Shooting gongs with lead?

[Canuck Bob]

I am researching cast bullet gongs with midrange rifles, 22RF, 32-20, 32 Special, and 303 Brit, no handguns. Also 22 Hornet and 223 with Horn 50 gr SPSX or thin skinned varmint bullets, under 3000 fps, hoping for accuracy at 2600 to 2800 fps..

Any warnings or advice?

 

[Brad]

Pick the right steel. Velocity kills steel. I have some rimfire silouhettes, 3 have a hole from a 2000 fps Hornet load with a cast bullet.
For the 223 I would definitely spend the money and get AR500, probably 1/2".
No such thing as too tough or thick. Go cheap and they crater and bend over time.

 

[quicksylver]

Handgun rounds with insufficient velocity bounce back...

 

[300BLK]

What they said, hard steel and preferrably 1/2" for jacketed, and at least 3/8" for cast. Even hard steel can crack if drilled for through bolts. Milder steel can work OK for moderate cast bullet speed, but it will bend and crack in time.

 

[waco]

3/8" AR500 will hold up to jacketed 223 at 100 yards. This is the steel I use to make targets at work.

 

[gman]

I'm waiting on a couple of gongs myself. Went with 1/2 inch AR500 just in case.

 

[Gary]

I can testify it'll hold up with 6.5 Creedmoor as well.

 

[Blaster]

I built mine to hang at a slight angle, dumps the bullets into the ground below.

 

[Gary]

I have the hanger system that utilizes a T-post and they hang at an angle to direct the excreta towards the ground. Gotta say, one more blast into the T-post and she's all coming down.

 

[waco]

By the way that orange steel target was shot by my brother at 1000 yards with his .260
3 shots @ 7"

 

[Gary]

Wow! Very good shooting. The 260 is very close to my 6.5 Creedmoor .

 

[gman]

That's good shooting.

 

[RBHarter]

For what it worth........
A friend bought a steel target kit with 500 AR plates .
As a test for longevity . At 100 yd the developed 45-70-405 at 1625 left a pocked circle on the 12x1/2" gong . The Privi 405 JSP did not .

If the target stand guy is at the Cross roads show today I'll look at a popper .

 

[Canuck Bob]

Thanks to everyone. For context this is for shooting on Crown Land outside Calgary, Alberta. I'm in the oilpatch and retiring very soon, also battling the big C but beating it currently. It is kicking my rump too. I'll be alone mostly, my preference, and the GPS coordinates will be known. Safety first got me here with all my fingers and toes, no sense getting stupid while shooting. My paper range time is 50 yard indoor.

Thanks to everyone, here is my research list, please shoot it full of holes, no pun, shoot it with a smile!

- AR500 only, probably 1/2 inch. Advice on target size appreciated, peep sighted levers eyes good for maybe 100m., 223 scoped 4X 250m maybe 300m. No idea of a stand yet but it will come out of my garage shop.

- Probably going to hang on either baling wire, ask your grandpa, or mud flap strips. Using longer bolts to give a rearward tilt. Gongs will swing free, no mag dumps required or allowed on my plates.

- 22RF at 20 yds min., CF 100 yard min (really hoped for 50m good but almost everybody says a 100), I no longer hunt so everything is loaded lighter, folks talk about the velocity being a factor so 223 50 gr jacketed at 2800 max. These days it if it is easy on brass i"m happy. Also too slow is also a problem.

- Internet experts go on and on about the bolts or bolt heads. It seems actual users are ok with them, advice?

- Some do hate 22 RF and they tend to be range officers and instructors, a group to listen to. The issue seems to be from handgun fire up close to target. 22RF does ricochet a lot so will use no shorts or Cb caps. Do you see any problem with subsonics at a longer distance?

Waco your brother can shoot! Was that a tuned up Marlin or something a bit more sophisticated? Edit: Sorry reread and realized it was a 260, thought it was a 45-70, duh.

 

[300BLK]

Forget the bailing wire as it won't last. 50m is fine for most loads, and HV jacketed is the source of most damage.

 

[Brad]

I haven't had issues with bolt heads but rather with washers. The holes in my gong are larger than the bolt head so I used a washer. The washers does hold up to direct impact very well. I solved that by making my own washers that are .2 inches think.
Use better grade bolts and nuts and use a jam nut because they will loosen due to vibration.

Bailing wire won't last long. Bullet splatter is pretty nasty stuff and will cut wire in a hurry.

 

[Reed]

I have a friend who makes steel targets with AR500. He tells me it's a no-no to arc weld or cut with a torch as it loses its strength. Is that so? Curious, but clueless.

 

[KeithB]

The link is to Clifton Steel's website, specifically the data/specifications page for their version of AR500 steel.

http://www.cliftonsteel.com/tensalloy-blue-ar500.html

This is a medium carbon, chromium/nickel/moly steel with a high manganese content. I know manganese is often used in steels that get stronger via work hardening under stress. I noticed that they do say that this steel can be cut with oxyacetylene and plasma and fusion welded with typical low hydrogen rods (7018 is one).

I have zero experience with this material. There may certainly be other brands and variants of this material that behave differently and require different fabrication processes.

 

[KeithB]

Let me add that welding any steel other than basic low carbon steel requires careful attention to preheating and post-weld cooling to get a strong joint. A lot of steel is basic low carbon steel, i.e. many structural members are made from A36 or similar steel, and a lot of small steel parts are made from 1018 steel or similar. Both have low carbon contents and can be welded easily w/o extensive pre/post weld prep. But try doing that to 4140 or any other medium or high carbon, high alloy steel and you're just asking for a broken weld.

One clue: if a weld joint breaks and pulls a gob of material off one of the members, it's a bad weld. If it breaks through the weld, then it's a good weld joint that was under-designed or overloaded.

 

[Brad]

I'm no expert but my understanding is that the heat of cutting impacts the heat treatment of the steel. The areas around the weld or cut have far less impact resistance due to the loss of heat treatment hardness.