Hanging Steel Targets

[MMH]

Is using regular steel for swinging targets unsafe for pistol cartridges (mostly 9mm & 45 ACP, but some 44 mag). Would use 1/2" plate & suspend from a bar. Don't want to spend money on AR500.

[NathanB]

You’re going to have a ton of splatter regardless. The steel type ensures it.

[27hand]

Is using regular steel for swinging targets unsafe for pistol cartridges (mostly 9mm & 45 ACP, but some 44 mag). Would use 1/2" plate & suspend from a bar. Don't want to spend money on AR500.

Hanging off a bar is ok.
Conveyor belt ( 3/8")might be a better option.
The bar will deflect rounds. Conveyor belt or poly rope will allow pass through and holds up.quite well.

.44 mag will dent / partially crater mild steel.
Anything short of flat could cause frags to come back at you.
Even 9mm and 45 will slightly deform mild steel

Angle the plate downward to deflect more material.

Bullets explode off a flat surface at a roughly 20 degree angle.

Wear a baseball style cap with the bill forward.
Between the safety glasses and bill, you are less likely to get bullet frags from coming down and getting between your glasses and eyeball.

AR 500 is preferred. AR400 is adequate for pistol.

AR550 is expensive with not much more hardness than 500.

I shoot steel close but read up on what distance you plan to shoot

Shooting steel will always cause some material to come back at you. Whatever risk you take is your risk.

Enjoy the steel. Get Ar500

[MMH]

I would be shooting at a minimum of 25 yards (and maybe even set out at 50). Would conveyer belt offer the same visual indication of a hit (and obviously not the same 'ping')? How do you cut the conveyer belt material. I would want 10", 8", 6", 4" and 2" round targets.

[27hand]

I would be shooting at a minimum of 25 yards (and maybe even set out at 50). Would conveyer belt offer the same visual indication of a hit (and obviously not the same 'ping')? How do you cut the conveyer belt material. I would want 10", 8", 6", 4" and 2" round targets.

I use the conveyor belt / poly rope as hanger material for my targets.

The 1/2" mild steel may not give you the same sound as thinner metal.
I have a dozen different AR500 targets. Only 2 give me the distinctive ringing gong sound.
Attaching your steel to a metal bar may also further dampen the sound.

This is 1/2"mild steel with a combination of pistol and rifle hots

https://flic.kr/p/2iifKDu

[DukeConnor]

use conveyor belt to hang the steel. I use chains and with postols they seem to last forever.

[MMH]

Would the horse mat material or semi tire flaps hold up? I don't know where I can source conveyor material. Also, how do you cut?

[85MikeTPI]

Each crater that mild steel gets, is another Ricochet point, no matter how you angle.

Anything other than properly angled AR500 is just a Darwin moment waiting to happen.

I get my AR500 from the bargin bin here: https://shootingtargets7.com/collections/bargain-bin

They also have innovative hanging solutions that work for longer distances. Nothing more frustrating than to have to
stop shooting and drive 800yds down to reattach a plate you just hit off a hanger, or chain, or ...

[imashooter2]

Old fire hose is a great product to hang steel.

[phill]

Save yourself a lot of head aches and just buy AR500 from Shootingtargets 7. We have over a dozen of their targets that have been shot with all kinds of pistol rounds. The oldest are about 10-12 years old and show no wear. Even had a mistake with a 556 round at 10 yds that just cleaned the paint and left no crater.
They have always been super to deal with.