A500 plate steel

[Calplinker]

How well does 1/2" A500 resist .223 and .308 at 100 yards?

How about 5/8" "normal" plate steel?

Both types will hang and be able to swing when shot.

[Rock6.3]

1/2" AR500 is overkill at 100 yards if the plate can swing freely.

[HDgasser]

I can't speak for the 1/2 or 5/8's "normal" stuff but the 3/8 ar500 gongs I have hold up AWESOME!!

I even emptied a few magazines of .223 and 7.62x39 at my dueling tree at about 20-25yds just to see what it would do and I gotta say these things are TOUGH! The 7.62's leave what looks like a welding arc burn pit/mark in the 3/8's plate.

[Calplinker]

Good to know. Found some 1/2" A500 made for targets and bought a larger, 12" X 12" 5/8" rolled steel plate for a different target. The larger one will usually be for 500M, but we will also shoot it up closer at 100 yards.

[Divernhunter]

The normal steel will be punched thru. AR500 works well. I have a 1.5" thick piece and the only thing that marks it is my 50bmg with AP bullets.

[Capybara]

Just a heads up, I have a 3/8" AR500 8" gong that I put out at 125 yards and shoot with 7.62x54r, 7.55 Swiss, .223, .30-06 HXP. The gong itself just barely gets dimpled but if you hit the uprights or crossbar, better order some spares. Here is another thing to consider. My gong came with case hardened steel hooks to hang it from the crossbar. When I get a good, solid hit, half the time, the gong flies off of the hooks, kind of a drag.

I went to Home Depot and bought some heavy case hardened chain and some nuts and bolts, decent sized. Taking them shooting this past weekend, I discovered that the shock of the projectile hitting the gong is so strong that it actually bends the bolts. These are steel, case hardened bolts. The bullet splatter actually messes up the threads on the bolts and deforms the bolts as well and these are on the rear of the target stand no less. We shot through one chain also this weekend so make sure you buy lots of extra lengths of chain. Steel targets are amazing but you need a lot more upkeep and maintenance than one might think, at least with the swinging gongs.

Good luck!

[Press Check]

I got a 6" gong from Big John's Iron Works a while back, and it's holding up perfectly fine against .223 at 100 yards.

[Calplinker]

Capybara, that's good info. Thanks.

I Pucked up two AR-500 gongs. I was mistaken and they are both 3/8" thick. One is 8" and the other is 10" round with holes to hang them. I have some 1/2", grade 8 bolts and will use some case hardened chain. Hopefully, that will hold up for awhile at 100 yards. I'll be whacking them with .223, .308, 7.62X54 and 8MM.

I'll save the large 12" X 12", 5/8" rolled steel plate
for the 500M range. My experience with this stuff is .308 will punch thru it at 100 yards.

Gonna weld on the angle iron holder tomorrow morning.

[Reelemup]

How well does 1/2" A500 resist .223 and .308 at 100 yards?

How about 5/8" "normal" plate steel?

Both types will hang and be able to swing when shot.

I don't know what the Alaska pipe line 3/4 made of but we shot a 4x4' piece of it and my 30-378 punched some 1" holes throuh it. 180 GR Nosler Ballistic hunting tip bullets. Other guns like 270...7 mag and such made a plink sound.
200 yards. 122 GR of 50 BMG

[desertjosh]

The normal steel will be punched thru. AR500 works well. I have a 1.5" thick piece and the only thing that marks it is my 50bmg with AP bullets.

LUCKY!

[63 tango]

I shoot 3/8 AR500 plate with .308 and it handles it fine at 200yrds probably would handle 100yrds too. It handles 30-30 at 100yrds.

[Capybara]

AR500 3/8" is amazing stuff. Glad that they have it and it is not cheap but not outrageously priced.

[HDgasser]

Just a heads up, I have a 3/8" AR500 8" gong that I put out at 125 yards and shoot with 7.62x54r, 7.55 Swiss, .223, .30-06 HXP. The gong itself just barely gets dimpled but if you hit the uprights or crossbar, better order some spares. Here is another thing to consider. My gong came with case hardened steel hooks to hang it from the crossbar. When I get a good, solid hit, half the time, the gong flies off of the hooks, kind of a drag.

I went to Home Depot and bought some heavy case hardened chain and some nuts and bolts, decent sized. Taking them shooting this past weekend, I discovered that the shock of the projectile hitting the gong is so strong that it actually bends the bolts. These are steel, case hardened bolts. The bullet splatter actually messes up the threads on the bolts and deforms the bolts as well and these are on the rear of the target stand no less. We shot through one chain also this weekend so make sure you buy lots of extra lengths of chain. Steel targets are amazing but you need a lot more upkeep and maintenance than one might think, at least with the swinging gongs.

Good luck!

I've tried case hardened bolts, grade 8 bolts, shackles, and wire rope. If any were hit the gongs go flying! Actually the wire rope seemed to hold up the best cause I think it's so small that the projos actually miss it.

Whatever you use take extras... Lots of em!

Next time I'm just gonna take a big roll of steel wire and try it out. Cheap & easily replaceable

[Capybara]

I tried heavy duty zip ties. Forget that! Any hit on the gong, the bullet splatter would cut through the zip ties like butter. Gotta try though. Steel wire (bailing wire?) might be a good thing?

[Noonanda]

Just a heads up, I have a 3/8" AR500 8" gong that I put out at 125 yards and shoot with 7.62x54r, 7.55 Swiss, .223, .30-06 HXP. The gong itself just barely gets dimpled but if you hit the uprights or crossbar, better order some spares. Here is another thing to consider. My gong came with case hardened steel hooks to hang it from the crossbar. When I get a good, solid hit, half the time, the gong flies off of the hooks, kind of a drag.

I went to Home Depot and bought some heavy case hardened chain and some nuts and bolts, decent sized. Taking them shooting this past weekend, I discovered that the shock of the projectile hitting the gong is so strong that it actually bends the bolts. These are steel, case hardened bolts. The bullet splatter actually messes up the threads on the bolts and deforms the bolts as well and these are on the rear of the target stand no less. We shot through one chain also this weekend so make sure you buy lots of extra lengths of chain. Steel targets are amazing but you need a lot more upkeep and maintenance than one might think, at least with the swinging gongs.

Good luck!

If you can find it, use a piece of a rubber mud flap for a semi. Bullets will punch through it yet it will take more abuse than chain. I used to use chain on my plates, the mudflap is the way to go. I have it bolted to my plate using the same bolts as the chain used with no issues