Best Steel Targets

[Sherlok]

Hi,

We've set up a private community range out here in east Texas ( yes, I'm spreading the infection). Our first set of fabricated targets are wearing fast especially the chickens - heads blown off, etc. Last I heard, Vern's casting company source went out of business.

Any good source out there for animals?

Thanks,
Sherlok

[Bob259]

Ray Shaffer
http://www.raystargets.netfirms.com/

[Jerry G]

If I were you, I would find a shop with a gang plasma cutten and make them out of steel. 1/2 inch thick for the chickens and 1/4 inch thick for all the rest. Make them out of A36 (mild steel) and they will last forever.

[Sherlok]

Thanks for the replies. Glad to know about these are available.

Sherlok

[Jason]

Just placed an order with these folks again today. Ordered them today and they shipped today.

http://www.qualitytargets.com/servlet/StoreFront

Great targets if you want welded targets instead of cast, and great prices to boot. The ranges around here use cut/welded targets so I wanted the same for practicing.

[Sherlok]

Yep. They are the ones getting beat up here especially the chickens.

I'm ordering some cast chickens from Ray. Next full set will be cast.

Sherlok

[Trent]

Sherlock,

What ammo are you using that is beating up those targets from Quality Targets?? I have a half set of them and I only noticed damage when a friend was shooting bulk high velocity ammo at them. I've shot them with standard velocity and target ammo a ton and never noticed any damage what so ever. The cast ones will certainly hold up better, but the cut steel ones should hold up to a considerable pounding if using standard velocity and subsonic ammo.

- T

[Jason]

Got the new batch of targets today. Looking at the chickens, I can see how they'd eventually get damaged if you shoot them with high velocity ammo. As Jerry (I think) said earlier, I'd probably just get the chickens made out of 1/2" A36 instead of 1/4" and call it good. At different ranges that I shoot at, they have the animals facing different ways, and I like to simulate what I'm going to see at a match. From the cast targets that I've seen, they pretty much have to face one way unless you want to see lots of writing and such on the targets.

[Sherlok]

Well we're kinda new at this and we've been allowing normal HV ammo (no hyper-velocity) which is generally available. I doubt the average bear even knows where to get standard velocity stuff.

The matches I've been to have not specified ammo used.

Sherlok

[Jason]

Yeah, I'm a little surprised that you're getting as much damage as you are. We use cut steel targets for our matches and just follow the NRA rules that allow high velocity but not hyper velocity (Velocitors, Stingers, etc.) ammo. I wouldn't want to not allow high velocity for the reason you say, as it might deter people from shooting the matches. We don't seem to get much target damage on the chickens, but it's possible that our match targets are made out of 3/8" A36 instead of 1/4" like these I just ordered for myself, now that I've handled them a bit more. I'm pressure sure they're not 1/2", though. I think 1/2" thick would be very thick for animals as small as these.

[JeffG]

Ray Shaffer
http://www.raystargets.netfirms.com/

has anyone used these cast iron targets? I thought cast was brittle.

[frog5215]

One breaks every once in a while, but it's not a big problem.

[Bob259]

As stated on Rays website his targets are cast from DUCTILE iron.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ductile_iron

Thats why you miss so many Turkeys... they 'Duck' all the time ;)