Is 1/2 Inch Stainless Steel Good For Steel Targets?

J

jtmckinney

New member
This is a matter of using what I have. I have had a 4' X 4' piece of stainless steel, don't remember what grade for over 10 years and have absolutely no use for it. I also have the resources to get it cut into smaller pieces.

Would this be good material for steel targets, I am thinking it is way overkill but maybe some of you know something I haven't thought of.

If I do this it would see large magnum handgun use. Would it also be good for up to 308 in rifle?

What size plates do you like to shoot and make?

Thanks for any replies!
James
 
The correct answer is NO, it's not safe. Any steel that gets dimpled or cratered will allow richochets or splatter to come back to the shooter. Any steel used for centerfire targets should be made of AR500 steel. Being stainless has nothing to do with it being safe or acceptable. My back yard grill is stainless and I'd be a .22lr would go right through it. I have been to major matches and I've personally seen injuries from bullets coming back to the firing line and hitting a spectator (me once and it drew blood and cut through my shirt). I once saw an official get hit behind the firing line and a large pistol bullet fragment hit him in the face and penetrate into his sinus cavity. He had to have it surgically removed from inside his sinus. Both of these shoots were very, very large events but the clubs hosting them didn't use AR500 steel. One event was so big it was televised. I'm not talking about big local shoots, I'm talking about national events. Today you'll not see this happening at these large events. I have steel reactive targets that I had made twenty years ago and they were for .22lr. Even 4x8 sheets of diamond plate will curl after being hit by a few thousand rounds of lowly .22lr ammo. They will also pock mark and spray bullet fragments back to the shooting line. They are now retired. Just because it's available, and you don't need it for anything else, it's not acceptable to use. Lots of people who don't know any better will tell you it's OK, but it's not. Just because they haven't gotten hurt yet doesn't mean they won't eventually. Be safe, not sorry. You can buy AR500 targets at very reasonable prices and they are already cut to size and drilled for hanging.
 
All steel targets will produce richochets. !!!

The correct answer is NO, it's not safe.
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My correct answer is that any and all steel targets, swinging or not, will eventually produce ricochets. If you are set on using this plate then do so with that understanding. Set some limits on shooting minimums in front and back-stops. If you read the warnings on some of the factory units, it clearly states their usage. I would not use the .308 on this plate. I have a factory make swinger for .44mag and it states a minimum limit from the shooting distance. That plate is 1/2" thick C.S. ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Stainless will be worse than plain old hot rolled for dimpling. It'll be alright for rimfire and lead pistol calibers. Jacketed stuff, especially rifle, will dimple it up quick.
 
Thanks for the replys! Sounds like I might need to do some horse trading. I will ask about the AR500 steel, what thickness is best? The fab shop that I was going to ask to cut the stainless up has all kinds of stuff laying around I can choose from.

I was thinking about making the plates 14 inches tall and 12 inches wide. When I hang from the back side the down angle created would make the target approx 12" X 12". Any opinions?

Once again Thanks!
James
 
A half inch won't swing much with lighter calibers but it will take anything you throw at it. A 3/8" won't even get a pucker mark at 100yds from a 22-250 or 243. I use 1/4" for all handgun loads and rifles such as the 30-30, 357max, 35Rem, etc. It's the same armor the military uses on it's APC's. I've never seen it pucker with anything.
 
Set all the targets at 45* so ricochet goes down.Swinging is better. MINIMUM distance is 25 yds for handgun ,100 yds for rifle. Safety glasses mandatory. Spectatores further back.
There are many types of carbon and alloy steel and many types of stainless steel ,don't quickly classify the two. AR500 would be very nice .
 
I use 3/8 inch steel at 250 yards for my 22-250, and blows 3/4 inch whole in it every time. I've seen ricochet with heavier slower caliber on this same plate such as .308, 30-30, and .32 win mag.
 
You do not need the 500 plate if you know what you are doing. It is all a mater of hanging the steel correctly. I have steel hanging right now at the range I set up for our cabin tract. The way I set it up ther never has been a ricochet coming back to the shooter.
 
go to your local bowling alley and ask for old pins, they usually give them away and they are very safe to shoot at
 
Thanks All!

