ShootSteel.com SRRT Target Review

[TheSierraDrifter]

It will be interesting to see what they say about these targets. And strange that I'm the only one having issues, or at least the only one reporting the problems.

[essjay]

I brought Shoot Steel's "3/8" AR500 12"x20" Modular Target System - Short Legs" target out to the woods with me last week. It's similar to the SRRT, but probably takes impacts harder since there's less give, due to it not having springs.

We shot it mostly at 100 yards with 5.56/.223 (55gr FMJ and 62gr XM855), old milsurp 7.62x54R, 12ga rifled hollowpoint slugs, 7.62x39, and some 9mm FMJ. Also put some 12ga buckshot and 9mm FMJ into it at 7-25 yards, and some 5.56/.223 at 150-175 yards. Not sure on the exact round count since some of the ammo wasn't mine and there were some other targets, but I'd wager that it took over 500 rounds in the upright position - we never bothered tilting it down. Here's the results:



Aside from a couple chips from edge hits, it generally looked pretty good, with pretty minor pitting. Guessing that the larger pits in the main body are from the slug or 7.62x54R impacts - probably the latter, based on the way that the slugs were breaking up on impact. It's worth noting that in the soft soil conditions, the target would gradually lean back as the impacts caused it to be pushed backwards.

[TheSierraDrifter]

Is that backwards? Don't the legs need to be facing to the rear?

[essjay]

The cut that the plate is in is vertical - if I had it facing the other way, it would expose the angled cut to fire.

edit: I think I understand what you mean now. The legs are that length on both sides, and the vertical cut is centered. Here's a photo from their website, showing the angled option. The one in my photo just looks weird because the rear legs got pushed back into that loose sediment.

[Click Boom]

I shoot my targets from basically point blank range all the time. One thing that can help a little is painting the target as it protects from some of the destructive heat generated by the impact. I might even go so far as to say it helps a lot. When I'm shooting @ 15 yards with an AR, I might get a small indentation sometimes, but who really cares? The target could absorb tens of thousands of those without breaking, imo. But those huge chunks on every hit like in some of the above photos are pretty whack.

[cwilliams]

The only pit my MTS received I believe were from some surplus .303 rounds at 100 yards that hit in the same spot that was near one of the vertical cuts. I have no clue if they were steel core or jacketed. This is obviously a heat effected zone and I chalked it up as a weaker area. It's been shot with bi-metal 30-06 at the same distance with little to no effect. I don't worry about it much since this target is reserved for rifle at a distance and it is an excellent setup.

[Click Boom]

The best gongs are laser cut, and so the edges don't have ruined heat treatment. Also the cuts are aesthetically much cleaner, fwiw.

[cwilliams]

The best gongs are laser cut, and so the edges don't have ruined heat treatment. Also the cuts are aesthetically much cleaner, fwiw.

And the ShootSteel targets are laser cut unless otherwise stated.

[TheSierraDrifter]

Update....they got back to me yesterday after testing the target I returned. They said that it wasn't performing like it should. They shot at it with XM193 which is one of the types of rounds I was using. Must have been a bad batch of steel...

Anyway, they are sending out replacements from a new batch of steel that was tested. I should be good to go! And to re-affirm what others have said, they have very good customer service.

[epilepticninja]

It has a bracket on the back the goes on a 2x4. You can see pictures here

http://mgmtargets.com/ipsc-targets/b...acket-and-base

Man I got almost an identical target stand/target from RSR and it was only $170. That MGM target is way overpriced.

[TheSierraDrifter]

Man I got almost an identical target stand/target from RSR and it was only $170. That MGM target is way overpriced.

Can the RSR target be shot at the same distances with an AR-15 that the MGM was? I couldn't find anything on their site that said it was a "close range" target. Shortest I saw was 75 yards, whereas the MGM was being shot at a very close range with no pitting...(on tonyxcom's video)

[cwilliams]

MGM also has the option to use AR500 for their stands. That significantly raises the price, but makes them nearly indestructible. For high volume shooting they are a good choice.