This is a 10 inch, 3/8, AR500 Steel target. Is this thick enough for an AR 15?
3/8 AR500 should be fine, especially if you don’t shoot up super close and aren’t shooting green tip or anything goofy.
Just remember, all steel is not the same, the way it is cut and hardened makes a big difference. Think of knives, they can have the same material and still be totally different.
Personally, I’m getting all my steel from www.shootsteel.com, but obviously there are other good places as well.
Thanks Stickman!
I prefer steel with two attachment points, as it will do more back and forth swinging and settle down faster after being hit - single point like that can take a bit longer to settle down for follow on shots.
Also make sure it swings - sounds stupid but even at 100 yards if you hard mount steel at a bad angle and bad things can happen.
Birchwood and Champion are not the best but will do. I agree with two attachment points, I have one that , one of the attachments is blown off, but I can still use it. So two points are better than one.
MGM, Big Dawg Steel are two places I have bought from. The base is also very important, so look into that. I have a 6 pack MGM rack that uses 2X4 and my slants use 2X4 as well. So when they get trashed, I just buy another 2X4. My big Dawg uses a 4X4. I was just talking too Mark today and saying how amazing it is that my rebar stands have not been cut down yet.
I checked the prices from Stickmans suggestion, that looks like a solid website. Lotta good steal out there, go buy a bunch and shoot a lot.
PB
Hey Dr. Bullseye,
When I went to that link there was a pop up to join a mailing list to get 15% off your first purchase.
Just wanted to make sure you or anyone else saw that when going to the site.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
We use 3/8” AR500 at 200 and out.
Velocity is the steel killer. Although 5.56 certainly won’t shoot through 3/8”, we’ve had it “pocked up” pretty good at 100.
While not a problem itself, we’ve gotten wicked ricochet with pistol ammo up close from the cratering.
+1 NO GREEN TIP
I prefer never to shoot steel at under 200 with any rifle caliber. The steel just doesn’t hold up to even bunnyfart FMJ without cratering. Regardless of brand. 5.56 and .223 is just very fast in terms of velocity.
I bought this set a year ago and have shot hundreds of rounds at them. Even shooting rifle rounds as close as 25 yards they are holding up well.
I use these guys: https://www.ar500targetsolutions.com/product/ar500-12x20-x-38-silhouette-steel-target/ (notice target prices include shipping)
I needed to buy my own metal after I retired a couple years ago, they were on sale and checked all the boxes I needed checked. I ended up buying a total of 12 total torso plates, if you shoot AR at 100 yards they will dimple, so I use 6 for AR and 6 for pistol.
I am pretty religious about rotating impact faces and having an angled mount. At our academy, we started training on metal using Porta-Target and their stuff has lasted forever. I follow their safety protocols religiously (Savage bought Porta-Target from Paul Sloan about 8 years ago IIRC):
http://savagerangesystems.com/doc/guides/safety.pdf
I’ve bought some circle plates from various vendors elsewhere because I don’t like ears on my plates, I use the angled mount. For my use I need portable stands. I use these hangers:
https://www.ar500targetsolutions.com/product/3-pack-ar500-target-stand-mount/
And these bases:
https://redstitchtargets.com/shop/2x4-target-base
If you are using 2x4 bases you are going to shred the 2x4, so I armor them with angle iron I buy at a scrap dealer in Wichita. Rifle rounds will go through, but you dont’ have to deal with the toothpick splintering.
At the time these were, IMHO, the best deals going, not sure they are still.
If you get nothing else from this post - download or copy the Porta-Target/Savage metal target use instructions.
Hope this helps.
I have recently started shooting AR15s at ShootSteel.com 3/8 inch AR500 targets. At 100 yards, I have seen minor cratering. 200 yards has not been as hard on the targets. My targets are mounted on 2x4s with the ShootSteel.com protector pieces (they work). My buddy and I have really enjoyed the change from paper to steel targets. Do it, you’ll be glad you did.
Green tip is actually less damaging than 55 gr FMJ.
The largest danger with green tip inside 100 meters is the “penetrator” bouncing and becoming a secondary projectile.
This has been my experience too. XM193 inside of 100 yards it harsh on steel, and pocks the gong more than M855. 55 gr bullets dump velocity quickly and don’t chew up steel as distance increases.
The fact of the matter is your steel is going to get eaten up sooner or later if you shoot it enough. But show reasonable judgement as discussed and it will last years and years. Thats what I like about the slants, they deflect the bullets down and can take more abuse IMHO.
PB
I agree completely. I bought 4 torsos for rifle use only and have only used 2 so far (with one primary, the other only a handful of times).
Local range only goes to 125yds - there are ones that go further out but that is my primary, easy access range so I shoot a lot of stuff at 100-125 yards.
I have hammered that piece with 5.56 ranging from various M193 and M855 loads, Wolf 55gr / 62gr loads, and 762x51-308s from 130gr SOST to 175gr BTHP loads.
It is dimpled and pockmarked from the hits, no doubt but it hangs from 2 chain on either a wood or rebar frame and the swinging allows it to deflect a portion of the energy off the metal.
No way I’d shoot it up close with a pistol, but it keeps chugging after at least 2K (?) rounds on it at 100yards - It could be much higher, that is a conservative estimate and family members have used it when I’m not around. I do file down the edges if it takes a hit there which leaves some metal hanging off, but it’s very durable.
I can’t always go out to 100 yards. What about using 1/2 inch AR500 targets, would they be better close up, say at 40-75 yards?
I don’t think any manufacturer is going to tell you to shoot rifle plates within 100 yards.
I’ve shot angled plates between 40-60 yards - you get jacket shrapnel back at you. A good slice was all it took to convince me to not do that anymore and actually read the safety manual.
Get frangible ammo.
Thickness is not the relevant factor, the issue is spall causing injury, not worried about plate damage really.
You could have got the same gong with 2 mounting points for dollars more.
https://shootingtargets7.com/steel-targets/gongs/10-ar500-gong.html
The bullseye versions aren’t that much more and helps with accuracy.
https://shootingtargets7.com/steel-targets/bullseye-targets/bullseye-target-470.html
3/8" with the slant gives you about the same durability as 1/2" armor due to the impact angle. Frangible is best, but good frangible is expensive. I typically will hand load a hundred round box of thin jacket/varmint bullets and shoot them with eye pro in place for sure.