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  1. #1
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    Who Shoots Steel Targets?



    After a couple of discussions here on the forum the idea was brought up about shooting steel targets. Honestly I have been buying paper shoot and see targets and shooting those mainly.

    What I did before is I went to home depot and bought some of those big foam insulation boards. I cut them into three pieces so I have a clean board about 36" wide and however tall. I would put my sticker on there kind of center low and use that for a target (there is a hill that is behind so I am not worried about it going through). I have it propped up against some hay bales.

    This allows me to sight in a rifle in very short order with just a few rounds. Take a single shot and go examine the target. Take a tape measure and you can see the point of impact from where your aim point was. Measure it, count clicks until you are on and in 3 or 4 rounds you're pretty decent.

    But I usually just use that as a general target and it leaves me more or less just punching paper which leads me to shooting groups... which is not a bad thing, but I want to mix it up.

    So what did I do? I bought two AR500 plates that are 1/2 size of a regulation paper target. The ones I bought are 12" wide and 20" tall to the tip of the "head". That leaves the main body about 12"x 16" with about a 4x4 inch head. I will have to measure it exactly when they get here. I bought two of them.

    I plan to hang one at 100 yards and hang the other at 200 yards and have them offset from each other some. I can obviously change the ranges as I want and the targets will be portable. Even if I put them side by side or in any number of configurations I can practice any number of reflex skills and I will have instant feedback. I can try it standing, sitting, kneeling, laying, on a bipod or whatever.

    I think it will be a really good exercise that I can do at moderate ranges. If these two work out good I might even get more steel plates for different or more courses and configurations.

    Not that shooting has ever been monotonous for me but I think the whole gong thing will add a whole lot of a different kind of fun and skill building at the same time.

    So here is a question to the forum for general discussion... specifically what kind of configurations do you think would work well? What kind of skills should I try to build and work on? What do you think would just be a barrel o' monkeys of fun? It doesn't have to be limited to two gongs (I can get more) so please post up your ideas here.

    What do you think?
    Last edited by alamo5000; 21 February 2015 at 20:49.

  2. #2
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    Why didn't my video link show up as a picture?

  3. #3
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    We shoot steel routinely. 1/2 inch thick AR500 gongs from30 yards and out.


  4. #4
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    Same here. I have 2 AR500 10" plates


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  5. #5
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    I got a lot of steel targets scattered about the farm here. Only one ar500 1/2 size torso though, everything else is just scrap from a friends welding shop.

    Note: please don't shoot non-armored plates at close distance. We are always 50-75 yards away on mild steel


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  6. #6
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    I have 2 ar500 ½" steel targets sitting in a box I plan to put out this spring I just haven't had the time yet. But I do have to say there is something about hearing that ring!!

  7. #7
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    I buy 4'x8' of 3/8" thick sheets of AR-500 steel and take them to a friends to cut on a flowjet. Sheet costs around $450, flowjet costs a couple beers and a target.
    Sent from my Windows Phone 8.1
    Just a regular guy.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by alamo5000 View Post
    Why didn't my video link show up as a picture?
    WEVO's icon for embedding video doesn't work correctly.

    Here's the format from UW:

    [vid=youtube;xxxx]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xxxx[/vid]

    where you see "vid" make sure you type out "video" I shortened it, so it wouldn't display a video on this post.

    xxxx = replace that with the embeded code.

    Hope this helps.
    DEUTERONOMY 6:5
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  9. #9
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    Nice post - thanks.

    We shoot steel mostly for pistol. For the last get together I did a "mini" steel challenge layout. Only one range, a set of numbered stakes, one set of targets. A 100' tape measure, four stakes, and cordage lays out the square, then measure each stake down and across from the corded square.

    After each person has their five turns at a setup (four best are scored), the targets are moved to the next set of stakes. A lot of fun "on the cheap". Gridded layout shown below if anyone wants to use it; its a resized JPEG. If you want an 8.5x11" PDF, PM me.

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Computalotapus View Post
    I buy 4'x8' of 3/8" thick sheets of AR-500 steel and take them to a friends to cut on a flowjet. Sheet costs around $450, flowjet costs a couple beers and a target.
    Sent from my Windows Phone 8.1
    I thought about doing this, but then I realized that I have no friends that have flowjets.

    Every place I called wanted to charge me at least $100 to $150 to cut up a sheet.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerry R View Post
    Nice post - thanks.

    We shoot steel mostly for pistol. For the last get together I did a "mini" steel challenge layout. Only one range, a set of numbered stakes, one set of targets. A 100' tape measure, four stakes, and cordage lays out the square, then measure each stake down and across from the corded square.

    After each person has their five turns at a setup (four best are scored), the targets are moved to the next set of stakes. A lot of fun "on the cheap". Gridded layout shown below if anyone wants to use it; its a resized JPEG. If you want an 8.5x11" PDF, PM me.


    I am definitely going to have to study out what you have there... Now that I am buying steel I might buy some little round gongs too and make a little course. I think it would be fun.

    When I buy more gongs (depending on what happens with the ones I just bought) I will get everything in AR500... that way I can shoot it with a pistol or a rifle. But as to actual course set ups I am starting out with the basics and will build up from there. I got my two main ones coming, and after that I can get the other stuff as I go...

    It sounds like a lot of fun.

  12. #12
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    I bought a couple of Tac Strike's medium flat rate targets last summer. I only got to shoot them once due to only getting to shoot them at a friend's land. I'll be using them more this spring/summer hopefully.

  13. #13
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    I've gotten a number of steel targets off Fleabay... all ½" AR500 stuff that ships for free. Probably not as good as buying sheets and having buddies cut it... but I cannot get sheet locally and I have no buddies

    Worst part is carry the damn 2/3 torso (46#) down 100yrds. Range I shoot at now has a 100yrd min distance for any centerfire rifle, regardless. So even my 300blk subsonic loads have to be 100yrds, even tho they are equal (basically) to a 45acp pistol. Something musta happened recently is all I can figure as I used to be able to put them closer.

    someday I'll have acrage to set them out...
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