nitrohuck Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 We are about to get a steel challenge setup going at my friend's house. Nothing official at all, just friends having fun, but we need to get our hands on a set of targets. Since I can buy sheets of steel much cheaper than I can buy complete target sets, we're going to cut out our own. Has anyone else done this? How much square footage of steel is needed in order to cut out all of the steel challenge targets? We do not need to set up all 8 stages at once, only 1 stage at a time will be setup, any info is greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdphotoguy Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Here is a link to the stage descriptions: https://steelchallenge.com/steel-challenge-stage-library.php From there you can see the plate sizes needed for each stage. Edited January 21, 2015 by jdphotoguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I built a set myself not that long ago. How many sheets you need with depend upon your sheet size and how you lay them out. If you are only going to set one stage at a time then here is what you need: Qty 4ea 18 X 24 (Smoke and Hope uses 4) = 1728 SI Qty 5ea 12" Round (Round About uses 5) = 720 SI (figured as 12 x 12" squares for layout purposes) Qty 4ea 10" Roung (5 to Go uses 4) = 400 SI (figured as 10 x 10" squares for layout) Thus the minimum required is 2848 SI of material. This could be laid out on a single sheet 48 X 70" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) Side note: you need qty 4ea 5'6" posts, qty 5ea 5' posts, and qty 2ea 6' posts to have a complete set. You will also need spares. Edited January 22, 2015 by ToddKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan550 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Side note: you need qty 4ea 5'6" posts, qty 5ea 5' posts, and qty 2ea 6' posts to have a complete set. You will also need spares. Use wooden posts! Metal can get hit and confuse the shooter as to whether it was the target or post that hit. Alan~^~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I did not specifically clarify that but my posts are all wood, thus the statement about needing spares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrohuck Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Yeah my intention is to hang the plates on 2x4 posts that are 90 degrees to the shooter (aka the thin side is facing the shooter), and then put angle iron on the top portion of the wood so that low plate misses will hit the angle iron and deflect the bullet. Should allow the 2x4 posts to last almost indefinitely, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I know a guy who did that. It worked. I did not do that with mine because I did not have any angle lying around and I have a pile of scrap 2x4. It will be a long time before I have to pay for a post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornetx40 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Yeah my intention is to hang the plates on 2x4 posts that are 90 degrees to the shooter (aka the thin side is facing the shooter), and then put angle iron on the top portion of the wood so that low plate misses will hit the angle iron and deflect the bullet. Should allow the 2x4 posts to last almost indefinitely, This isn't as good an idea as it initially may sound. Angle iron is soft and will dent or shoot through. Once you get any dents in it the bullets will be able to come back at you. After you shoot steel long enough you will realize that it happens enough without adding other ways to unwittingly cause bullets to come back at you. Just use the 2x4 with the wide side facing you. If you shoot through the short side face the bullet will do more damage then if you shoot through the long edge face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 Is this first hand experience or are you speculating? The type of angle used will determine whether or not dents and shoot through would occur. In the example I gave reasonably heavy angle was used and I did not see evidence of this being a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pasley Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I wouldn't want angle iron on the posts. 2x4s are pretty cheap and seem to take a good many hits before being scrapped. I don't shoot the posts myself but some folks at the monthly match do so with a vengeance. : ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan550 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 I wouldn't want angle iron on the posts. 2x4s are pretty cheap and seem to take a good many hits before being scrapped. I don't shoot the posts myself but some folks at the monthly match do so with a vengeance. : ) Also, with a "post hit" the shooter may think they hit the main part (target) and move on when they hear the steel get hit. At the Nationals, they use only unshielded wooden posts. Alan~^~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 i had 6' 1/2" iron rods fastened with a hook at the top to hang the steel targets for my personal setup. they last forever and take up almost no space in my truck ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornetx40 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Is this first hand experience or are you speculating? The type of angle used will determine whether or not dents and shoot through would occur. In the example I gave reasonably heavy angle was used and I did not see evidence of this being a problem. first hand experience yes. With the targets facing the shooter You can control 