crude steel target

[UnionMillsNW]

I took an old 1/4" steel plate from an old franklin stove out to shoot.

It stopped .357 mag and 45 ACP

5.56 and 7.62 zipped through it like tissue paper.

 

[kmk1012]

I came across an old bathtub outside Christmas Valley years ago, shot it with my 45. That thing ricoched back at me, went through my pants near my calf, luckily only grazed me. Ever since I've been skeptical about what I shoot at.

 

[P7M13]

I don't shoot heavy steel plates, AR500 or not, with pistol at close range because of ricochet. 1/4" plates are OK by me tho'.
Also learned a long time ago, hang them so the face of the plate is angled down.
I have understood for a long time, anything a bullet doesn't penetrate is a potential bounce back. It's a risk that many of us take.
If you have your own range, I'd put it out at 100 or farther and shoot the crap out of it. You probably already know, the holes bullets make in steel are damn sharp - I handle my shot-up targets with durable leather gloves.
As far as damage, bullets from my 338 Edge and 7 LRM have cratered the 1/2" AR500 plates I have. Most pulverize on impact and I have found only a few jackets.

 

[DirectDrive]

We shoot AR500 targets with pistol at 25 yards regularly with no problems.
No cratering.

Chances are, the target in the OP is mild steel.
I wouldn't shoot rifle at it unless I didn't care about messing it up.

 

[clanhanson]

Once that target has craters it's no longer safe to use, which in my estimation is one range trip.

 

[DirectDrive]

Once that target has craters it's no longer safe to use, which in my estimation is one range trip.

This ^^^
If he keeps the big stuff off of it, it may last.
True, once crated it's no good for pistol range.
Still OK for rifle range, though.

 

[2Wheels4Ever]

Made that mistake when I was 18. Shooting a 1in thick steel plate with an ar15 from about 50 yards or so. Each shot was making a nice deep crater. My buddy and I thought it was pretty cool, kinda like terminator. Not long after, one of the jackets came back and hit my friend in the leg. He was wearing jeans; it went half way through his jeans and lodged nicely in his thigh.

I have a bunch of mild steel plates that I still use, but with .22lr only. They don't make a dent

 

[clanhanson]

This ^^^
If he keeps the big stuff off of it, it may last.
True, once crated it's no good for pistol range.
Still OK for rifle range, though.

I would've agreed with you but last summer I had a fairly frightening experience with a mild steel plate that had a few craters. At 150 yards a crater's concave shape sent jacket straight back and it hit my shooting bench about six inches from my leg. It embedded itself into the wood quite deeply. This was with 8mm and the steel was hanging by chains.

 

[Kruel J]

Shooting softer steel targets is dangerous and more chance of ricochet. AR500 and up the projectile will generally disintegrate, of course steel core or solid copper doesn't count here but for FMJ and the like always always use AR rated steel. 3/8" minimum for handgun. 1/2" for rifle. I've shot thousands of rounds at AR steel with no problems. I've seen jackets and cores come back when shooting softer stuff.

 

[TTSX]

I, too, have caught a fragment from a pistol round hitting mild steel. Stuck itself right in my belly, a little lower than my appendix. Used a pocket knife to pry it out.

 

[Kruel J]

I, too, have caught a fragment from a pistol round hitting mild steel. Stuck itself right in my belly, a little lower than my appendix. Used a pocket knife to pry it out.

I had the EXACT same thing happen years ago. Was shooting at an indoor range and the guy next to us was shooting a .44mag with some hot reloads. I had to pry the piece out of my stomach with my knife too. Crazy.

 

[DirectDrive]

I would've agreed with you but last summer I had a fairly frightening experience with a mild steel plate that had a few craters. At 150 yards a crater's concave shape sent jacket straight back and it hit my shooting bench about six inches from my leg. It embedded itself into the wood quite deeply. This was with 8mm and the steel was hanging by chains.

Wow.
I'll stick with AR500 steel.

I had some wood bases for my IPSC steel targets.
There is a lot of violence happening in the "splash zone" as evidenced by the shrapnel that those wood bases caught.

 

[clanhanson]

Wow.
I'll stick with AR500 steel.

I had some wood bases for my IPSC steel targets.
There is a lot of violence happening in the "splash zone" as evidenced by the shrapnel that those wood bases caught.

AR500 can still be damaged by high velocity rounds like 5.56 but to much less extent. My incident with mild steel at longer range was fairly unlikely but I don't want a repeat. Either way, eye protection at all times when shooting at steel (or in general).

 

[DirectDrive]

AR500 can still be damaged by high velocity rounds like 5.56 but to much less extent. My incident with mild steel at longer range was fairly unlikely but I don't want a repeat. Either way, eye protection at all times when shooting at steel (or in general).

I want to keep my AR500 in good shape, so no rifles and no big magnum pistols is the rule.
So far that plan is working.

 

[clanhanson]

I want to keep my AR500 in good shape, so no rifles and no big magnum pistols is the rule.
So far that plan is working.

I think you'd be okay if it's 1/2" plate over 150 yards damage-wise, especially if angled or hanging. I'm an idiot and always manage to shoot my chain so I stick to an angled silhouette on a stand now.

 

[DirectDrive]

I think you'd be okay if it's 1/2" plate over 150 yards damage-wise, especially if angled or hanging. I'm an idiot and always manage to shoot my chain so I stick to an angled silhouette on a stand now.

No, pistol.
We set up at 25 yards.
The plate rack is all spring loaded and the rest hang at good angles.
9mm and 45ACP mostly.

No problems over many thousands of rounds.
YMMV

 

[powermad]

100 yds makes craters in my 1/2" plate with 5.56
.308 just knocks the paint off at 100 yds.

I've used railroad tie base plates with .308 and it blows right through.

 

[Kruel J]

Are you guys sure you're using true AR500 rated steel? I've smacked silhouettes with thousands of rounds of 5.56 and I MIGHT have a few spots you can feel. But certainly no craters. Strange.

 

[TTSX]

Are you guys sure you're using true AR500 rated steel? I've smacked silhouettes with thousands of rounds of 5.56 and I MIGHT have a few spots you can feel. But certainly no craters. Strange.

I've got a 3/8 plate that's taken 7mm mag at 3k ft/sec a few hundred times with hardly a mark. My 3/4 plate takes 50bmg like it's a .22

the right steel really matters

 

[Kruel J]

I've got a 3/8 plate that's taken 7mm mag at 3k ft/sec a few hundred times with hardly a mark. My 3/4 plate takes 50bmg like it's a .22

the right steel really matters

Exactly.