Making Steel Targets

[Oberg]

I have been wanting to make a few steel targets to shoot with my 308 30-06 223 30-30 and 22-250 and distances off about 100 to hopefully 1000. Does anyone have any experience doing this? I have two plates of 1/2" steel but its curved (from an old water tank) and I have some 1/8" steel from the bottom of our loader's bucket
thanks guys

 

[Rembrandt]

These are 3/4" swingers made from two layers of 3/8" mild steel, craters are hits from a .223. I'll probably take them to work and heat treat them sometime this summer. They're set up at 50-100-200 yards and work fine for my purposes. Most of the craters are shotgun slugs, muzzleloader, and handgun rounds.

 

[Oberg]

Have to say, nice welding rembrandt

 

[OldShooter]

Metal target

Nice looking target. What kind of steel are you using? Low carbon won't get hard, High carbon can become brittle unless you temper it after hardening. I'll be interested in hearing how that works out. I'd like to make some too but most ranges around here don't allow metal targets or even metal target frames.

 

[shooter_john]

Occasionally you may come across a railroad maintenance crew who will part with some of the steel plates that lay between the rails and the crossties. Those have stopped everything I can throw at them, up to a 300 Weatherby. The holes for the spikes make a great place to hang them from with a chain too. Biggest problem I've had with them is that the lead splatter will eat up a wooden frame fairly quickly. If you can build the frame a good bigger than the plate (about 8"x16" I'd guess) that would probably help.

 

[tc556guy]

I made up some of my own pepper poppers a few years ago; used I beams as a base and old plate steel for the body. Found out that it was only good for pistols. I buy my rifle rated steel commercially because I've never found a good local source for rifle-rated surplus steel.

 

[Big Don]

Railroad tie plates are plentiful when the gangs come through to refurbish the tracks. The plates work well for pistol targets as one spike will keep it standing up at an angle. The steel is too soft for prolonged rifle hits but what the heck, it's free! +1 for hanging them out at 100 yards. (And if you miss, you can always claim your round with right through one of the other spike holes)

 

[OldShooter]

targets

Right Big Don.

I use that same thought process on paper targets. I never miss, a lot of my shots go through previously made holes.

We use some commercial poppers at my club. Very tuff stuff, riflles and magnums not allowed, but they do stand up to surplus Tokarev ammo out of my CZ52.

 

[TheBluesMan]

Most of the rifle calibers will go right through the steels you mention, Oberg, especially the 1/8" stuff. Don't even bother wasting your time with that. The 1/2" will stand up a little better, but even that won't be optimum. Like OldShooter said, it needs to be heat treated and tempered.

The best think I've seen for steel rifle targets are old bulldozer tread plates. They're hard to find around here, though.

 

[Big Don]

One of the more fun targets I acquired was a manhole cover off of a construction job. We set it out about 200 yards and banged away. It gave the most satisfying "thwack" when the rifle rounds made contact. No worry about penetration either.

 

[Oberg]

Ha did you steal that cover big don? jk jk I had one two years ago but I worked with another guy that shoots alot more then I so I gave it to him... one way I have found that works well is vote for signs. you can staple of tape your target to the sign and then step it into the ground. (so this fall i'm going to take a bunch of anti-gun politicions signs down and use them as target holders) don't tell anyone. lol

by the way big don what calibers did you use on it?

 

[Northern Sod Breaker]

I thought that steel targets were the way to go til one day when I was younger I shot a plow coulter with a .22 at close range and it riqucheted straight back and hit me in the forearm. That pretty well killed any ideas about that.

 

[tplumeri]

The best think I've seen for steel rifle targets are old bulldozer tread plates. They're hard to find around here, though.

Easy to find out here, but sold in bulk. Wanna go in on a ton?

 

[Big Don]

Oberg, +1 on the politicians' signs!
The manhole cover was scrap from a demo job so it was a freebee We used .223, '06, .308 and every handgun caliber we had. It was amazing how much abuse it took!

 

[Oberg]

I'll have to keep my eye open this summer. I figured that they would break when hit with a 308 or 30-06 just cuz they are so hard. I've broke 2 with a hammer trying to get them open... but maybe that just means that i'm stronger then a bullet