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AR 400 or AR 500 steel for target


Fordyce Beals

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At my local steel yard I can buy AR 400 (Abrasion Resistant) in 3/8 thickness for $1.00/pound. For AR 500 it is $1.25/pound. (Plus cutting charge) What has been the experience with these two choices? This is for pistol targets 20 inches by 20 inches or 42.5 pounds.

 

At 24 inches by 24 inches the weight goes up to 61 pounds and no one I talked to want to move them. For comparisons sake a full sized IPSC plate 3/8 x 17.25 x 29.5 weighs 46 pounds and I can move them!

 

Now bigger is always better sometimes, what do you think?

 

Fordyce Beals

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My personal targets are now ar 400. Paid 10.71 a square foot cut with a hole cut for hanging. They are a lot better than my old a36 targets

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Most folks find that the AR400 eventually gets beat and bent, while the AR500 lasts a long time. Considerable difference in quality, for not much more price.

 

Good luck, GJ

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What about drilling thru the AR500? Can it be done? With what?

 

Fillmore

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Yes, it can be drilled but it is not fun or cheap. Carbide cutters will cut it. The best way to put a hole in it are water jet, laser, plasma cutter or torch. In that order.

We don't drill ours. We weld 2 brackets with a piece of square tubing about 6" long bolted to the brackets, the other end of the tubing slides on to the end of the tripod.

I'll see if I can get you some picks. these work well plus they hang at a 11degree angle all shots are deflected down.

They work great!

 

Frenchy

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We have all new 3/8 inch AR400 targets.All have been cut with a water jet,but we have the luck of one member owns the water jet business,so he cuts them for free.Using a torch weakens the steel.Something to do with rearranging the carbon molecules unless you heat the whole piece of steel before cutting or welding it.Not a metalurgist (sp) so I'm no expert as to how or why,but that's what I was told.Our new targets have been cut with a square hole to use a carriage bolt to bolt it onto a bracket that slides down over a rod on the stand.That way if and when they get shot up or start bending etc,we can unbolt it and reverse the sides of the target.

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We have both. With cowboy loads its really hard to tell them apart after 18 months of use. (I marked them on the back).

 

JEL

 

Oh yeah. Don't forget your hearing protection when using them. The dang steel rings louder than the report of the guns, but that's a good thing.

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We have both. With cowboy loads its really hard to tell them apart after 18 months of use. (I marked them on the back).

 

JEL

 

Oh yeah. Don't forget your hearing protection when using them. The dang steel rings louder than the report of the guns, but that's a good thing.

 

JEL: when I was down there, there were quite a few targets that didn't make any noises when I shot at them. hmmmmmmm!

 

Fordyce: I would go with the AR500 and never think twice about it.

 

 

..........Widder

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JEL: when I was down there, there were quite a few targets that didn't make any noises when I shot at them. hmmmmmmm!

 

Fordyce: I would go with the AR500 and never think twice about it.

 

 

..........Widder

 

All that new steel at Myakka rings loud.........even the dirt thuds loud. Maybe you just missed a few or your hearing isn't what it used to be........maybe both. :o;)

 

Go with the AR500, the extra costs will be well worth it.

 

CS

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All that new steel at Myakka rings loud.........even the dirt thuds loud. Maybe you just missed a few or your hearing isn't what it used to be........maybe both. :o;)

 

Go with the AR500, the extra costs will be well worth it.

 

CS

 

'Missed'. You reckon? :o

 

I didn't consider that........ :lol::lol::lol:

 

I know I sure had a great time with you bunch of MISFITS.

 

 

..........Widder

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I drilled my 100 yard AR 500 straight through with a 55gr. 22-250 round. Nothing else, including full jacketed 30-06 had ever done anything more than dimple them (had to have the light just right to see the dimple). Sighted in the 22-250 then thought I would make the 100 yard target sing, well, I did. For my home range everything is AR 500, even the 1/2 scale silhouettes we shoot cowboy silhouette with. Shooting these targets with lead should allow them to out live all of us...

