

flat is best.
odd things can happen, and it's best to keep things simple.

Agree with flat.

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