99 percent of the bullet fragments. Because usually the targets are slightly tilted toward the shooter. The edge shots are the only hits that may go where you don't want. By placing 2 45 degree angles at the base of the target you will send whole but deformed bullets off to either side. If it is just cold rolled steel it is soft and you will deform the leading edge and get unpredictable directions of fragments. For the low cost of 2x4's why take the chance. Shooting steel targets is inherently dangerous why tilt the odds in favor of a bullet returning to the shooter or a bystander. Any steel not perpendicular to the shooter raises the chance of bullet ricochet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottlep Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Haven't seen a mention of what you plan to use for steel for the plates. Make sure your plates are AR400 minimum, AR500 preferred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrohuck Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 the plan was to use mild steel rather than AR500 since it isn't going to be shot by anything over a .45acp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joninwv Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 (edited) I would steer well clear of mild steel. It just won't hold up and will almost certainly become dangerous in short order. I've seen people try to get by with mild steel and *always* are sorry when they just have to buy the same targets again...but in a better grade of steel. The safety of your setup depends on two things...the steel being HARD and FLAT. Mild steel won't be either for long. If you want to save some money, use 3/8" T1. Its about 325 hardness, and is much cheaper than AR500. Just don't count on it last indefinately, as its just a stop gap until you can afford some targets that will last. Be very picky about what you let people shoot on it. NO magnum loads....which would include 357Mag, 44 Mag, 10mm, 357 sig, etc. Just ball 9mm, 38 specials, lead 45 acp, etc. Edited January 26, 2015 by joninwv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danjordan78 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I have mild steel and they work fine for .22, but that's it. Had an extra plate that I thought might hold up to my light 9mm SC loads. Was just fine if you hit the plate in the middle, but if it was on the edge at all it dented and bent it. Go hard once. Don't go cheap unless you want targets for just .22lr and then plan on buying another set for center fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottlep Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 There is a reason every reputable target manufacturer uses AR500. If they could use mild steel then they probably would and would also sell more targets since they would be cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presadad Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I just bought a few sheets of AR500 yesterday. Currently it only costs about $0.30 per pound more than mild steel. If you're putting forth the time and effort to make targets, the little extra you spend on AR over mild steel is money well spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitrohuck Posted January 29, 2015 Author Share Posted January 29, 2015 Just got a quote from a local yard here... they only have ar400, does it really matter at this point? These targets will be seeing soft lead .40 and 9mm rounds almost exclusively, 3/8" thick and 4x6' in size is $380 delivered, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danjordan78 Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I'm no expert by any means, but from all the research I have done 400 is fine for handguns, especially non magnum. 500 is for rifles and high velocity, big magnum handguns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presadad Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 AR400 will work well, shooting it with .40 and 9mm it should last forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultimo-Hombre Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Just got a quote from a local yard here... they only have ar400, does it really matter at this point? These targets will be seeing soft lead .40 and 9mm rounds almost exclusively, 3/8" thick and 4x6' in size is $380 delivered, It matters bro. The money you save in mild steel will pale in comparison to the potential costs of what can happen. Many snows ago I shot at a piece of mild steel ( a truck frame) with a .40. I had done such things countless times before without issue. This time the bullet came straight back (20 yds) split the difference between a friend and I and went thru the bed wall of his truck. Do as you will, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddKS Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) I appreciate the spirit of caution but AR400 is not mild steel. Mild steel has a Brinell hardness of around 120. AR400 has a hardness between 360-440 Brinell. That should be more than sufficient for non-magnum calibers and normal bullets. AR500 has a Brinell hardness of 460- 540. I have some AR500 targets. My 308 does not scratch them. I truly believe the first key to safely mounting steel is having the targets set up and mounted properly so the natural deflection is downward. Disclaimer: While the above is technically accurate you must decide for yourself what you feel is safe for you. Edited January 30, 2015 by ToddKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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