Been looking to get my own portable steel target(s) for shooting from 200 to 800 yards. I'm sure this is a cheapie solution, but is it total crap and a waste of time? If so, what should I be looking at that (1) won't break the bank and (2) I can keep in the hatch of a Subaru? I'll be shooting SMK 175s.
Is this an OK steel target for .308?
- Thread starter Shmackey
- Start date
- Status
Dmitri Popov
Member
Go to a scrap yard and get a nice thick piece of plate steel, then just get some tubing or steel rod and some chain... Bingo bango you got the same thing for (should be) a whole lot less. Plus everything will be to your exact specs/preference. Just sayin save money, buy more ammo 
Jeff F
Member
AR 550 should be good to go. Should last a long time. Stay away from scrap yard steel of unknown type, it will either get drilled or pocked up and won't be safe to shoot at after it does.
Yes, that target will work fine. Key words are AR 500. It offers the right compromise of abrasion resistance without being brittle.
I would suggest more than 100 yards, but I frequently shoot a IPSC silhouette at 25 yards.
The steel target is fairly cheap in and of itself, what you're paying for is the stand...and you could make one cheaper. I bought some solid steel stakes at the local hardware store, pound 'em in the ground with a hammer and hang your target with chain and some small hooks.
Cost all of 10 bucks which is good because sooner or later you're going to have to replace the chain anyway. Stock up on white spray paint.
I shoot 223, 243, 260, 308, 270 and 338 from 200-1500 yards on a piece of 3/8ths AR 500.There's a couple people on here that sell steel appropriate for shooting...pretty cheap too. I've dealt with Big Dog Steel quite a bit. Ships in a flat rate box too...can't be beat.
I would suggest more than 100 yards, but I frequently shoot a IPSC silhouette at 25 yards.
The steel target is fairly cheap in and of itself, what you're paying for is the stand...and you could make one cheaper. I bought some solid steel stakes at the local hardware store, pound 'em in the ground with a hammer and hang your target with chain and some small hooks.
Cost all of 10 bucks which is good because sooner or later you're going to have to replace the chain anyway. Stock up on white spray paint.
I shoot 223, 243, 260, 308, 270 and 338 from 200-1500 yards on a piece of 3/8ths AR 500.There's a couple people on here that sell steel appropriate for shooting...pretty cheap too. I've dealt with Big Dog Steel quite a bit. Ships in a flat rate box too...can't be beat.
BCRider
Member
As suggested already the biggie is getting the right AR500 steel for the target itself. Once you have that you can do a lot of different things to suspend it. The angle iron stakes is one. The other would be a cheapie wooden stand that breaks down and sockets together to hold up the target. It's lighter than the steel stand and can be made by you to suit the amount of room you have to dedicate to it in the car. The trick is to avoid having the wood uprights dead vertical and inline with the face of the target as the lead and copper spatter will soon erode the wood. However the legs can be a sort of upside down "7" shape so the wood is mostly behind or in front of the face of the steel. The stand will still get beaten up but such things are super cheap to make and can be replaced easily.
35 Whelen
Member
FWIW, my Swiss K-31 with GP-11 (174 gr. FMJ @ 2540 muzzle velocity) will penetrate my 1/4" diamond plate target at 600 yds.! 
The 3/8" might work, but make sure you get it out there a ways!
35W
The 3/8" might work, but make sure you get it out there a ways!
35W
sansone
Member
yes.. nice target, but I would make one for 1/4 the price.
I think the ability of the gong to move freely when hit gives it penetration resistance.
A stationary plate of steel will get drilled
I think the ability of the gong to move freely when hit gives it penetration resistance.
A stationary plate of steel will get drilled
lmccrock
Member
madcratebuilder
Member
A lot of steel fab shops well have AR500 or equivalent. You can make a stand from rebar and chain. If you want to shoot past 500yds a 24" target is nice.
Al Thompson
Moderator Emeritus
Sebastian the Ibis
Member
There are sooo many things in the average trashcan that can be shot, that I hate to waste $$ with special targets. Around here limestone rocks work wonderfully-and you don't have to clean up. It seems to me like hanging a rusty old propane tank from a tree would work well for you.
sarduy
Member
if you shoot in the same place get a 2 pieces of steel pipe and hammer them into the ground about 2-3' deep, then take them out, remove the dirt inside the pipes and insert them into the hole again, then get 2 5-6 feet pipe that would fit inside the pipe you just hammer into the ground, attach a chain across and you have your base. when you're done shooting, remove the thinner pipes
here's a general idea (i know i'm terrible with MS paint)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
here's a general idea (i know i'm terrible with MS paint)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
ColtPythonElite
Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2011
- Messages
- 10,484
I think 130 bucks for that target is too much $$...Recently a member had a group buy on AR500 gongs. I bought 3, but don't don't remember the price of his 10" gong. It was under 30 bucks, though...As far as a stand like that goes, I could make one out of 5 bucks worth of conduit with a simple hand bender in about 10 minutes.
