BruceB
12-03-2009, 04:06 PM
At the 2009 Nevada Cast Bullet Shoot, I carried out a bit of an experiment.
I was given two pieces of 3/8"-thick AR500 steel plate, a bit larger than one square foot each. I hung one at 50 yards and the other at 100, and left them there for the weekend. They were thoroughly exercised for the entire time, including some rounds from my .404 and .416 Rigby, plus whatever else anyone cared to fire at them.
These 3/8" plates show no effect whatever from the hundreds of impacts; this stuff is HARD!
I now have discovered that a youngish feller who recently returned to work at our mine has a complete metal-fabricating shop at home, including a computerized 5'x10' cutting table....he can program virtually any design and his outfit will cut it automatically.
Since I've wanted a steel IPSC target for some time, I asked him about it. An old-style IPSC silhouette (the type with the politically-incorrect "head") in full size at 18"x30" and cut from 3/8" AR500, will cost me about $150. For what amounts to a life-time target, and one that's capable of shrugging off cast-bullet rifle rounds as well as handgun loads, it strikes me as a bargain. This target will have two tubes welded to the back to slip over re-bar "legs" which are driven into into the ground.
The steel is the main cost item, and he can use less-expensive types if desired. However, anything we can dream up can be built by this gent. Spinners, pendulums, plate racks, animal silhouettes...you name it. Obviously, targets smaller than my IPSC type will cost a good bit less.
The IPSC silhouette will make a fine long-range rifle target for NCBS 2010, and that would be a good demo for the target as well. Note that if anyone wants a target of any type fabricated before late May, it can be picked up here without shipping costs.
There's no benefit whatever for me in all this.....no cuts or commissions of any sort. However, I'm quite willing to be the middleman here if anyone so desires.
I was given two pieces of 3/8"-thick AR500 steel plate, a bit larger than one square foot each. I hung one at 50 yards and the other at 100, and left them there for the weekend. They were thoroughly exercised for the entire time, including some rounds from my .404 and .416 Rigby, plus whatever else anyone cared to fire at them.
These 3/8" plates show no effect whatever from the hundreds of impacts; this stuff is HARD!
I now have discovered that a youngish feller who recently returned to work at our mine has a complete metal-fabricating shop at home, including a computerized 5'x10' cutting table....he can program virtually any design and his outfit will cut it automatically.
Since I've wanted a steel IPSC target for some time, I asked him about it. An old-style IPSC silhouette (the type with the politically-incorrect "head") in full size at 18"x30" and cut from 3/8" AR500, will cost me about $150. For what amounts to a life-time target, and one that's capable of shrugging off cast-bullet rifle rounds as well as handgun loads, it strikes me as a bargain. This target will have two tubes welded to the back to slip over re-bar "legs" which are driven into into the ground.
The steel is the main cost item, and he can use less-expensive types if desired. However, anything we can dream up can be built by this gent. Spinners, pendulums, plate racks, animal silhouettes...you name it. Obviously, targets smaller than my IPSC type will cost a good bit less.
The IPSC silhouette will make a fine long-range rifle target for NCBS 2010, and that would be a good demo for the target as well. Note that if anyone wants a target of any type fabricated before late May, it can be picked up here without shipping costs.
There's no benefit whatever for me in all this.....no cuts or commissions of any sort. However, I'm quite willing to be the middleman here if anyone so desires.