Steel to use for Personal Shooting Range

[whitetailbowhunter]

I have a friend who can get me steel scraps fairly easily from his family business. They do not work with ar500 steel though. My questions:

I want to make a small pistol/rimfire range with a couple of reactive steel targets. I'm in college, so i have no reason/or the funds to be spending money on expensive ar500 steel.

1. could i shoot hot/cold rolled steel (that i could get for free) with my 9mm and .22 rimfire or would it be too dangerous?

2. If not, why not?

i Understand that hot/coled rolled steel is usually rated about ar200 but i'm new to steel target world. Inform me INGO!

 

[42769vette]

Ive watched to many videos of bullets (not frag) coming flying back towards the shooter for me to ever shoot mild steel. If you get a smaller square or circle its pretty cheap to get a perminate target.

Dig threw Lovemywoods threads started and you will see some pretty compelling evidence to stick with AR500

 

[ACC]

I too had access to cheap steel scraps from a friend...however, after reading a lot about the risks of shooting the wrong type of steel, I decided to go ahead and pay a bit for the real deal AR500 3/8 plate. Can be had rather inexpensively from Bobcat Steel or Arntzen Targets. Plus can easily be hung from a $7.00 shepherds hook from Lowes.

 

[chezuki]

AR-500 or don't shoot steel. Mild steel dents and divots, and then sends rounds back at you.

Ever gotten wet trying to rince out a ladle in the sink? Same concept only bloodier.

Bobcat Steel has some very reasonably priced targets, the smallest circles and squares are $10 or less.

 

[x10]

Look to the new plastic targets, I've had a couple and they work pretty well until you hit them with a mower,

They will take a bunch of 22lr but not a single mower blade

 

[Bigtanker]

Look to the new plastic targets, I've had a couple and they work pretty well until you hit them with a mower,

They will take a bunch of 22lr but not a single mower blade

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

I bought one of the ones you throw on the ground and just keep shooting at it. It is shaped like a tophat. Walmart has them for $23. They make bigger ones that run up to $40. I have shot it with 22, 9, and 7.62x39. It does take a beating. Check out the HotBox in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ES8g1lmKSk

I like shooting steel too, but fun for the $, these are hard to beat.

 

[Caleb]

I like the bobcat steel ones for the ding sound

 

[KLB]

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

I bought one of the ones you throw on the ground and just keep shooting at it. It is shaped like a tophat. Walmart has them for $23. They make bigger ones that run up to $40. I have shot it with 22, 9, and 7.62x39. It does take a beating. Check out the HotBox in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ES8g1lmKSk

I like shooting steel too, but fun for the $, these are hard to beat.

For $40 you can get around half of the steel targets Bobcat sells. I'd go with the steel.

Here is the review lovemywoods did about did on steel targets.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/bobcat_steel/249185-fragmentation_patterns_off_of_steel_targets_pic_heavy.html

 

[BogWalker]

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

I bought one of the ones you throw on the ground and just keep shooting at it. It is shaped like a tophat. Walmart has them for $23. They make bigger ones that run up to $40. I have shot it with 22, 9, and 7.62x39. It does take a beating. Check out the HotBox in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ES8g1lmKSk

I like shooting steel too, but fun for the $, these are hard to beat.

Wonder how these perform against steel core.

 

[chezuki]

Wonder how these perform against steel core.

Exactly the same. Rounds go through them whether lead or steel core. The elasticity of the material means they withstand a ton of rounds without coming apart.

 

[38special]

Don't go cheap and hurt yourself. Save the money and go with Bobcat Steel.

In the meantime, shoot paper or self healing stuff.

 

[whitetailbowhunter]

Thanks for the info guys. I was hoping this wouldn't be said, yet figured it would. I'll just wait untill i can save up for a bi,t to get the real deal.

 

[x10]

Join a club and then you are part owner of the steel at the range, go to the meetings and start influencing the shooting trends.