Steel Targets?
I'm thinking about purchasing some type of steel target for my pistol shooting. I shoot from .22 to .45 ACP, including .44 magnum and 44 special. I've looked at the pivot, swinging and knock down types the MidwayUSA offers. However, all of the ones that I could afford to purchase (Like say $100 to $200) for the heavy calibers all state that they are for softnose or lead bullets. I reload most of my ammo and I do so with hard lead, plated or FMJ bullets. The sportsmen's club that I belong to has a 6-target knockdown and rope-pull reset steel target. They are really big on safety and I have NOT seen any signs stating that you CANNOT use FMJ bullets. Does anybody have any idea where I can purchase an affordable heavy gage steel target for heavy caliber pistol that I can use FMJ on?
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3/8" hard steel at 20yds and over and set at a slight dowmward angle will do the trick for you. Pepper poppers set to go down easy are OK too. We shoot these set like this all the time. 0 -
+1 on downward angle to decrease possibility of bounceback. Hardness (or toughness) of projectile tends to increase the hazard. 0 -
MGM Targets in Idaho makes all kinds of steel targets. Mike Gibson, the owner, is a great guy and prices his products very reasonably. 0 -
empty propane tanks, worn out chain saw bars work well. 0 -
just don't buy any of these targets!! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLpx3yYvAi00 -
Steel targets are a wonderful invention and very much fun to shoot, I have many of them on my range. HOWEVER you must know how to shoot steel. There are many safety concerns.
First is good quality steel. The steel much have a brinell hardness of 500 or 550. There are rifle grade steel and hand gun grade steels,you need to know the difference. Steel must be shot head on and not at oblique angles and you must know the splatter patterns of the steel you shoot. . Steel cannot be shot any closer that 7 yeards for handgun and no closer that 25 yards for rifle unless you shoot frangible.. The Action Target Company has a class you can take that is offered regionally to learn about steel target shooting. Lastly shoot only steel designed for shooting .. not old LP tanks and saw blades .. these can be very dangerous.. Buy good quality steel, use it safely and you will have years of shooting fun..
Steel Target Companys like MGM, Action Target, Savage Target Systems and LaRue Targets are all top quality0 -
http://www.shootsteel.com/?gclid=CPCJ_dDl87ACFcVgTAod_RhnIg
Something similar to these would be a start. AR500 up to AR700 (Abrasion Resistant, not AR-15) steel is what you want. Most good targets are AR500-550...as 600+ is much more expensive.0 -
Do you have a welder? 0 -
how would going and buying some hardened steel plate and making your own targets? i found a place local that sells more grades of plating then i can remember but didnt see and ar500 or ar anything. wondering if just getting there one of their harder grades of plating would suffice. 0 -
From what the regular steel shooters/rangemasters tell me, you'll want to use a steel that resists dimpling as much as possible. This is so you get a consistent "splash" pattern when the bullet impacts the plate. Dimples and pits (I have been told) can create angles that send bullets off in unintended directions, including right back at the shooter.
The AR500+ steels are used in dump truck beds, steam shovel scoops, etc., so it's hard as can be and resists the dents/dimples as much as possible. I guess this is why these targets last a long time, and can take the abuse a rifle bullet can cause. (I've got 2 that are 1/2" ar500, and after a day with a .45, .40, and 9mm all the damage was to the paint and a few very small scuffs in the face) My 1/2" mild steel plates that we set 50+ yards out for handguns are a dimpled mess after one use.
Like anything else, you can get by with just about anything. (I recently saw a pocked-up target that was a 8" circle of 1" thick steel, welded to a suspension spring, welded onto an old driveline. I bet the bullets that hit this end up just about anywhere when they're done) IMO target-specific steels are better than others for this type of use as they last longer and (according to the others) are safer, too. Good luck in your quest!0 -
I use 1/2 plate steel with chain welded to each side hanging from a 4X4. The chain allows the plate to give thus preventing any ricochets (well, none so far and we shoot every weekend and have for the last 5 years!) it helps to have a can of spray paint handy to cover any "hits" and a welder for those accidental chain hits. The chain also helps extend the life of the plate by allowing it to absorb the hit 0 -
I have some 1/2" cold rolled plate that we've hammered the heck out of at 300 meters. It hangs from chains at the upper corners and the bullets all go down unless they hit the top edge. I have one plate that is basically destroyed(there's not a 1/4 inch square on either front or back that doesn't have a hit showing) so has been relegated to 22 use at 100 yards. One plate at 150 yards got riddled by 5.45x39 FMJ and it's not worth flattening back out and welding up the holes. I've got a spot for it as a handgun target at 50 yards. 0
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