Kentucky Armory Club

I wouldn't call it absolutely necessary if you have quality, undamaged plates (I agree with you there, smooth plates are key) and I don't even think downward angled plates are necessarily the norm. There are plenty of people who shoot more than I do on this forum, and I've been hit by fragments coming off of AR500 steel twice in the last two years. It never broke skin, but having had it happen twice I would GREATLY prefer downward angled clean steel targets.

FYI. All blazer brass ammo is plated if anyone needs non jacketed

Most of my pistol loads are plated. I have been hit at tg&go when we used to have matched there. When we had those start plates a 9mm came back and got me in the stomach.

No biggie other than a little bruise and a scare.

The plates I am getting are AR500. and they would be set out 50 yards or so. Would take both pistol and .223.

FWIW, here's what M193 will do to AR500 at 50 yards:

https://www.ocabj.net/m193-on-ar500-steel-at-50-yards/

Frailer wrote:FWIW, here's what M193 will do to AR500 at 50 yards:

https://www.ocabj.net/m193-on-ar500-steel-at-50-yards/

i have a ar500 plate I shoot semi regularly with m193 at roughly 30 yards and it's just fine. Not one crater or dent. However the rounds are coming out of a 10.5" barrel. I've shot it with everything from .22lr to 7.62x39 and never have had an issue other than sometimes I'll get some shrapnel from 22lr but never hae ha an injury but I always wear eye and ear pro. The 7.62x39 came out of a 16" barrel but shot it at around 50 yards. I bought the target from midway and it just hangs on 2 chains.

I think a lot of the cratering issues come from the quality of the steel and manfuractuerer. I bought a target from dunhams that's ar500 but only rated for handguns up to 44 mag and it is cratered like crazy from just 9mm. I'd post pics but tapatalk freezes every time I go to post a pic.

Two excellent points:

- Velocity is the enemy here (since energy is a function of the square of velocity); a round leaving the muzzle of a 10.5" barrel is traveling at roughly the same velocity as the same round fired from a 16" barrel at 100 yards.

- Not all "AR500" targets are created equal. Even if the supplier is completely honest about the hardness of his product, the act of cutting the target from the sheet can soften the steel appreciably--particularly at the edges. Most of my steel came from a guy who cuts with a water jet to avoid this problem.

Niceguy wrote:

Frailer wrote:I think your ideal setup would depend on whether you plan to leave your targets in place or haul them back and forth to the range.

FWIW, I like to have some static steel (for practicing multiple shots on target) and some swinging/moving.

I'll also warn you that steel targets are sort of like guns or ammo: you'll always want more.

Absolutely this...

They multiply like rabbits. My one has become five.

Use a big enough rifle round and just punch through, for those that remember that shoot.

ShootSteel.com Hangers with D.I.Y. Stands. The center is TragertMan LLC 22° mount.

Shit me and a buddy threw together with scrape partly of mine and partly from his junk piles. I think the only thing I bought was the chains.

The steel this guy uses is military overrun and reads 550 on hardness scale. It is CNC cut under 2" of water to controls heat. Looks nice. I will see how it does at the shoot. Guy is an officer in the Army and someone I have known since high school.

I have made a few steel targets out of cold roll. It holds up to pistol rounds but 223 leaves a crater and 243 looks like you cut it with a laser.

So I am looking for some targets. Planning on dropping around a grand for a bunch. Would like a swinging plate rack and some more single silhouette targets. Who has the best deal? I would like to stick with 3/8" ar500 so I can shoot them with 5.56 and slower stuff.

Edit: Local would be better so I can just pick them up to cut shiping costs down.

http://www.challengetargets.com/

Challenge Targets is in Northern Kentucky, if you're willing to drive up here. They have pretty regular email specials and a lot of options. I'd check out their site and give them a call to discuss details if you like what you see.