 

Regards,

 

Ivery

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JEL: when I was down there, there were quite a few targets that didn't make any noises when I shot at them. hmmmmmmm!

 

Fordyce: I would go with the AR500 and never think twice about it.

 

 

..........Widder

I would suggest the ones that didnt ring were misses :D

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We just ordered a large sheet of 1/4" AR500 for new targets. We have lots of experience with moving around 3/8" big targets. The weight of moving them 24 matches a year is "weighing" on all of our volunteers so with some of our old targets finally wearing out we are doing something about the weight. The targets are 18" sqares and a few larger. They are much lighter than the 3/8".

 

Our hope is that the 1/4 500 will hold up for a while even at that thickness. The price difference was pretty small between between the 400 and 500, it was just a matter of the steel company not having 1/4 500 in stock. Didn't take long for them to get. If they last twice as long, it's a no brainer for cost.

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Most of ours are 3/8" AR500. 2 sheets of 4'x8' gave us 36 targets at 16" x 16" (plasma cut) and they are great.

 

I mig welded a 6" piece of square tubing on back, (3) 3/4" to 1" stitches on each side of the tube. I was told that the key to welding the AR plate is to not get it too hot which would break it down. LOTS of shooters and zero sign of wear to this point.

 

Last go-round was a piece of AR400 because 500 wasn't available. Research on the 400 indicated that any cowboy rounds you throw at it would be more than adequate for longevity. Add one friend with a machine shop and plasma table, and a bit of creativity and we ended up with some killer coffin shaped and bandit shaped shotgun KD's as well as a few pistol targets.

 

Love'n it... ;)

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At Jefferson rifle club we just replaced a lot of the targets with Hardox 450 steel plate. It is similar in composition to AR steel but harder than 400 and not as hard as 500. We mark the targets with a painted dot on the back side of the target and turn them for the next match. That way they don't get work hardend on one side and start to bow. Hardox or AR are made the same way and have the same properties for the same brinnel hardness number (400 450 500). This was made available to the club at a good price. So far so good.

 

Snake-eye

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I would suggest the ones that didnt ring were misses :D

He did miss a lot, but we felt bad that he came all that way to shoot with us so we didn't call them. :D

 

JEL

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  • 2 years later...

We just ordered a large sheet of 1/4" AR500 for new targets. We have lots of experience with moving around 3/8" big targets. The weight of moving them 24 matches a year is "weighing" on all of our volunteers so with some of our old targets finally wearing out we are doing something about the weight. The targets are 18" sqares and a few larger. They are much lighter than the 3/8".

 

Our hope is that the 1/4 500 will hold up for a while even at that thickness. The price difference was pretty small between between the 400 and 500, it was just a matter of the steel company not having 1/4 500 in stock. Didn't take long for them to get. If they last twice as long, it's a no brainer for cost.

You will be replacing those 1/4" targets they will warp on you we found out after about 2 years stick with 3/8" let the young guns carry the heavy plates .

Woodfox

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This thread is 2 years and 7 month old. I bought the AR500 3/8 steel back then and our club, 5 Dogs Creek, shot at them tell now. I moved the targets and set up next months match Monday and had a chance to see that close up the AR500 targets are still un marked, not bent and have many coats of paint. I have no regrets spending the extra $0.25 per pound.

 

Fordyce

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I am a retired welding instructor and just like to play.

 

I buy the steel and made all of the targets we use at our club. My supplier can only get AR500 in 4x10 sheets which are too large for me to handle. So, I buy the AR400 in 1/2 inch and cut them with plasma.

 

There are some dimples, but no warping. I figure if they start to warp, I will just turn them around for awhile.

 

I have made some out of the 3/8 inch AR500 and yes they are lighter to move around.

 

I think I would shy away from the 1/4 inch plate.

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