Steel Targets: What Else Will Stand Up To 338 Lapua?
- Thread starter Max Owner
- Start date
Go with whatever is senseable pricewise for you but to compliment that, go with a hanging system also that will mimimize friction. That is also very important.
Not much else is availible that has both the impact resistance and flexibility of the AR steels. There are harder materials, but they will be brittle, and won't take the impact well. There are more flexible materials, but won't be hard enough to stop a bullet. Grab the AR400 and shoot the crap out of it, it will be fine.
R.
R.
- Location
- inside a huge cloud of MOSQUITOS
I have a big chunk of frame section from a big rock truck in the oil sands that I cut into various size circles. Not entirely sure of the grade but .308 just takes the paint off at a shade under 700 yards. Got it for free out of a dumpster. You would be very surprised what gets thrown away at big shops.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I think the product I bought was called Hardox 500, which as Rman said, is just another name for the same thing. I also asked about scraps, and there we no deals to be had, so I was able to get 12" plates cut for the same price as I would have been able to purchase scraps. There was no additional charge for cutting, and they were prepared to provide any shape I wanted.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
When hard steel targets are hung from chains, they are very useful for close range shotgun and handgun practice. The only time ricochets have been an issue for us was when mild steel plates became pock-marked presenting an unpredictable angle of impact, or when they were stood on the ground, and able to tip over backwards sending the bullet back towards the shooter. Making the hard steel sing with a target rifle at 500-1000 is pleasing though.
I got sick of hauling steel out into the field, so I designed an electronic target that's simply a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil on both sides. Hits are detected and a bright strobe light is flashed that can be seen even in daylight. Been working on a wireless circuit also that transmits the data to my laptop. This was the first proto:
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b...xperimental/?action=view¤t=P1050327.mp4
Tested it with bare copper bullets, hBN coated, Moly and various lead bullets (waxed, un-waxed, even pellets), all seemed to work. Precise location of hits aren't known, but zones can be created so that you know the area of the target you're hitting. This requires either more lights or a wireless link though.
Other advantage is that this doesn't require a splatter shroud if you're using it on a range and there is not limit on the size of the target or caliber used on it. It can be 4"x4" or 4'x4' and handle a 50 BMG or a pellet gun.
Targets are consumable, but very inexpensive.
Field testing it (bottom strobe) along side a gong also outfitted with a sensor that detects hits (top strobe):
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b...uff/Results/?action=view¤t=P1050421.mp4
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http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b...xperimental/?action=view¤t=P1050327.mp4
Tested it with bare copper bullets, hBN coated, Moly and various lead bullets (waxed, un-waxed, even pellets), all seemed to work. Precise location of hits aren't known, but zones can be created so that you know the area of the target you're hitting. This requires either more lights or a wireless link though.
Other advantage is that this doesn't require a splatter shroud if you're using it on a range and there is not limit on the size of the target or caliber used on it. It can be 4"x4" or 4'x4' and handle a 50 BMG or a pellet gun.
Targets are consumable, but very inexpensive.
Field testing it (bottom strobe) along side a gong also outfitted with a sensor that detects hits (top strobe):
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b...uff/Results/?action=view¤t=P1050421.mp4
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There are accoustic or impact measuring targets that use a thin, possibly fiberglass reinforced sheet. When it is impacted, the target drops and resets. Might be military origin. I saw these at Fort la Bosse gun club in Virden.
pittboomer
Regular
- Location
- chilliwack
i use a chunnk of rail road track you can find 10" to 18" pieces they have cut off alot of times, it sure has a nice ringggnng to it .the two pieces i have already had hole in them at one end and i just made a hanger out of re-bar . target size is 7 x 15" on one and 4 x 12" on the old track size, kinda small for you guys though i guess lol
I just skimmed but there are some things I didn't see in this thread. I did see QT 400 mentioned. At the shop I work at in the summer they have a few stacks of "wear plate". I am told QT 400 is the weakest in the pile, and then QT 800 is next and it is fairly close in hardness to T21. This isn't a huge shop so you should be able to get small pieces from just about any welding shop for a reasonable price.
Also, it has to be cut with a torch or the plasma (or I saw waterjet) or a laser.
Also, it has to be cut with a torch or the plasma (or I saw waterjet) or a laser.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I tried a similar thing, but instead of a strobe light I used a blasting cap and a stick of dynamite and a 9 volt battery. It took a fair bit of testing to get it right, and I was surprised that the length of the wire was critical, I had to keep it pretty short.
6mm Shooter
CGN Regular
- Location
- White City, SK
I shoot 1.25" thick pipe caps from 600 yards out and the the 338 LAI only leaves a very small pock mark maybe 1mm deep. Shoot a few hundred rounds at them and then spin them around.
I just skimmed but there are some things I didn't see in this thread. I did see QT 400 mentioned. At the shop I work at in the summer they have a few stacks of "wear plate". I am told QT 400 is the weakest in the pile, and then QT 800 is next and it is fairly close in hardness to T21. This isn't a huge shop so you should be able to get small pieces from just about any welding shop for a reasonable price.
Also, it has to be cut with a torch or the plasma (or I saw waterjet) or a laser.
QT400 has a Brinell hardness of around 400, and QT800 around 800. These are fairly hard steels, but due to the quench and temper method of hardening, they don't tend to be as flexible as the AR steels. Remember, with steel, the harder it gets, the more brittle, or less ductile it becomes. The QT400 should be fairly good to shoot at, and I would try the QT800 just see what would happen. T21 is ASTM A213 alloy, Equivilent to 410 stainless, it is used for boilers and tubes, among other things. It has a Brinell hardness of around 500, as well as a high titanium content. More expensive than AR seires because of it's corrosion resistance. This stuff should make for an excellent target.
R.
steel targets
Try using old trucksprings. I took some 5/8 inch thick springs from my old mack, welded them together with 7018 and set it out at 50 yards. My 300 win mag shined the spring and slightly dimpled the weld. You could use the springs from a passenger vehicle, say5/16 thick, weld as many side by side as you need to make your target and your set. Old springs are either free or sell for scrap, your cost will be welding rod and time.
Try using old trucksprings. I took some 5/8 inch thick springs from my old mack, welded them together with 7018 and set it out at 50 yards. My 300 win mag shined the spring and slightly dimpled the weld. You could use the springs from a passenger vehicle, say5/16 thick, weld as many side by side as you need to make your target and your set. Old springs are either free or sell for scrap, your cost will be welding rod and time.
