AR500 Buffalo target

[Drydock]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/183673165738?hash=item2ac3c617aa:g:U64AAOSw-NJcWwMn&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoNPTIp9KAfWWrWPnvcqBBF8MU78YMGgPKWyx3bboJdUxOIyDocs%2BssrvTIftPaYBI8405I6yP4Gep8HfUpKuy%2FkQY2mtDf24qPRLTu7mKZsCDyaifNnlU%2BSt4LGAfBS1WaWuTq0LJhtbw7nV%2BlPJeWskb%2BredPI%2BHU1OxMKdodSjSUvHRsShET%2BoVfILdm40CrW%2Bw0wrkru5iKwbsTA%2B5s8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4LC_vWDYQ

Have 3 of these, no problems with my 50-70-630 rounds at 100 yards+.  Good targets at a good price, other sizes available, discount if ordering more than one, free shipping.

[pony express]

No problems with the 1/4" warping/cupping? Most AR targets seem to be 1/2" thick, but maybe that would only be needed with full power, jacketed rounds, but not so much with big, relatively slow lead.

[Drydock]

Nope, no warping, cupping or dimples.  Shot only with lead alloy at BP velocities.  He has 3/8 and 1/2 as well, price goes up with thickness.

[Dave T]

Drydock,

I'm curious how you hang them.  I had a 10" X 3/8" AR500 gong that I hung from a custom welded frame meant to stand up to a tyro's wild shoot from my buffalo rifles (50 2-1/2" SS and 45-70 Gov).  The Big Fifty Sharps knocked that gong ass over teakettle at 100 yards. It landed two feet in front of the stand.  Re-hanging it for every shot was such a pain I gave up on the idea and am looking for a target my Sharps won't dismantle on impact.

Dave

[Drydock]

I use this stand:  https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023917733?pid=167338

I use carriage bolts to hold the target to the chains, as the 630 will knock it off the S hooks.

[Niederlander]

We had the same problem with our IDPA steel targets.  We use hardened carriage bolts now.  Works much better.

[Drydock]

Laugh at Amazon moment:  Last week, ordered 1 (one) Highwild target stand off Amazon, $42, free shipping.  Came home today to find 1 (one) large box on my porch, containing 5 (five) target stands.  Checking the invoice, nope, only charged for one. 






Life is good.

[Pitspitr]

1/4"X48" Buffalo at 500 yards. No problem tipping it over. No dimples or pits, but then we were using lead 50-70's and a 45-70

[Pitspitr]

BTW, does anybody have any idea of how close you can use, say, .30-06 on 1/4" AR 500 with no damage to the target?

[Montana Slim]

I have a few 5/16" armor steel targets. I have shot them with 5.56x45 copper & steel jacket lead as well as fmj 30 Carbine. Dimples the target face badly at 100 yd. I prefer using them at 200+ yd - that adds at least a little challenge to the shooting part (11"x12" target). My 8x57 cast is good at any distance. If I tried full power '06, I'd certainly test it at longer range & hope for the best. Would be some risk to that test.

Regards,
Slim

[Pitspitr]

Thanks Slim!
What I'm thinking is that I have some 12" buffalos that were cut incidentally when the big buffalo was cut. I feel like I could sacrifice one of them. I'll set it at 500 and shoot it with my 300 WM, then just keep moving it in until I start seeing damage.

[Niederlander]

Excellent plan.  Besides, if it starts to show damage, just use it with lead bullets from then on.

[Ranch 13]

Used round baler belts work well for hanging swinging targets in place of chain.

[Niederlander]

I've used that, too.  The secret to using chain is to use hardened chain and hardened carriage bolts to attach them.

[Pitspitr]

Used round baler belts work well for hanging swinging targets in place of chain.

To be honest, I was just trying to get it hung up quickly.  It only arrived that morning

[Ranch 13]

Understand that get it up in a hurry thing.
Draping the baler belt over what ever you have for a crossbar to hold it up, and then using hard bolts to secure the target to the belt, you'll get less jump than when a bullet goes astray and hits the chain above the target and not the actual target...
Those belts seem to hold up better to errant bullets with a mind of their own too.