It will be after the holidays before I can do anything. Whatever I build will be swinging from a foot of chain with a down angle, probably 30 degrees depending on where I put the pivot point on the back side. I am going to weld a tab on with maybe more that one hole to see what angle works best. If it is not suitable for 308 rifle then ok, I can live with that.

Hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year!!
James
 
Lot of bad info when it comes to steel targets. We use "100" yards for rifle to make the steel last longer, not for safety reasons. THE most dangerous projectiles on steel for richochet are low recoil slugs, .45s, etc. A .223 at 10 yards on AR500 is safer for the shooter than a .45 at 10 yards.

Bowling pins, close are even worse than steel and I won't allow them in the rulesets I write for ranges.

AR500 will take higher velocities, but if you get it too close, you can core it. When I write range safety protocols for new ranges, I look at the distance, backstops, angles of impact, etc. The actual method of cutting the steel and how impact resistant it is also needs to be considered. I have three different "makes" or AR500 hanging at 200 yards at the range, one has not a single pock mark in it, the other two have different amounts of dimpling and pock marks based on bullet construction and velocity. AR500 is a standard that refers to "Abrasion Resistance" for use in heavy machinery, not an "Armor Rating" like many people think it is.

I typically use 3/8" swinging targets for high velocity rifle. The radial ring of spray off the face is a few degrees forward and will be mostly perpendicular to the face regardless of the angle. For that reason, square to the shooter is best for high velocity rounds. The vast majority of ricochets off steel from high velocity rifle are due to edge hits, angled impacts, or hitting supporting stands etc that are mild steel.
 
4' x 4' x 1/2" is a big chunk of stainless... you could probably get a few hundred dollars for it at a scrap metal recycling facility, and buy some real targets
 
What jaytothekizzay said.

If it is a high grade stainless, like 300, you could get decent money for it. A rare earth magnet will not stick to 300. "Lesser" grades still attract a magnet.
( I used to build mechanisms that were used in the high magnetic fields of MRI equipment, so "ferretting out the ferrous" is something I've dealt with) :D

If the sheet you have is 300 grade and in decent cosmetic shape, you might fetch a gooder price for it at a local industrial metal supply company than taking it to a scrap yard. If that is the case call them to inquire about how much such a piece would cost new, then call the scrap yard to get their price per lb. Find a happy medium in price and call the metal supply and make a sell offer. Win for you, win for the supply company if a deal is struck. :cool:
 
I use steel I-beams with my 9mm and 45. It holds up very well, even with my carbine.

Now one day I set it at 100 yards and fired my Garand at it, standard jacketed bullet. Went clean through one side and dimpled the other.

Word of caution with AR500, be darn sure you don't fire steel jacketed or core bullets at it. Instant crater or hole. I've caught a few people on the line firing at it and got on their case.

Here's my AR500 3/8" after countless lead bullets fired at it, and a few 30-06 and 5.56's thrown in. As you can see, hardly a scratch.

 
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Stainless Steel Plate Sold

Thanks for all the replies and advice. Problem solved, I sold the stainless plate. Scrap price is down, they offered $93.00 for it. I sold it to a fab shop for $120.00. Short term I am using this to fund a brass purchase.

I still plan to make some hanging steel targets but will be using carbon steel, not sure about the AR500 material, just have to see what I can get.

Once again Thanks!
James
 
There's lots of steels produced that have different names but qualify as ar 500 such as hard ox 500. The 500 is its brindle hardness rating and as already stated the ar is for abrasion risistant. Some suppliers use ar 400 but probably best for pistol use only
If you are getting some targets cut its best to get the laser /plasma cutter to cut any bolt holes as you won't be able to drill it easily. Although it welds well you soften it with the heat, that's why it's always best to get it cut under water as the edges end up soft.
Try to find a company that makes or repairs digger buckets and other big plant and see if they have any off cuts. Then work out shapes and sizes to fit.
 
What I get is cut outs. The local steel place sells the hole cut outs much cheeper as it is just used steel. Sometime I can find odd ball size plate cheeper too.
 
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