Thinking of ordering ar500 steel targets for the range. I will be shooting close distances. I plan on making them swinging targets. Are these ok for hp and fmj ammo at sub 25 yards

 

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More important than a hard distance limit, its more important to know what you plan to shoot them with.

 

Pistol calibers are usually good outside 7 yards, but for say 5.56, most manufacturers recommend a minimum of 100-200 yards.

Yeah only pistol a close range. Rifle would be minimum of 50 to 100 yards

 

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I'll tell you this, AR500 doesn't like 7.62x54 from 25 yards........... It was fine with 7.62x39 though.

 

I don't like swinging steel too much, you have to wait awhile for it to stop twisting after you hit it.

 

I made my own stands which worked fine, until the Mosin came-out. That made a mess of things.

We shoot AR500 all the time at 10 -25 yards with handguns including .44 mag with no problem. I have multiple types of swinging steel and also some of the hanging type from Artzen. They also work well for rifle, mostly at 200-300 yards, but have also shot them at 100. Steel is so much fun that I haven't shot paper in a long time.

I've shot my ar500 @ 25yds with xm193 and 7.62x39. x39 didn't make any marks on it, but the 5.56 dimpled it.

ar500 vs 5.56 at under 100 yards is dodgy. IT depends on your velocity at 2700-2800 fps out of a 16" barrel using soft points, I've shot 3/8" ar500 without real damage at 50 yards. I've also seen 3/8" autopoppers from MGM get chewed up pretty bad at 75 yards. They are in theory AR500 as well, but MGM's site doesn't say that.

The thickness of the steel also plays a large part of its durability (with all else being equal). I have an array of various AR500 steel plates in both 3/8" and 1/2" and at distances where the 3/8 might leave a slight dimple (50 yds with .223), the 1/2" plate will take it all day long. I even see some slight marking at 100 yds with only .223 on the thinner plate so it defintely not as durable, even at prescribed distances. Its not enough to say its "damaged", but it certainly shows use. My 1/2" steel, OTOH, has taken tens of 1000's of rounds of everything up to shitty surplus steel jacket/core 54r and after a fresh coat of paint, you would not know its ever been shot at.