Steel targets

[chorizo]

These guys are great...Veteran owned, decent prices and fast shipping.

https://shootingtargets7.com/
And use these to hang them, also Veteran owned. Personally know Greg. Great guy

https://laststands.com/the-target-stand/
Your set-up will outlast you.

I have also used strips from a rock conveyor belt to hang them. Chains will quickly become unusable typically after being hit a couple of times....which does happen.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Weight is also a factor, our club has some Rams and Pigs that are just to heavy to carry around. They hold up great but by the time set up is done I'm to tired to shoot

Yes, weight is a factor. Heavier targets should never be used at close range. e.g. under 25 yards. Being harder for the ball to knock over the detritus can come straight back at the shooter. Ask the little scar on my elbow how I know.

 

[david58]

Have friends that have set up woods walks with O2 or Acetylene tanks. Paint chips, maybe a tiny bit of deformation, but negligible. Great for long distance targets if you cut the bottom off, because they ring so well.

David
NM

 

[Kabulrocks]

I have several. One is soft and I beat it flat and weld it from time to time. I have a Disc that is super hard. It also is slightly rounded. So.far the only damage to it is the center.
Then I have a piece of pipe. And a hanger for cardboard for paper targets.
The disc is 21" which I believe is the size of the bullseye for 500 yards.
That thing rings so loud you can hear it a mile away.

I used discs from a plow back in the day when we had a farm. Hung one up about 300 yards away, and you are right, instant feedback with a hit. They didn’t stand up against center fire rifles, but .22LR and BP impacts were ok.

 

[Kabulrocks]

These guys are great...Veteran owned, decent prices and fast shipping.

https://shootingtargets7.com/
And use these to hang them, also Veteran owned. Personally know Greg. Great guy

https://laststands.com/the-target-stand/
Your set-up will outlast you.

I have also used strips from a rock conveyor belt to hang them. Chains will quickly become unusable typically after being hit a couple of times....which does happen.

Now this one is funny: "Shoot em in the leg" Target Add-On | The Last Stand

 

[Kabulrocks]

This answered my questions on how the AR500 holds up, and this target is only 1/4” thick:

 

[dylan84]

What size propane tank? Ha Ha

Depends on how far you can shoot it from. Had a camp propane bottle almost come back and hit us from about 50 yards away.

 

[hangfast]

Mild steel works for muzzleloaders until somebody hits it with a rifle round.... then it becomes dangerous because the crater left by the rifle round will deflect frags back to the shooter at high velocity. Additionally, mild steel will take a "bend" from repeated hits much quicker than AR500.

We like our Hang Fast Target system because it uses AR500 steel and mounts easily without tools on a standard T Post. The targets are very reactive with good sound so hits on the steel are dramatic. This is what I use on my "woods walk" we installed on our property. We've used it continually for over 5 years and never had to repair/replace a target. Check out this video to see how reactive this system is.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use what ever steel the scrap yard has in from 3/8 to 3/4 thick. Hanging from a chain they hold up well with muzzle loaders. Anchored on a hinge for a "knock down" you need the 1/2 inch or thicker. The hanging targets will move around and dent up less.

 

[Felonious]

....
Has anyone tried empty milk jugs? If you fill them with water, they explode, but left empty, maybe hanging from a rope, they can take a surprising number of impacts before they get too damaged to register hits. Replacement is simple and cheap.

I have a target setup with an empty milk jug, half gallon jug, and a steel can crushed flat. They all hang loose so they swing around when hit, you know every time.

I can shoot them thousands of times with my pellet gun, and a few dozen with my ML before they need to be replaced with more, free, empty jugs. I have some steel targets, but I end up shooting at my jugs more. I save the steel for shooting with friends.

 

[hangfast]

1/4" AR500 will take a bend very quickly from repeated hits from rifles and even handguns. They are great targets for pistols and rimfire that will not be ruined from one guy shooting his "AK" at it after you told him not to. Everyone knows "that guy".

 

[hangfast]

I have a target setup with an empty milk jug, half gallon jug, and a steel can crushed flat. They all hang loose so they swing around when hit, you know every time.

I can shoot them thousands of times with my pellet gun, and a few dozen with my ML before they need to be replaced with more, free, empty jugs. I have some steel targets, but I end up shooting at my jugs more. I save the steel for shooting with friends.

We used to set up milk jugs on a static line to practice for speed shotgun steel matches.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I have a target setup with an empty milk jug, half gallon jug, and a steel can crushed flat. They all hang loose so they swing around when hit, you know every time.

I can shoot them thousands of times with my pellet gun, and a few dozen with my ML before they need to be replaced with more, free, empty jugs. I have some steel targets, but I end up shooting at my jugs more. I save the steel for shooting with friends.

i seem to have an endless supply of jugs and plastic bottles, so I get to recycle each one at least twice. I am thinking about setting up a short "woods walk" next spring using plastic jugs. With a .32 or .36 I bet I can shoot them at least a couple dozen times. Most likely I am not as good a shot as the average denizen of this forum, so they'll likely last me all summer.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

I used to manufacture steel targets. My steel was T1A, a high impact resistant steel used in the mining industry. My tests on both 3/8" and 1/2" proved, conclusively, that a lead round ball can dent them. Cannot speak for AR500.

At what range did you notice deformities occurring? What gun/load were you using?

 

[sheriff john]

Used steel targets over 20 year period teaching combat pistol & shotgun. Tried various types with a wide variety of calibers/gauges/bullet types - tens of thousands of rounds. Some worked, others became dangerous quickly.

Eventually came to the conclusion that factory targets used according to manufacturers' instructions were the only way to go and gave up on leaving targets for others to use. If the target is supposed to hang or mount at a downward-facing angle, just do it. Hanging targets are not safe mounted solidly. Ricochets are not predictable. "Sideways splatter" can carry a long way and some chunks are large enough to inflict serious injury.

Even an oak log end won't always work. Colt .31 pocket model shot taken too close bounced backwards to put a knot on a friend's forehead.

If it's dimpled/cratered interesting stuff happens. I really like shooting steel, but I've seen first-hand what can happen. ALWAYS use eye protection at 50 yards and under - even onlookers.

 

[rodinal220]

Go with AR500 targets, they will last a long time with lead projectiles. I remember using T1 back in the mid 80s as that was the most common steel used for action targets, worked well for pistol use with all lead bullets still commonly used then (until jacket .38 super). The larger .58 minies are like shooting shotgun slugs, they can batter the plate and start cupping and bending it, thickness and distance can be adjusted to minimize wear.