Andrew Wyatt
Member
That chain is going to get cut with a quickness.
I'll take pics of my gongs when i get home, post them so you can see how they're done. you need to have the attachment system for the gong behind the target or it will get cut.
I'll take pics of my gongs when i get home, post them so you can see how they're done. you need to have the attachment system for the gong behind the target or it will get cut.
Zak Smith
Member
Overpriced and bulky for what it is.
A friend of mine who lives in Greeley is starting a target business and he's making targets of a design we've developed after carrying targets all over for matches and practice, fitting them into a variety of vehicles, using them in matches, and having all sorts of different designs fail/break in various ways. Shoot me an email and I can get you in touch with him.
A friend of mine who lives in Greeley is starting a target business and he's making targets of a design we've developed after carrying targets all over for matches and practice, fitting them into a variety of vehicles, using them in matches, and having all sorts of different designs fail/break in various ways. Shoot me an email and I can get you in touch with him.
FullEffect1911
Member
The single most important thing is to use AR500 or AR550 steel. AR500 at 3/8" thickness is more then enough for .308 win at 100+ yards.
Since the steel is so hard it won't deform and crater like "soft" steel will. Those craters and dents are what causes fragments to go in unpredictable directions, like back to the shooter.
Since the steel is so hard it won't deform and crater like "soft" steel will. Those craters and dents are what causes fragments to go in unpredictable directions, like back to the shooter.
steve_dune
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2005
- Messages
- 79
I use hardox 400 or 450 for my long range steel and it works great.
steve_dune
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2005
- Messages
- 79
What kind of steel was it OhioChief?
I just went down and looked at it. sorry to say that it's not stamped with anything. it is 3/8". They had a display of them at my gun store. Not the .22 targets. It was supposed to be "heavy duty" centerfire rifle targets. Sorry I don't have more info.
Strongbad
Member
A buddy and I went through this excercise recently. We ended up snagging some 10" gongs from AR15target.com Fortunately the guy is local to us (Austin,Tx) so we could just pick them up vs. paying to have them shipped.
The stuff he sells is 3/8" AR500 and it'll stand up to about anything you could abuse it with. My 338/378 with 285 gr. Hornady Match just knocks the paint off. For stands, I welded up some square stands with legs out of 1 1/2" angle iron. However, if you wanted it to be portable you could probably do it out of iron pipe with couplers & T's to screw it all together. That way you could take it apart to haul it around and the gongs will certainly fit in the trunk of the car.
We had considered making our own targets but the local metal shops don't regularly stock AR500, atleast not in a manageable size. You could order a 4x8 sheet but it weighed a bajillion pounds and then you've got to cut it up yourself with a plasma or a waterjet. The shop close to me started selling it in 16x48x3/8" and it was affordable, about $120 or something if I recall, but you'd still want to cut it up to 16x16 etc. Because the way AR500 is tempered if you hit it with a torch (i.e. get it hot), you f it up. A plasma still has an effect, but atleast it's localized close to the edges. A waterjet does it without any of the side effects. Just something to think about before you go buying a piece of abrasion resistant steel and start trying to chop it up in your garage.
The stuff he sells is 3/8" AR500 and it'll stand up to about anything you could abuse it with. My 338/378 with 285 gr. Hornady Match just knocks the paint off. For stands, I welded up some square stands with legs out of 1 1/2" angle iron. However, if you wanted it to be portable you could probably do it out of iron pipe with couplers & T's to screw it all together. That way you could take it apart to haul it around and the gongs will certainly fit in the trunk of the car.
We had considered making our own targets but the local metal shops don't regularly stock AR500, atleast not in a manageable size. You could order a 4x8 sheet but it weighed a bajillion pounds and then you've got to cut it up yourself with a plasma or a waterjet. The shop close to me started selling it in 16x48x3/8" and it was affordable, about $120 or something if I recall, but you'd still want to cut it up to 16x16 etc. Because the way AR500 is tempered if you hit it with a torch (i.e. get it hot), you f it up. A plasma still has an effect, but atleast it's localized close to the edges. A waterjet does it without any of the side effects. Just something to think about before you go buying a piece of abrasion resistant steel and start trying to chop it up in your garage.
A long time back when I was into steel silhouete (I know the spelling is wrong) we used T1 steel 1/2" thick and were cratering it real bad at all ranges out to 200 yards. That was with handguns.I think for medium power rifles, 08,06 etc I would want at least 3/4". I would suggest you not invest till you are sure it wont crater or penetrate all the way thru. FRJ
Zak Smith
Member
3/8" AR500 is good for almost any rifle cartridge past 100 yards.
- Status
