How thick should a steel target be for high power rifle?

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Palmetto-Pride

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Like the title says how thick should a steel plate be for high power rifle shooting at 100yds.

I bought a Birchwood Casey Double mag target thinking that it would hold up to a .308WIN at 100yds. Boy was I wrong....:eek: Yea I know the package clearly says not to use center fire rifles, but damn my 45ACP wouldn't even put a dent in it at 20yds and also there was another target that was similar made by DO IT ALL TRAPS that was the same thickness that said it was good up to a 30-06, but this one was half the price. Any way what thickness steel should it be.

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Well the one rated to 30-06 is a much harder alloy of steel. It stood up to the 45 at 20 because the 45 is a handgun round. Much slower then the rifle rounds. Granted the 30-06 and .308 is only 30 cal rounds but they are high powered rifle rounds. When it comes to steel targets you get what you pay for. next time go ahead and spend the extra on the target rated for the 30-06. a .45 is accurate to 20 25 yards, a 30-06 is good to 600-800+ yards.
 
Here's another one. It's a link to a pdf file that you can print for future reference (or save on your computer for future reference, depending on whether or not you've bought into the whole "paperless office" thing... :) )

http://www.agarms.com/pdf/steeltargets.pdf

The message in this article is primarily safety, and it shows how softer steels and poor design can both cause erratic bullet deflection, which is unsafe.
 
It's not how thick they are, it's what they're made out of. They use different steel in targets used for high power rifle. I have shot at 3/8in thick steel with a 243 and 45-70 and couldn't even make a dimple on the steel. I just ordered some hardened steel from the same source to shoot at with high power rifle. The company is Qualitytargets.com phone 618-245-6515. You can't even drill this stuff so it comes with the holes to mount already provided. He cuts them with a plasma cutter. They are armor plate steel.
 
Hey guys thanks for the info, I was wondering how the other target that was the same thickness could be rated for 30-06 and the cheap one I bought not handle .308win. Looks like I will be spending a little more for the other one.
 
I use railroad tie plates. I've found em along the rail road or at scrap metal places. They hold up really well to my 7mags and 308's and lower. Plus they are cheap or free
 
I use 5/8" AR500 steel for our .308 and 7.62 x 54R. They'll very slightly pock the surface of the steel @ 100, and no damage @ 200. I wouldn't use anything other than AR500 for high power centerfires.
 
This is two layers of 3/8" mild steel for a total of 3/4".....stuff I had laying around, better to go for the harder steel. Deep craters are from a 308.

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A 223 Hp will punch through 1/4" standard plate @ 100 yards. A 308 FMJ will beat the crap out of 3/8" plate @ 300 meters while 223 FMJ just makes a minor dimple. I would expect nothing less than 5/8" standard plate steel to stop 308 @ 100 yards.
All the observations are using plate suspended by two chains at the upper corners. Fastening plate solidly will increase the damage. If you plan on shooting the targets often, spend the extra $$ and get harder steel.
 
3/8" AR500 will last almost indefinitely if shot at 100 yards or further and the muzzle velocity is 3200 or less, and it's not mounted rigidly.
 
I been welding for years,use 1" on a stand! You can go to a scrap yard and find some 1 inch mild steel and fab some kind of target that will stand a .308 or 30 06. I would prefer a flipping action so you dont get a chunk of lead going somewhere you dont want it to be!:eek:
 
Our club's steel range rules state no FMJ's, no magnums or anything over 3000fps. The best plate target I have ever seen was simply a sawhorse type stand with the steel plate attached to a hinge on the top, so it just swings backward when hit, I wonder if this may also deflect the bullet downwards or at least absorb some energy?
 
Hello, I made up some steel targets from 6" dia. cold rolled steel bar..3/4" thick. Had them carborized & hdn. to .060" depth. At 300yds, std. .30-06 FMJ, would only put slightest dimple in face.
 
Well I bought the other target and wow what a difference harder steel makes these two targets were shot with the same 308 168gr AMAX at 100yds. I will be ordering some gong targets made of AR500 steel from Quality Targets...thanks for that link:)

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I been welding for years,use 1" on a stand! You can go to a scrap yard and find some 1 inch mild steel and fab some kind of target that will stand a .308 or 30 06. I would prefer a flipping action so you dont get a chunk of lead going somewhere you dont want it to be!
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Mild steel will not cut it for any target to be shot with a high power rifle and I don't care if its 4 inches thick. Mild steel will pock mark and crater, not something you want to be shooting at after it does so.
 
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