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Need good cheap AR500 steel plates...


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I'm looking at getting four to six 8" round plates in AR500 to hang on shepherd hooks for 3 gun practice. I'll set them up in close arrays like a plate rack for handgun and shotgun and 100-300 yards for .223.

From my browsing of the interwebs, www.shootsteel.com, seems to have pretty good prices, $30 a plate with a hole already drilled to use as static targets on a post or hanging. They use laser to cut and claim to get similar results to water jet.

Has anyone bought from this guy? I called and he's based out of Minnesota, ships by flat rate boxes. Is there anything I'm not considering in this purchase equation?

Can anyone recommend somewhere else with comparable prices? I looked at MGM and they don't list solo plates like I want, and they're prices are significantly higher.

Keep in mind this is for my own solo practice, not a match or public/anonymous abuse. I need a cheap light and portable setup that can withstand up to .223.

Link: 8" round static plate

Thanks,

Chris

Edited by ChrisMcCracken
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Call a steel distributor in your area.

I was looking to get a bandsaw blade welded up, so when I went to pick up the blade I asked the guy about any places in St. Louis that dealt with AR500. They turned me onto a place. I was tempted to buy a 4X8 sheet and cut out my own 42" inch popper shapes by hand with my plasma cutter. I could get 9 of those out of a sheet. So the price was going to be X dollars. Then I called the steel distributor back and asked them if they had a plasmaCAM. They did and it was only going to cost me $22 extra each to have them cut out the popper shapes. Seemed to me like it would save a lot of time and frustration on my part, so a no brainer.

Some plasmaCAM tables have a water bath underneath, mainly to catch slag, sparks, and dust.... But I gotta wonder if that helps keep it from losing its surface hardness, too. I don't have a clue as to how far inward that heat travels that it might soften the plate.

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I talked to the guy from jcsteeltargets.com. He says he uses a computerized plasma cutter. When asked how this compared to the laser and water jet, he said it should be equal with regard to the HAZ, as he says it may take a total of 2 seconds to cut out a 8" plate. His claim is that the total duration of plasma on the steel and in any one spot is so short that it doesn't degrade the hardness. He also claims his edges are better than obtainable by water jet.

Can anyone else comment on the difference between a very fast plasma cutter vs laser or waterjet with regard to durability of the steel?

Edited by ChrisMcCracken
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when I started a steel challenge club, I got a packet of information from one of the major steel target manufacturers. It described the various AR grades. I will have to find that packet and see if it says which process is better.

I don't think it matters.

I don't recall the packet saying anything.

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Well I spoke to a distributor, he told me there is no problem cutting the 3/8 or thicker steel with a plasma or laser. He stated that all the worry about cutting with a plasma or laser is for the 1/4 inch thick steel at 4 inch size pcs or smaller. I have 3/8 thick, 8 inch round targets cut with a plasma cutter and they are not cracking or chipping.

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A friend of mine has some Widner's plates. He uses them at his own practice range. He said they are holding up well. I have not seen them, he lives a couple of hundred miles from me. I have several MGM mini poppers. I have hammered them with 308 and 223 (no M193) from 100 out to 225yds (the max at my range). I have some edge chipping from edge hits at 100. Just today, I goofed up and shot one with my M1 Garand at 100. I was shooting some Greek surplus, turns out, it is magnetic (jacket only), and it did a number on my steel. I fired a full clip at it and hit it six of the eight times. I now have some dents and one big gouge in my popper. I know better, I just wasn't thinking. On the other hand, I have shot one of them at 225 with some 7.62x54R steel core without damage. Velocity is what damages steel. High velocity and small diameter really damage steel. Also, mounting steel so that it can move when it is hit helps prolong it's life (hanging from a piece of fire hose, nylon choker etc.).

Hurley

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I'm looking at getting four to six 8" round plates in AR500 to hang on shepherd hooks for 3 gun practice. I'll set them up in close arrays like a plate rack for handgun and shotgun and 100-300 yards for .223.

From my browsing of the interwebs, www.shootsteel.com, seems to have pretty good prices, $30 a plate with a hole already drilled to use as static targets on a post or hanging. They use laser to cut and claim to get similar results to water jet.

Has anyone bought from this guy? I called and he's based out of Minnesota, ships by flat rate boxes. Is there anything I'm not considering in this purchase equation?

Can anyone recommend somewhere else with comparable prices? I looked at MGM and they don't list solo plates like I want, and they're prices are significantly higher.

Keep in mind this is for my own solo practice, not a match or public/anonymous abuse. I need a cheap light and portable setup that can withstand up to .223.

Link: 8" round static plate

Thanks,

Chris

Karl of GT Targets--This forum.

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  • 3 years later...

A friend of mine called around locally, found a good price on a sheet of 4x8 ar500. Then found a place that would cut it into shapes. He gave them an autocad drawing which used almost every bit of the sheet. He kept a set of the targets, sold the rest and recovered a lot of his expense.

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