Where should I buy steel plates?

[scooterf79]

Hey guys,
Looking into getting some steel plates to shoot and was wondering where would be the best place to get them and what type of steel to get. I dont really have any connections here get them from anyone locally, at least none that I know of. Thought Id get some 6, 8, and maybe 10in plates to bang on a little bit.
Maybe the occasional magnum but mostly non magnum stuff out to 1000 when I get the opportunity. Ive seen a few with a place for a hook to hang them on a 2x4 or tpost. Seems like that would be pretty quick and easy to setup.
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Scooter

[J.Baker]

1/2" thick AR500 steel is what you'll want. The 3/8" plates are usually only rated up to .308 Win. Always better to play it safe and go a little thicker than you might think you'll need.

As for a source, plenty of places to order from online nowadays. Can't help ya on a specific as we can't shoot steel at my local range. I'd look for mount/hanging setups that let the bottom of the target swing freely or has it so the bottom is rearward of the top to ensure the bullets will be deflected down into the dirt and not up into the air. A lot of the 2x4 and 4x4 post mounts I have seen are pretty rigid and/or allow some side-to-side wobble that could let the round ricochet off to the sides or up in the air.

[stomp442]

Check out Targetman.com. His prices and shipping are really reasonable and he will custom make stuff for you as well if needed. I had a set of 20 prairie dog targets made by him for our local monthly match and they have held up perfectly. I went with the 3/8 thick AR500 and it is rated for any centerfire cartridge at 100 yards and under 2800fps impact velocity. We have these targets set at 200 - 500 meters and have been shot with anything from .223 through 300 win mag and all they do is peel the paint. We have 15 to 20 shooters a month at our matches and we have used these targets for about three years now and there is not a dent in them. I have been very pleased and impressed with the quality and durability.

[Oxn316]

Xsteel_targets is another vender.

[LongRange]

call around to some of your local scrap yards and or places that sell tubing,rebar and steel like PDM steel and you may be able to find some drops...another good place to try is sheet metal fab shops.

[Stockrex]

Shoot steel.com buy the blemished ones

[Stockrex]

Garden rebar pot hangerss work well

[Stockrex]

Dup

[JWW123]

look on e bay some even provide shipping

[upSLIDEdown]

Best Targets is a great company, with great guys running it. They made the trophies for the last match I shot, got to speak with the guys there. Truly a class act.

[EFBell]

local weld / fab shops can hook you up. many of them will have small drops of AR plate stacked up they are willing to sell fairly cheap.

[Texas Solo]

Shoot steel.com buy the blemished ones

^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Good prices, fast reasonable shipping, great assortment to chose from.

[scooterf79]

Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it! Ill be checking out all those sites. Texted a buddy of mine yesterday and he said they didnt have any metal that would be good for targets right now. He said he ended up buying some on ebay.
I thought the rebar holders might work well, when I saw some pics of them.
Any more suggestions greatly appreciated....
Scooter

[yobuck]

Making small rocks from bigger rocks works also and they dont even require any set up time.

[Appleseed]

Surely there is a machine/welding shop near you, it is West Virginia. They can shear some plates in a few minutes, have them burn a hole in each corner with the torch, no drilling required. Buy some chain and hang. No shipping.

[scooterf79]

Lol...very true, Im gonna look around and see if I can find anything close before I order.....
Thanks!
Scooter