I'm not really even sure where to begin with this. (Sorry guys I'm a bit tired here) I bought some 1/2 ar500 steel gongs, I've never shot steel before and wanted to make sure I did everything correctly. It seems that everything I read on steel targets has a horror story attached to it and it's quite frankly freaking me out a bit. Any advice? Or should I just buck up and run them at 100 yards on the stand I bought from the same site and hope for the best but expect Murphys law

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1/2" AR 500 is pretty good stuff! I have 3/8 AR 500 and they hold up very well to 223 and 308. In some zeroing of a 308 a bullet hit near the holes for hanging at 25 yards and dented it. Mine are a little soft for an inch around the holes. At 50 and 100 yards no problems at all. I haven't tried the 338 Lapua at all yet.

My brother and I are retired from various real estate ventures and have several sign frames! I've been using chain clevis pins to hold the gongs on the frames. They are hardened and withstand the splatter, but will be cut like butter by a direct hit for the first few hundred yards! One range I shot at was/is using 1" AR 500 or 550 targets, these held up to anything short of 50 Browning at point blank and are 50 Browning rated at 100 yards. He used to use grade 8 bolts to hang the targets, but those shatter with a direct hit at 400 yards or less with a 308 (Did I do that? yes you did, NOW STOP IT). Now he uses a hook to hang most plates, the hook is protected with a shield of armor that he is in the process of patenting, but not yet marketing!

On Martin Luther King day 2011, I was shooting with friends and was shooting at a plate we call "The Cigarette Pack" at 500 yards. I had already hit a 8" circle and a 5" circle, now was the 2 by 3 inch rectangle. In Ohio we get a January thaw most years and that year was no different. I hit the cigarette pack with a 338 Lapua, I heard a weird clang/clunk noise and couldn't find the target in my scope. I looked at my spotter and he was laying the beside me just shaking he was laughing so hard. In gasps he said to look at the target, I said, I tried and couldn't find it. He said look up hill on the backstop. Then I found the target still connected to the steel post, that had been concreted in the ground and with about a 2 foot ball of concrete still attached, drug back and up a 45 degree slope about 15 or 20 feet. By the next official shoot at the end of the month he had repaired that target, but was trying a different method of suspension!

On plates of the same thickness, small plates suffer more damage at the same distance. At least they cost the least! I total I have 3- 10", 1-6", 3-4" and 2 -2" plates and pick up 1 or 2 more every chance I get! A 2" plate at 300 yards is a 1/3 MOA target. 1/3 to 1/2 MOA is the standard to practice with, but you haven't started working the wind until 600 or 800 yards. It is hard to find safe places to shoot that kind of distances!

Hope this helped,

Ivan

Sounds like Ivan has a lot more experience with the 1/2" AR 500 steel that I possess. We have been running targets at my place for 3-4 years and now have made 4 different purchases. I have no idea of the different brands or venders as I consider them like buying a anvil, almost indestructible with modern firearms. I did manage to put a small crater that is noticeable in a 4x4 at 25 yards with a 170 gr 30-30 bullet. Outside of that, none have any damage and some of the longer range ones have been popped several times with 300 grain VLD running out of a 338 Norma Mag. One needs a strong stand for the gongs when using that 338. We are using grade eight bolts to hang on and could be lucky, no direct hits that have caused any problems. Picked an idea up from another range and bought a roll of 4 inch wide webbing (lifting webbing) from a commercial type flea market and we have all the gongs hanging on this webbing. really tough stuff as the bullets go through the weave and take a lot of hits. we have a 4 inch round at the 50 yard backer that is the last of the targets (getting smaller) that is a hoot to shoot 22 LR both rifle and pistol. Many, many bullet have gone thru that webbing and it is still in great shape. Not sure what your fears are, but I think these things are indestructible with any legal firearm that I would want to shoot on a regular basic. ( Note, 50 BMG is not in my interest circle). Most of these gongs are hanging on pieces of 3/4 or 7/8 inch rebars and I drive $ 4 green steel fence post on each side and attach the rebar to the top. Some I have drilled holes in for the rebar and some we just use tie wire.

Quick shot of my 650 yard gong and a temp board for checking group size with some of the gongs removed.

Attached Images

650gong.jpg (143.1 KB, 70 views)

Just be careful shooting steel up close. I caught a 5.56 richochet in the chest at 35 yards once.

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Isaiah 41:10

My main fear is ricochet, by no means do I want to cause potential harm to fellow shooters on the firing line.

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I don't recall offhand how thick my steel targets are. They're certainly no larger than 1/2". They're probably 3/8". Given that.....

