Steel target question

Make sure it is AR-500 steel. At a 100yards you will see that the 5.56 will still dimple it if using FMJ. All my steel is 3/8" AR-500. Never shot 30-06 at them, but for 5.56 I like to keep them at least 150 yards away.

My steel and the steel I maintain for our local range is 1/2" AR500. It should be considered the minimum thickness for anything you want to actually hold up to punishment or continual rate of fire.

Black tip hardened steel core armor piercing .308 will take small chunks out of it, .50BMG API will go through it like butter - aside from those you're going to have a hard time doing any actual damage. Heck we even hit mine with .50BMG mild steel core at 100yds and it did less damage than the black tip .308.

For mopre info, contact: Evan Moyer at www.shootsteel.com

I have 3/8" AR500 gongs. I shoot mine with large rifles up to and perhaps past .30-O6. I have had them for about 5 years. They aren't showing much wear. I think 3/8" is fine for personal use. I probably wouldn't put them up at a club.

I bought some last week from a LGS and shot them this past weekend. They are 3/8 ar500 gongs and one silo. The largest caliber I shot was .308. They all held up well to 147gr fmj. No pitting as far as I could tell. My silo has a small chip in the edge, but I don't know which round caused it.

"...would likely require 1/2" steel..." There's 1/2" steel and 1/2" steel. It ain't all the same. Any .30 calibre bullet will go through a 1/2" of mild steel at 100. Or at the very least bash big chunks in it that will cause frag. Said frag can fly 100 yards without much fuss.

steel

1/2" mild steel test plate fired at about 12 yds from behind cover.




top to bottom.

7.62X39 from SKS
.223 wolf from 16" Bushmaster
9mm from 3 1/2" Kahr P9 Covert
30.06 150gr Nosler BT over 57.5 gr IMR4350 Rem Pump 760
30-30 170 gr flat nosed (Speer IIRC) over 4350? Marlin 336
180 gr .40 S&W ball from 4" Glock 32 (.40 bbl)
7.62 X 39 from Chicom AK
.44 mag 240 gr Speer magnum soft point 7 1/2" Redhawk
.300 Win Mag 165 gr Wolf Gold ( through ) Savage
7.62 X 51 from Ishapore 2A1
7.62 X 51 from Spanish FR-8


I believe the 2 Colt Speed plates from MGM ( which are 6" round, 3/8" thick spring loaded resetting) would be a good 100 yd target although I haven't shot them with rifle yet. They are AR500. I have to build a base to elevate them about 2 feet. Spring project.



I would suggest not shooting mild with a rifle although mild does hold up to non magnum pistol.

Its all based on the brinell hardness. AR 500 steel has a brinell hardness of ~500. Mild steel can be anywhere from 150-225. Like A36 which is a construction grade steel is ~165 on the scale, way less then half the hardness of AR500.

Here is a link to Artzen targets that explains some of it. http://www.arntzentargets.com/SteelTypes.htm

This is the resource guide to shooting steel I like to post.

http://www.actiontarget.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/pt_Steel_Target_Resource_Guide.pdf

Haven't read the whole thread, but I just put a serious pock mark in my (expensive) AR500 full size silhouette when I hit it with a 95 gr V-Max out of my 260 rem @110 yds. I'd hesitate to shoot either of those rounds at any steel at that yardage if I expected to get good use out of it before it starts boomeranging lead back at me.

Sunray said:

"...would likely require 1/2" steel..." There's 1/2" steel and 1/2" steel. It ain't all the same. Any .30 calibre bullet will go through a 1/2" of mild steel at 100. Or at the very least bash big chunks in it that will cause frag. Said frag can fly 100 yards without much fuss.

Click to expand...

He said it is going to be AR500. Twice.

I would purchase one small AR500 target and try it out at 100 with the steel core ammo.

I'm not well versed in steel core but have thought the steel is a very soft steel (brinnel hardness unknown) and doesn't penetrate much more than lead core.

I think I have a 1/2' thick mild steel test plate made up with 7 rounds of 7.62X39 which includes some Chinese steel core rounds. Found it but don't have the list of specific rounds. The craters should mirror the loose rounds on the table



Lets see if the markings on the plate will give me a clue. You can actually make out the initialed craters.

Ok. Left to right are Chinese steel core bottom left and Chinese steel core just above it.
Top left is plastic cored German. 4th from left is Golden Tiger, then German plastic core. last 2 are Wolf and Egyptian.

The Chinese steel core #2 is a bit deeper than the Golden Tiger and Wolf but about the same as the Egyptian.

I know there may be a substantial difference in 30.06 and 7.62X39 on mild steel.

Like I said, I would get a small AR500 plate you can hit at 100 and survey the damage. Then make a decision as to whether or not the steel will hold up for your purposes.