Garage built AR500 Steel Target Stands

[panzerr]

Home depot had treated 2x4s on the cheap, so I picked up half a dozen along with a single 2x6 and ended up with some decent improvised target stands.

The ar500 steel targets, which I got from Jerz_subbie, are fastened to a 2x4, which is then inserted into the stand. I built each stand with a little wiggle room in a lame attempt to absorb some bullet impact energy. I found you can also alter the angle of the plate slightly by inserting a shim into the stand.

When the 2x4s holding the steel plates get too shot up, I'll either trim them or replace them entirely.


http://sixty-six.org/x_drive/ar500_2.JPG



http://sixty-six.org/x_drive/ar500_4.JPG



http://sixty-six.org/x_drive/ar500_3.JPG



http://sixty-six.org/x_drive/ar500_5.JPG


The ar500 plates divit slightly when XM193 strikes it, but it would take thousands of rounds to ruin a plate. The plate's real weakness is the edges, where a bullet strike can chip it as seen here:

http://sixty-six.org/x_drive/ar500_1.JPG

[PA PATRIOT]

Just a suggestion, we built something similar to your stand base wise but had it were the metal plate was suspended in a square wooden frame by a piece of steel cable a long the top of the plate and a dollar store bungee cord about a 2/3's the way down the back side of the plate attaching to the wooden frame on each side. That way when we shot the plate it could recoil back about 10 degrees on a slanted down ward angle. This absorbed some of the energy of the striking bullet and re-directed fragments down to the earth ground. The plates seem to last a lot longer and the total cost of the stand was about $35.00, most ammo shot on the plate was Wolf 55 & 62gr H/P's all thou XM-193 was use occasionally.

[panzerr]

.....bungee cord about a 2/3's the way down the back side of the plate attaching to the wooden frame on each side. That way when we shot the plate it could recoil back about 10 degrees on a slanted down ward angle. This absorbed some of the energy of the striking bullet and re-directed fragments down to the earth ground. The plates seem to last a lot longer and the total cost of the stand was about $35.00, most ammo shot on the plate was Wolf 55 & 62gr H/P's all thou XM-193 was use occasionally.

Do you have problems with spall cutting the bungie cords?

I had suspended the plates inside a wood frame similar to your setup, but the spalling was tearing up the frame and making moving the target stands a prickley buisiness.

I'll have to look into a cheap way of rigging some sort of shock absorber to the post that holds the targets.

[RAM Engineer]

Panzerr,

What range are you shooting these plates from? I'm looking to get into some sort of steel targets this year and am trying to get up to speed on safe distances for pistol vs rifle vs standard ammo vs frangible.

Thanks,
Jason

[panzerr]

double post

[panzerr]

Panzerr,

What range are you shooting these plates from? I'm looking to get into some sort of steel targets this year and am trying to get up to speed on safe distances for pistol vs rifle vs standard ammo vs frangible.

Thanks,
Jason

I haven't put many rounds on steel with my carbine, but I have done plenty of pistol shooting on our steel pistol targets. I don't like to get any closer than 7 meters shooting lead 45 ACP reloads (which utterly disintegrate) at a stationary steel target. With that said, I surely wouldn't go any closer than 15m shooting high velocity jacketed rounds with a carbine -20m would be better.

If I knew the rounds consistently and completely came apart upon impact (like lead pistol rounds) I would feel better about being close.

[SHIVAN]

With that said, I surely wouldn't go any closer than 15m shooting high velocity jacketed rounds with a carbine -20m would be better.

M193 and M855 will wear the steel faster at these distances. It will also create little surface "waves" that could cause spall to come back or go off in odd angles.

I would recommend no closer than 25yds with high velocity rifle rounds like the 5.56, 7.62, etc.

It can, and has been done but I personally believe it is inviting serious issues over any prolonged timeframe. Some sort of mishap will eventually happen. It might be minor, it might not...

Kind of like wondering when your ND time will come...:eek:

[PA PATRIOT]

Sorry forgot to add we use angle iron on the exposed square frame to armor it from the fragments, fragments will cut the bungee cord but it will last for some time before doing so and replacements are only a dollar unless you find multi packs then its even cheaper. I have gone weeks before replacing a bungee under normal shooting sessions.

[panzerr]

M193 and M855 will wear the steel faster at these distances. It will also create little surface "waves" that could cause spall to come back or go off in odd angles.

I would recommend no closer than 25yds with high velocity rifle rounds like the 5.56, 7.62, etc.

It can, and has been done but I personally believe it is inviting serious issues over any prolonged timeframe. Some sort of mishap will eventually happen. It might be minor, it might not...

That's sound advice.