I've hit them with a bunch of .223 55gr FMJs. They make a mark on the steel, but virtually no perceptible indentation. The closest I'll shoot them with a .223 is 100 yds. I'll put my pistols on them up close (25 yds or so) but no high power rifles. I also think I've hit them with my .270.

If you hit on the edge of the steel it'll leave an indentation. And I have gotten some minor marks in the middle of the (round) plate.

I use "conveyor belt" to hang the targets from the frame. It's great stuff. Bullets go through it (reducing ricochet potential from chains or other metal hangers) with virtually no change in strength.

Lastly, I've read the key to reducing the chance of a ricochet is enabling the target to move some. It's when they're totally rigid when issues increase.

OR

Great suggestions in this thread about using webbing or conveyor belt to hang steel. I have seen chains and cables broken by a single bullet hit, but "flimsy" looking flexible straps can take many hits with minimal damage.

No closer than 10 yards for pistol.
No closer than 100 yards for rifle.

Are you sure about the size of that concrete? I'm having a hard time believing a 1/2oz bullet moved a 300lb mass 20' up a 45° slope at 500 yards.

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Freedom isn't free.

Here is a conversation about shooting steel targets from "the man" himself I watched a while back...

I hung one of my 1/2" ar500's on the brackets it came with and the soft steel pipe has been shot to pieces by rifle rounds and shooters who don't know how to set up there scopes

I have another 1/2" ar 500 target that I hung using regular steel fence post, and it has held up better


we shoot handguns from 7-50 yards and occasionally feel spit-back at the 7 yard line,( mostly from the 45's) all centerfire rifle action "especially ar15's" is shot from 100 yds because you can divot 1/2" ar500 with any round that is traveling at close to 3000 fps with a penetrator

make sure the targets are hung so the bottom is trailing the top side this will send the vast majority of ammo fragments down into the dirt

I still use paper to zero my scopes but for everything else I prefer the steel, I have always preferred a reactive target over just punching holes in paper

and I do enjoy the clang

Great video here...steel targets need to be free hanging or angled as he suggest to avoid the very problem you are concerned about.

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Hipcocked45

Y'all think shepards hooks would do? I've got some hooks that support the weight of the gongs pretty well.

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I've destroyed shepherds hooks with my AR @100yds.The problem being that the target is centered over the hook.Now I use 6' angle iron as uprights about 3' apart with the target supported in the middle by heavy duty chain.

The company I bought from has tpost hangers think a tpost would work out?

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This is my setup. I bought the brackets from a place called JC Steel Targets. Then you buy rebar locally to use with them. I just looked at JCST site and I couldn't find that they had them any more.

There's one that is similar called The Last Stand.

The Last Stand | The Last Target Stand You'll EVER Need! | The best target stand solution on the market.

I have been using JC Steel and their T Post Brackets with good success since June. One post has been chipped away some by errant shots but is still functional. T posts are cheap and JC Steel has some great prices. Good cause too.

We shoot pistols 10 yards plus and rifles 100 yards plus. A little splash back every once in a while so eye protection is a must. Angle the top of the targets toward the shooter and it helps prevent this.

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SWCA #2922

Yes, I have several for 22RF, pistol and rifle. I prefer steel targets that swing from the top. No matter what you shoot at them they swing away and the splatter sprays on the dirt beneath.

If the target bottom stays put the splatter goes up and in some cases back toward the shooter.

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6/23/2022

Probably...IMO the whole idea is to keep distance between the target and what supports it.This allows for beginners to enjoy shooting without accidentally destroying things...i.e. wooden posts,plastic tubing or whatever people use to save a penny.

I use 1"x 6' angle iron for the uprights spread about 3' apart.I then drill holes in the uprights.I bolt sturdy chains to the target and hang it from the angle iron using "S" hooks.

Some of the designs you can buy are too low to the ground for my tastes.I can easily hang multiple targets of different sizes and the whole setup is easy to transport and setup.

I use 1/4" AR500 (painted red) for pistols and 3/8" AR500 (painted white) for rifles.They can be setup up together and all I have to do is vary my distance.

I don't have actual pictures of my setup but this pic should give you an idea of the design.

Attached Images

targetsetup.jpg (33.2 KB, 29 views)

These work well with a 3/8" chain.
HDX 5.48 in. 10-Compartment Sawhorse Bracket-SH107 - The Home Depot

If the 2x4s get chewed up by bullet fragments, then it will cost a whopping $5 for a new piece of treated lumber.

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