Steel target question

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

I have a 3/8" thick 12" diameter AR 500 gong from Safebuilder (member here).
It gets shot at 25 yards with .223 from a 20" barreled rifle.
That's closer than recommended, and I don't do it, but my friends have done it when I'm not there to stop them.
I only use high velocity rifle rounds on it from 100 yards. 55 grain .223, and 95-grain .243 Win. and .308 Win in 150 and 168 grain weights.
It shrugs all of those off easily, not any dimples or dents, UNLESS a round happens to hit right at the edge. Then, it will damage the plate a bit along that last quarter-inch along the edge.

I've never tried a slug on it. I'm afraid it might dent it from sheer mass, not by melting or digging a hole in the metal.
Buckshot should be no problem, even on a soft steel plate.

 

[brad sweet]

I have a 3/8" thick 12" diameter AR 500 gong from Safebuilder (member here).
It gets shot at 25 yards with .223 from a 20" barreled rifle.
That's closer than recommended, and I don't do it, but my friends have done it when I'm not there to stop them.
I only use high velocity rifle rounds on it from 100 yards. 55 grain .223, and 95-grain .243 Win. and .308 Win in 150 and 168 grain weights.
It shrugs all of those off easily, not any dimples or dents, UNLESS a round happens to hit right at the edge. Then, it will damage the plate a bit along that last quarter-inch along the edge.

I've never tried a slug on it. I'm afraid it might dent it from sheer mass, not by melting or digging a hole in the metal.
Buckshot should be no problem, even on a soft steel plate.

slugs leave a big ole splat mark but doesnt hurt them

 

[1gunsnotenough]

Hang it so it swings freely or on springs to give it "somewhere to go" when hit.

https://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/threads/fs-ft-ar500-targets.1650379/

 

[TheGman]

I can assure you that there will be collateral damage (things within a few foot of impact) as bullet will usually disintegrate.
I used two Home Depot plastic saw horses with a board between to hang a target after @ 300 rounds the saw horses they aren’t so good anymore!

 

[1gunsnotenough]

I can assure you that there will be collateral damage (things within a few foot of impact) as bullet will usually disintegrate.
I used two Home Depot plastic saw horses with a board between to hang a target after @ 300 rounds the saw horses they aren’t so good anymore!

Try these I have thousands of rounds on mine.
https://www.theoutdoorstrader.com/threads/target-stands.1603345/#post-7874181

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Actually, I repainted my plate today and noticed that it's got a bunch of little dimples on its surface. Like what you'd expect to get when shooting a Daisy BB gun at piece of hardwood lumber. They're barely noticeable.
But, I'm pretty sure there were NO dimples of ANY size on that plate before my friend blasted it from really close range with an AR-15.