Steel Gong Built - Feedback Requested

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Built this of materials I had lying around. The steel is 3/8" I-beam and is about 12" wide by 18" tall. Not sure what kind of steel it is or how it will stand up to different types of projectiles. I am a little concerned that FMJs will penetrate? I guess we'll find out, but I am looking for experienced opinions regarding steel targets, and if you foresee any issues with it.

I plan to shoot it with the following projectiles, at 150-300 yards:
223 - VMAX
7.62x54R - FMJ
303 - SP
375 Ruger - SP (may save this one for last, depending on how the others perform)

Thoughts?

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Billythreefeathers said:
don't shoot 7.62x54R - FMJ , at it my 3/8" @ 45degrs bullet trap looks like swiss cheese, not even sure if it slowed them down
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Had a metal spinner 3/8" thick. The 5.56 put swiss cheese hole in it and the 7.62x54R ripped chunks off. The self healing spinner did a better job at the end of the shoot.
 
I always see the chains shot off gongs. If I were to build one, I would make the steel cover the chains. (I KNOW some a$$hats do it deliberately, but some is still accidental.
 
At 150 all of the above will punch right through. Out at 300 the 223 will just crator the plate but not punch through. It is still fun to shoot stuff that does stuff. Nicely put together. Have fun.
I just weld up the holes after a day of shooting.
 
Yes, all will shoot right through 3/8" mild steel regardless of FMJ or not. I just use cheap fencing wire to hold my AR500 plates up. One errant shot and it's two minutes to replace the wire. I found the .223 will do the most damage on the 500 plates so far. 7.62x54 surplus leaves only a tiny mark.
 
I was shooting 3 / 4" steel this summer with 223 and 53gr vmax at 100 it craters, at 300+ there is just paint chipped off at most a barely noticeable dimple. 30-06 with 165gr sst's made a dent in that same steel plate but nothing major.
 
hometownhero said:
I was shooting 3 / 4" steel this summer with 223 and 53gr vmax at 100 it craters, at 300+ there is just paint chipped off at most a barely noticeable dimple. 30-06 with 165gr sst's made a dent in that same steel plate but nothing major.
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The plate you have is likely A36 mild steel. I've done the same. I have a 3/4" A36 plate on a solid post at 264 yards and it craters with calibers such as .280, .308 and more powerful but it won't punch through, even with 7.62 FMJ. We've even hammered it with the .50 (Hornady soft point ammo) - it made about a 1-1/2" diameter crater and a slight buldge on the back side but that was all.

With my 3/8" thick AR-400 plate (softer than AR-500), the .243 with 55 BT's will crater at 100 yards and a friend of a friend had the courtesy (read lack of brains) to punch holes in it with his .300 WM. At 264 yards, it stands up to .300 WM but does crater and buldges the back side.

The OP's I-beam will definitely see damage but I'm guessing it was free or near free scrap. Once it gets shot up too much, replace it with another. Besides, a lot of guys seem to like seeing the "carnage". As for the shape, I think the only thing to worry about with regard to bullets returning your way is if you were shooting FMJ at close range. I may be wrong about that but everything I've shot at solid-mounted or swinging steel targets has completely upset on impact. I've shot FMJ's at 264 and beyond but not closer. The OP's target has lots of ability to absorb impacts (soft steel, swinging, angled down) that I doubt he has much to worry about. Always better to play it safe though!

Rooster
 
I bought a Caldwell gong on the advice of a buddy and was a bit skeptical but here it is after quite literally hundreds of shots. I run it on chains but had to change the "s" hooks to clevises when I started shooting it with the 375 and mono metals at 100 yards....lol The 375 would blow it right off the chains but no issues now.

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358Rooster said:
The plate you have is likely A36 mild steel. I've done the same. I have a 3/4" A36 plate on a solid post at 264 yards and it craters with calibers such as .280, .308 and more powerful but it won't punch through, even with 7.62 FMJ. We've even hammered it with the .50 (Hornady soft point ammo) - it made about a 1-1/2" diameter crater and a slight buldge on the back side but that was all.

With my 3/8" thick AR-400 plate (softer than AR-500), the .243 with 55 BT's will crater at 100 yards and a friend of a friend had the courtesy (read lack of brains) to punch holes in it with his .300 WM. At 264 yards, it stands up to .300 WM but does crater and buldges the back side.

The OP's I-beam will definitely see damage but I'm guessing it was free or near free scrap. Once it gets shot up too much, replace it with another. Besides, a lot of guys seem to like seeing the "carnage". As for the shape, I think the only thing to worry about with regard to bullets returning your way is if you were shooting FMJ at close range. I may be wrong about that but everything I've shot at solid-mounted or swinging steel targets has completely upset on impact. I've shot FMJ's at 264 and beyond but not closer. The OP's target has lots of ability to absorb impacts (soft steel, swinging, angled down) that I doubt he has much to worry about. Always better to play it safe though!

Rooster
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Not sure what it is but it was from the train tracks it held the ties in place
 
Here is the AR-400 at 264 yards. The holes are from the .300 at 100 yards and the three fresher hits at the top are .300 WM with hunting bullets at 264. And no, flame cutting AR plate is not the best but it's what I had. As you can see, the annealed edges from flame cutting are not holding up really well.


This is a piece of 3/4" stainless hung by a couple tarp straps. The thing rings like somebody whackin' a bell with a mallet - really quite surprised at that. Only .260 & .284 on it so far at 653 yards and all they've done is scratched the paint. I can't even feel a divot. In the picture, there are about two dozen hits on it and it's really hard to see but the tarp straps are quite cut up as well as the wood frame. Don't think the straps are going to hold up much longer.
 
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