Home made steel targets

[Lahunter76]

I was at a wedding and noticed on one side of the property they had a scrap metal pile so I walked over and saw about 7-8 thick steel circles, so I talked to the man and bought 3 for $10

They are 16" diameter and 1.25" thick, not sure the type of steel but figure they would work fine for small cal up to 100 and then the main reason is for the "longer" ranged shots to place across a field. Question is does anyone think that this will not work for my purpose?

 

[Rick Richard]

I see no problem other than it getting dented up some. That is some thick stuff.

 

[FrogFire7]

I haven't personally had too many issues with ricochet, but you might run into that as the soft steel gets pitted. At least at close range. I think that's the big benefit of AR 500, doesn't crater.

 

[dwightb]

If they are not ballistic type of steel any shot will wash out metal. A .223 will melt a hole through 5/16" and not even knock it over! Hand gun excluded. Small fast calibers will wash out a deep crater. There is a very really possibility of ricochet. I had one come almost straight back and put a dent in my metal building 25 foot away!

 

[338 dude]

I was at a wedding and noticed on one side of the property they had a scrap metal pile so I walked over and saw about 7-8 thick steel circles, so I talked to the man and bought 3 for $10

They are 16" diameter and 1.25" thick, not sure the type of steel but figure they would work fine for small cal up to 100 and then the main reason is for the "longer" ranged shots to place across a field. Question is does anyone think that this will not work for my purpose?

This is a 1 inch thick plate of mild steel shot with my 6.5 x 284 Norma at 500 yards shooting 140 grain burger Vld hunting bullets 2980 fps

 

[del2les]

Until proven sufficiently hard, I would not use any caliber of high vel rifle on this at 100yds. Pistol calibers will be ok and lower vel rifles. I have shot holes through 1/2-5/8" railroad bedding plates with 22/250, 243, 6mm, 25-06 etc, and even won a bet in the 80's by shooting a 130gr 270W and 168gr 30-06 through a piece of 5/8" cold roll steel.

As long as a sufficient type bullet is used, Velocity is the key.

At my old club, I saw mild 1" plates become rifle cratered rather quickly, and bullet fragments ricochet every which way. And a 5 piece set of 1/2" dueling pistol plates become destroyed by a couple of misfits using old 7.62x54R steel jacketed ammo.

That said, your purchase is very cheap, so use your best judgement and safety.

 

[Bravo 4]

1. 1/2" mild steel, 400 yards, .338 Edge with 300 SMK w/2333 fps remaining velocity. Knocked a hole right through like hot butter.
2. 1" mild steel, 800 yards, .375 Snipetac with 375 grain Chinchagas w/2234 fps remaining velocity. Small divot and steel tip stuck in steel.

 

[ATH]

Your big concern with mild steel is splatter coming back at you. Once you get a crater the sides of that crater point back at you and that's where stuff is deflected if you put another in that crater. I would not shoot it within 200 yards minimum. Someone did a paper box test once that captured the difference in debris spread between shooting a good flat AR400 plate and a cratered plate and the cratered plate was scary. The flat plate threw everything in a flat arc around the target. perpendicular to the target face.

 

[Bob Wright]

Here's a few results of 280AI and a 3/4" aluminum plate and some 1/2" structural steel someone left at my longrange site.
It melts like butter but multiple hits in or on the edge may be a frag situation coming back to you.
Be careful.
They don't make the traditional sound when struck, as AR500 does.

 

[Lahunter76]

I do not expect to shoot this at shorter ranges with anything other then a 22, I have plenty of political signs for my big rifle, I want to have them for longer shots

 

[Radman]

I was at a wedding and noticed on one side of the property they had a scrap metal pile so I walked over and saw about 7-8 thick steel circles, so I talked to the man and bought 3 for $10

They are 16" diameter and 1.25" thick, not sure the type of steel but figure they would work fine for small cal up to 100 and then the main reason is for the "longer" ranged shots to place across a field. Question is does anyone think that this will not work for my purpose?

I think that you did GREAT!

 

[redleg1013]

If they are not ballistic type of steel any shot will wash out metal. A .223 will melt a hole through 5/16" and not even knock it over! Hand gun excluded. Small fast calibers will wash out a deep crater. There is a very really possibility of ricochet. I had one come almost straight back and put a dent in my metal building 25 foot away!

Tell that to the old plow discs I get from the neighbors on the next section.

 

[pacowboy]

My cousin bought 1/2" AR400. At 500 yards with my 300 Wim Mag and 190gr Accubond long range Bullets he had a real nice 1/2" or so hole in his plate. I'm not allowed to shoot his plates anymore. Lol.

 

[DarryH]

A friend asked me to shoot one of his home made steel plates with my 30-06. This was a 1903 Springfield with a 150 grain soft point bullet. We went back 100 yards and I fired, and the result had us laughing so hard we had to try again. You see, I was using the "battle sight" which usually results in hits about 8 inches high at 100 yards,
I forgot this. My first shot hit the vertical metal bar above the plate, neatly severing it, and the plate dropped straight down. A quick trip to the shop and a welding job fixed everything. Our second try ended with a nice clean hole in the plate.