Steel target question?

[lreed]

Hello All. I want to make some steel targets for use at 200 + yardage,will be shooting .45/70 500gr bullets at blk powder vel and .30 210gr at around 1600mv.The question is will 3/8 mild steel plate work for this, or should I opt for something else? I have the 3/8 sheet already,and I shure dread having to spring for 1/2 in stuff. Any thoughts,advise ? Thanks L Reed

[454PB]

Yes, it will work. You might dent it, especially on the edges, but you won't penetrate it. You need to get up over about 2000 fps. to penetrate.

[KYCaster]

You shouldn't have any problems with impact velocities of ~1500 or less. You may get some dimples on the surface, but I doubt you'll get any penetration.
Cold rolled sheet will perform the same, whether its 3/8 thick or 1/2 thick. If penetration is an issue you'll have to get a harder steel.

We're getting quite a few Kentuckians on the forum. Where in western KY are you? I'm at the eastern end of WK Parkway.

Welcome to the nut house.

Jerry

[kodiak1]

Ireed if you are worried that at the closer ranges 3/8" isn't enough double it up then you will have 3/4"
I think you would probably only dent it real good at 200 yards but then again you might go through. I have a piece of 3/4" that I shoot at 100 yards and I don't go through it with the 45-100.
Ken.

[abunaitoo]

If you have a heavy equipment repair shop near by, they sometimes have old buckets tou can cut-up for targets. Lots of time they have a scrap area and if your really nice they might give you some for free. Stuff is really good metal and thick.
Another thing you can use is an old truck mud flap or rubber conveayor belt. Won't make the noise that the metal will, but it will move when hit. It last a long time because it's rubber. Just don't use hollow point bullets.
I've been using a 1" metal plate at 100yds. FMJ30.06, .308, .223 hardly dent it.
I use 3/8" for .22 at 50yds and 100yds.
Have fun!!!! But be safe.

[lreed]

Hello again. Thanks for the replies,think I may check out a scrap yard for stuff to double ply or thicker metal.
Kycaster I'm west of the Tenn River close to the state line.

This forum is getting near to having info as good as the old "shooters". I felt like my dog had died when they hungup that site, I thourghly missed reading it,learned a few things. Thanks LReed

[Buckshot]

..............Mild steel of 3/8" should be fine and last a long time. How it acts will depend a lot on how large it is and how it's supported. If you're lucky enough to hit center :bigsmyl2: a lot on a piece a foot square (or round) it WILL begin to dish. Consecutive hits in a small area will also start to work harden it and you might have the center drop out or begin to crumble. Just weld in a new piece.

For private use it'll last years. Some good cheap targets for cast are railroad tie plates or rail sleepers. They do have spike holes in them but they won't matter much and the price is usually real neighborly. When I lived out in the sticks I had a big pile of'em. Get some 5/8 or 3/4" rebar and bend a 'U' in the end and hang several up in a row. They clang and dance around well.

.............Buckshot

[45 2.1]

Go to a metal fabrication firm and ask for some "doughnuts". You will get steel circles about 3/4" to 1" thick of various sizes for practically nothing. You will not damage them with cast whatsoever. drill two 3/8" holes about 40 degrees apart about 1" from the edge and hang them with belting or old tire strips.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Keep the plates at least 50yds away, or angle them so bullets go in to dirt, to keep safe. I mande mine L shaped w/ 2 holes on the little end which goes to the back & I drive big nails into the ground to hold the in place. Then I put big rocks on the back.:Fire:

[lovedogs]

For practicing my 200 yd.offhand I use a 10 inch circle of 3/8 welded pendulum-fashion on a steel saw-horse sort of thing. I haven't found that any CAST loads would bother it at all. They just splatter. The 500 gr. will sometimes spin it completely around but without any harm. But almost ANY JACKETED will penetrate it, so don't let anyone blast away with their favorite AR or it'll look like Swiss cheese!

[trk]

HI,
Keep the plates at least 50yds away, or angle them so bullets go in to dirt, to keep safe. I mande mine L shaped w/ 2 holes on the little end which goes to the back & I drive big nails into the ground to hold the in place. Then I put big rocks on the back.:Fire:

GOOD suggestion on the 50 yards. Don't ask.

3/8 steel - 458WM with 485gr cast WILL break welds at 100yds.

[scrapcan]

The previous post on jacketed bulltes is right on. A 270 facotry load will penetrate 1/2 inch AR400 plate like you punch paper with a hole punch.

Have shot all kinds of cast bullets from revolters an bottom feeding handguns to large bore 45-70 at 3/8 and half inch ar400 from 21 feet to 200 yards with little problem other than cracked welds.

To solve that problem make your target look like an upside down lolly pop and drill a hole large enough to hang on cross rod (for a spinner) and then twist the tab around 90 degrees and mount. I wish I had a picture of the portable target that a friend made that clearly shows this, but I don't at the moment.

You can then space the targets out and weld a washer on each side of spinner. to make it stand up you can use 4 boards of equal length to build legs. You just drill a hole that the cross rod will slide into and slide them on and off. Adjust the angle of the leg when you ge tto your shooting spot and you have a good swinging plate rack.

Hope that is not to difficult to visualize.

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
I have also welded up 3 targets made of 2 layers of 1/4" scrape.
1/4" works fine for 357 W/ lead at 50yds & on.
You need thicker for 44 mag at 50yds.
rifle too.
cast bullets only.