cat_IT_guy
Member
First off, I'm not in any way affiliated with JC Steel Targets. This is simply a review based on my experience. BTW, they seem to be working for a pretty good cause, with some profits going to a youth ranch.
I do not have my own private range, so portable target stands were a must. I shoot centerfire pistols, and rifles up to .308. The range I frequent has berms out to 200 yards. I shoot both scoped and open sight rifles, so I wanted a variety of sizes that would be a challenge for both styles of rifle. This is my first experience with metal targets, other than the cheap .22lr only targets and shooting a friends pistol targets once.
Heres what I ended up purchasing, total with credit card fee and flat-rate shipping was just inside of $200. All steel is AR500.
Additionally, I spent about $35 on 10 4' pieces of rebar at Lowes.
The Rebar target stands are very simple, but feel really solid. They assemble and disassemble very quickly and fit in the back of my Altima. One took a pretty solid hit from an 7.62x39 round (It hit the horizontal portion of the "T" joint, not the rebar). It took a good chunk of metal out, but I was not able to perceive any real weakness from it. Im sure if I shoot at them long enough, I'll end up needing to replace one, but for $12 apiece, I'm alright with that.
The conveyor belt is really rugged. Note that each conveyor strip only comes with 1 bolt. I destroyed a utility knife trying to cut it (It comes in maybe 3-4" by 24" strips, so I cut them length-wise to hold each side of a target). One strip took a hit from a .45 and a couple of .22lrs. It was still hanging on just fine, even though about 1/2 the width of the strip was completely ripped. It works well and seems forgiving enough, though Im sure I'll be replacing some of the strips within a few range trips. With what, Im not sure. I've read that some like firehose, others conveyor belt, others just use chain or rope. Im actually wondering if garden hose would be a suitable substitute - not as wide or rugged probably as firehose but much easier to obtain for me.
The AR500 targets are heavy. Obvious, I guess, but still surprised me how heavy they were (especially walking them 200 yards to the back of the range). They didnt seem to mind hits from anything I shot at them at all - .22lr, .45acp, 7.62x39, and .308. The targets come unpainted, so I used some cheap orange spray paint on the targets as opposed to the normal white due to the local snow cover. I think white will make for a better sight picture, especially with open sights, when the backdrop isnt white. For now, the orange worked well enough. The only complaints I had with the steel on the targets was that a couple of the mounting holes were a bit too small for the provided bolts. Not a big deal, but I did have to provide some smaller bolts as it quickly became evident that my sandpaper and needle file were not going to enlarge the holes anytime soon. One of my smaller bolts too a direct hit from the .308 and was actually driven back through the hole. No damage to the target, however. I hit one of the provided bolts dead on with the 7.62 (I think) and it merely splatted paint - I couldnt even make out any deformation on the bolt.
Overall, Im delighted with the targets. I might be looking for a 16" round for the 200 yard line in the future. The target stands and rebar are just what the doctor ordered - a balance of strength/forgiveness and portability. It was all I could do to not giggle like a school girl when making repeated hits on the 25% IPSC target at 200 yards with my .308 and watching it swing all the way around the crossbar. I have a feeling my steel collection will grow in the future.
I do not have my own private range, so portable target stands were a must. I shoot centerfire pistols, and rifles up to .308. The range I frequent has berms out to 200 yards. I shoot both scoped and open sight rifles, so I wanted a variety of sizes that would be a challenge for both styles of rifle. This is my first experience with metal targets, other than the cheap .22lr only targets and shooting a friends pistol targets once.
Heres what I ended up purchasing, total with credit card fee and flat-rate shipping was just inside of $200. All steel is AR500.
- 1/2" Rebar target stand kit (2)
- Extra conveyor belt (2)
- 12" round 3/8" target
- 40% (or was it 45%) IPSC 3/8" target
- 25% IPSC 1/2" target
- 3x5" diamond 3/8" target
Additionally, I spent about $35 on 10 4' pieces of rebar at Lowes.
The Rebar target stands are very simple, but feel really solid. They assemble and disassemble very quickly and fit in the back of my Altima. One took a pretty solid hit from an 7.62x39 round (It hit the horizontal portion of the "T" joint, not the rebar). It took a good chunk of metal out, but I was not able to perceive any real weakness from it. Im sure if I shoot at them long enough, I'll end up needing to replace one, but for $12 apiece, I'm alright with that.
The conveyor belt is really rugged. Note that each conveyor strip only comes with 1 bolt. I destroyed a utility knife trying to cut it (It comes in maybe 3-4" by 24" strips, so I cut them length-wise to hold each side of a target). One strip took a hit from a .45 and a couple of .22lrs. It was still hanging on just fine, even though about 1/2 the width of the strip was completely ripped. It works well and seems forgiving enough, though Im sure I'll be replacing some of the strips within a few range trips. With what, Im not sure. I've read that some like firehose, others conveyor belt, others just use chain or rope. Im actually wondering if garden hose would be a suitable substitute - not as wide or rugged probably as firehose but much easier to obtain for me.
The AR500 targets are heavy. Obvious, I guess, but still surprised me how heavy they were (especially walking them 200 yards to the back of the range). They didnt seem to mind hits from anything I shot at them at all - .22lr, .45acp, 7.62x39, and .308. The targets come unpainted, so I used some cheap orange spray paint on the targets as opposed to the normal white due to the local snow cover. I think white will make for a better sight picture, especially with open sights, when the backdrop isnt white. For now, the orange worked well enough. The only complaints I had with the steel on the targets was that a couple of the mounting holes were a bit too small for the provided bolts. Not a big deal, but I did have to provide some smaller bolts as it quickly became evident that my sandpaper and needle file were not going to enlarge the holes anytime soon. One of my smaller bolts too a direct hit from the .308 and was actually driven back through the hole. No damage to the target, however. I hit one of the provided bolts dead on with the 7.62 (I think) and it merely splatted paint - I couldnt even make out any deformation on the bolt.
Overall, Im delighted with the targets. I might be looking for a 16" round for the 200 yard line in the future. The target stands and rebar are just what the doctor ordered - a balance of strength/forgiveness and portability. It was all I could do to not giggle like a school girl when making repeated hits on the 25% IPSC target at 200 yards with my .308 and watching it swing all the way around the crossbar. I have a feeling my steel collection will grow in the future.
