[Ron Ankeny]

I have been watching some of Saul's videos of major shoots and I noticed the use of a lot of real hard cover in the world shoots. I have tons of hardened steel in various thickness and I thought maybe I would make some steel no-shoots, full size steel IPSC targets for hardcover, hardcover for swingers and so on. I am wondering, have any of you noticed how thick the steel plate is that is typically used for hardcover? Is it necessary to use 3/8 thick like poppers, or would 1/4-5/16 work?

[shred]

Most of the stuff in Ecuador looked to be about the same as the shoot targets. Some of it got shot quite a bit... You can probably get by with lesser steel, but also think about setting up the silhouettes as shoot targets and using them for no-pasting target practice.

A long time ago, Todd said some of his main practice targets were steel silhouettes that had some sort of rubber sandwich to cut the noise of the hits.

[get2now]

I made some about six years ago out of mild 1/4 inch steel. If you use them for hard cover then you run the chance of edge hits ripping big holes in the targets behind. They worked fine though and held up pretty well. They didn't do so well when they were used as no-tape practice targets. After running 50 or so shots in the same spot they tended to cave in. It didn't punch any holes in them though.
Then out of curiosity I blasted it with a 12 guage slug. Didn't go through but it did make one hell of a crater.
If I were going to make some more I'd use 1/4 inch again.

G

[Vlad]

One obvious but easy to forget caveat is that steel is heavy. It is one thing to setup a couple of small pieces on a single stages, but going crazy with hardcover steel on a 6 to 7 stage match is just asking for you volunteers to find something else to do at setup time.

[cking]

don't ever use anything beside hardened armory plate. 1/4 inch AR500 will work for pistol, not rifle.

Anything softer will get pot marked and start throwing jackets back at you. I've seen some nasty cuts from that.

[Bill Nesbitt]

I've used some square targets that have a bolt hole at the center top so they can be hung. Put an old auto valve spring between the steel and the wood it is mounted on and it will ring like a bell every time it is hit. Great fun for spectators.

[Ron Ankeny]

Weight is the issue. I have a little over 57,000 pounds of AR 400-500 in various thicknesses (long story). Just wondering if something lighter than 3/8 would work.

[LJE]

Ron Ankeny, on Jan 17 2007, 08:29 PM, said:

Weight is the issue. I have a little over 57,000 pounds of AR 400-500 in various thicknesses (long story). Just wondering if something lighter than 3/8 would work.

We have at least half a dozen steel IPSC targets and hardly ever use them. They are a royal PITA to set up. Setting one on its side to hide a swinger is even harder to do. If your club is not involved in Steel Challenge type shooting, you will also need to fabricate heavy stands to support them. They are made out of AR 500 and are 5/16" thick. The best use we have had for them is in major matches where we use them as a backing behind the end of a wall to prevent a shoot through from hitting a target.

Larry

[AlamoShooter]

The probelm with (light) -1/8"- steel is that it acts more like a spring bourd and sends more fragments back at the shooter, If it is not heavy the bullet does not fragment as completly. it seams like the thick steel sucks up more of the bullet energy.
Its kind of the BB gun and the metal sign thing.. -Youllll shoot your eyeII out kid-

[Ron Ankeny]

I have all of the resources I need at my disposal. To be honest, I am actually trying to use up a bunch of steel because frankly, 25 tons of Hardox is a pain in the butt to have laying around.

[ihatepickles]

Thin steel or soft steel divot when shot. When a second shot hits the divot, the splatter comes back at the shooter. Hardened steel stays flat and the splatter stays parallel to the steel.

If you're trying to get rid of steel, scrap dealers are paying a lot for metals these days.

[Ron Ankeny]

Quote

If you're trying to get rid of steel, scrap dealers are paying a lot for metals these days.

Around here AR 400-450 XAR, Hardox, Algoma, etc, sells to scrap dealers for 8 cents a pound. I would rather make targets and give them to a couple of the local clubs for free.

[haras]

Bill Nesbitt, on Jan 17 2007, 05:41 PM, said:

Put an old auto valve spring between the steel and the wood it is mounted on and it will ring like a bell every time it is hit.

Anyone have pictures of steel plates used at this past IRC match? Someone was trying to describe how the plates were mounted with springs.

Ron Ankeny, on Jan 20 2007, 08:55 PM, said:

I would rather make targets and give them to a couple of the local clubs for free.

Darn, too far away!

This post has been edited by haras: 21 January 2007 - 08:42 AM