Material for Targets

[jhinman]

My Club is adding high-power rifle silhouettes, where we've been limited to BPCR in the past. Our early experiments have limited rifles to military rifles with soft lead bullets.

Some of our targets are hard steel, and have been holding up. Others are softer steel and are getting chewed up pretty quickly.

What steel makes a good balance between cost and durability? Apparently armor plate holds up really well even in thin plate, but is quite expensive.

What about the high-strength structural steel, like ASTM A709, in Grade 50, Grade 70 or Grade 100? There is enough of this used in bridge construction that the prices might be relatively low. How well would it hold up?

[Dee]

We had some (IIRC) AR500 armour plate estimates not to long ago to make a full set of HP animals. The estimate was just for the plate steel alone and came to a little over 2 grand if memory serves me right. The cost to have them CNC plasma or waterjet just hasn't been determined yet but I think the larger distributors are will to do some cutting of animals for a minimal amount if you buy the steel from them.

Dee

[jhinman]

One of our shooters teaches welding at a local vo-tech program. He can have his students do the cutting and welding, as it is a good project for them. He has made and repaired a lot of the targets we have.

$2k for armor plate actually sounds pretty good for a set of 40 animals. Our guy was quoted $3k for T1 steel, per set of animals.

Who quoted you the armor plate? Also, what plate thickness were you considering?

Thanks for any info!

[Trent]

I hope you get this worked out. The addition of a high power silhouette range ANYWHERE is a beautiful thing.

[jhinman]

Trent - it would be cool, wouldn't it!

I don't even own a real high=power rifle, since there isn't much to do with one. If we get this high-power set up going that will change.

This range is in Boise, ID, by the way. We shoot BPCR and lever action according to NRA rules, and a non-NRA smallbore shoot modeled after the BPCR game. You and everyone else is welcome to come up and show us how it is done!

[Dee]

We got one of our local shooters that works in the machining field as a salesman to get the quote from one of his suppliers not sure who it was. You can bet any savings would be long gone before you ship that much steel to Idaho Our guy may have been getting a sweetheart or at least insider rate on that quote I am not sure. I just recall them saying it would be about $200 each for the 10 or so of us locally that would shoot every match should we get a range built.

I have been to the location for the potential new HP range here in S. La. and it would be perfect. Almost dead flat and clear cut for over a mile to the wood line. This would be a really nice thing to have down here and I think would attract some new shooters and some out of state people now and again for matches.

Dee

[Jerry G]

T-1 is about 2.5X the cost of mild steel plate. It works real well.

[Snake]

T-1 is a US X product. Its 300+ brinnell hardness and has a great yield...that's why it works great. AR 400 is harder and more brittle (less yield) ditto for AR500...they the AR's are some other manufacturer and cheaper than T-1. There's also a "Jelalloy" You need a chart which is on the net which lists the brinnell or hardness of various alloys...find one close to t-1 and you'll have good targets. Hardened steel is high carbon and a bugger to cut and weld (generally requires pre-heating for a good weld). Old coal mines and earthmoving machine repair areas have such scrap

[jhinman]

Thanks, Snake!

This whole target steel is new to me. I design steel bridges for a living, but the properties desired for bridge steel are not the same as those needed for targets.

If a fellow made targets of some of the AR steel, how thick should they be? I've heard that the armor plate targets are sometimes really thin. Since steel is normally priced by the pound, thinner makes cheaper animals.

[cslcAl]

AR 500 is the minimum hardness you will want to use. We had two sets made up for our CLA cowboy range last year and they are holding up very well.
Also there are specific thickness dictated by the rule book. Chickens and pigs are to be 1/2 in. thick and the turkeys and rams are to be 3/8 in.

Al Foust

[sdwooster]

I have been using T-1 for my targets for 30 years. We actually replaced or Rams last year, I think they where 15 years old. I also just replaced the Turkeys this year. I had them lazer cut, man they are pretty nice. I think the Rams where $110 each and the Turkeys are $90. That was material and cutting. Then we had to weld the feet on. Chickens only last about 3 to 4 years and start looking a little ragged. I am thinking on some better material for them next time. The darn pigs just won't die. They are T-1 and they are very old. I am pretty lucky, a friend gets the metal from his distributor that he buys from. Good luck, hopefully you can find a deal as well.

Steve

[Snake]

Sdwooster is on to it. T-1 is the best because of resilience or yield and it has longevity. Our t-1 targets are over 20 years old and the close ones have their repairs. the AR 400 and Ar500 worked fine but work hardened quickly (over 3-5 years) and when they fractured repairs were just about impossible...they just kept fracturing and you just couldn't weld enough spots to stop the fractures. But they do make great swingers...until enough chunks blow off. Spend the cash for T-1 or equivalent (Jalloy for e.g.)

[Snake]

Just in case you boys start shopping for steel here are the various steels that are acceptable: T-1(A514), T-1 BHN 321; T-1 BHN 360; AR medium hard (McAlice would understand this); ApI 5L; and the Ar 400 Ar 500. The slightly "softer" stuff doesn't work harden as quickly and welds up and cuts fine and dandy...

[Troy G]

When I made my targets I got something called QT-100. It has held up extremely well.

[Jerry G]

In my opinion, AR400 is too soft for chickens and pigs but fine for turkeys and rams, AR500 is marginal for the two close targets. I don't know anything about QT100 but T1 is some damn tough stuff. A little pre-heat is helpfull with the harder steel when you stick the pads on.