4 x 8 x 3/8 sheet of steel ...

[Kimerazor]

Shooters, I need some help. I was given a 4x8 x 3/8 sheet of steel and have a couple of ideas. First, I want to make a backstop for my rifles, largest caliber being 300 win mag. If I set this on an angle (mount it to a set of wheels) to deflect bullets downward, will the 3/8 be enough from 200 - 630 yards? The reason I ask is that I want to use 1/2 the sheet for this and the other 1/2 for pistol targets.

Secondly, if I don't need to double up the steel for the rifle, I would like to make pistol targets. I presume that 3/8 is enough for most calibers although I don't know what grade of steel it is or its hardness.


Any advice to get started would be fantastic. Thank you.

 

[boardboy330]

I'd drill holes and weld two plates together myself.

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[Kimerazor]

I'd drill holes and weld two plates together myself.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

So, I would need the double thickness for the rifle?

 

[wilcam47]

i would think its ok for .22 but not 300 win mag...it would prob get tore up most likely with the higher calibers. depending on angle and distance

 

[Kimerazor]

i would think its ok for .22 but not 300 win mag...it would prob get tore up most likely with the higher calibers. depending on angle and distance

With the 300 Win Mag, I'm not planning anything closer than 200 yards, but could make it longer.

I have a 15 foot platform from which to shoot out to 630 yards. I'd have to work the angle, and thinking about 45 deg would do.

 

[davsco]

since you might double it up anyway, just shoot at it as-is and see what happens. if you put a hole thru it, just make that half the back half.

another thought though is to build a nice dirt berm at each distance and cut up the steel to use as rifle and pistol targets. nothing beats the show and tell of hitting steel.

 

[Threeband]

You need a proper earthen berm in any case.

Steel used for targets, clangers, gongs, whatever must be the right grade of steel.

 

[Kimerazor]

There is a berm & I own another 800+ yards of woods behind it & 800 yards on each side of the target line.


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[Kimerazor]

since you might double it up anyway, just shoot at it as-is and see what happens. if you put a hole thru it, just make that half the back half.

another thought though is to build a nice dirt berm at each distance and cut up the steel to use as rifle and pistol targets. nothing beats the show and tell of hitting steel.

Great idea. Right, no biggie if I poke a hole through it.


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[Jason21237]

Its really got nothing to do with the thickness of the steel. Its the hardness of the steel that makes the difference. Personally I would skip the steel altogether with rifles and just build a proper berm and backstop behind the firing area. Dirt wont send bullets in weird directions.

 

[xd40c]

Don't use a tree...

 

[damifinowfish]

Its really got nothing to do with the thickness of the steel. Its the hardness of the steel that makes the difference. Personally I would skip the steel altogether with rifles and just build a proper berm and backstop behind the firing area. Dirt wont send bullets in weird directions.

+1

If you can easily cut it then a bullet will

A) punch a hole through it

B) crater your metal making a dangerous ricochet potential.

Armor plate AKA AR500 steel in that thickness will drive you crazy cutting it.

If you can easily cut it I would just make steel targets and have fun for starters

Just my 2 cents

 

[montoya32]

Its really got nothing to do with the thickness of the steel. Its the hardness of the steel that makes the difference. Personally I would skip the steel altogether with rifles and just build a proper berm and backstop behind the firing area. Dirt wont send bullets in weird directions.

 

[Biggfoot44]

As above , it all depends on the grade of the steel.

 

[DarthZed]

Its really got nothing to do with the thickness of the steel. Its the hardness of the steel that makes the difference. Personally I would skip the steel altogether with rifles and just build a proper berm and backstop behind the firing area. Dirt wont send bullets in weird directions.

This. Mild steel will not hold up to rifle rounds. Every strike will gouge out a crater and weaken the sheet. It will not take long to start punching holes through the steel.

You really need steel with a Brinell hardness 500 or greater to withstand sustained rifle fire (less might perform adequately, depending on what/how you're shooting). Most mild steel runs in the 130-200 Brinell range (IIRC). You might try hanging the mild steel targets to help disapate the round's energy. A hanging target will swing when struck, and much of the round's energy is transfered into moving the target; rather than punching into/through it. You'll still get damage, but the target might last quite a long time.

 

[SuperMag]

Yep, mild steel plate of any thickness is a safety liability. Even a shallow crater can spit little lead balls back at you.

You need armor plate-grade steel, as described above I wouldn't even use the stuff you have for pistol work.