Posted: 1/28/2006 4:46:43 PM EDT
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So the 2005 SEBR is my very first AR-15. Naturally I’m very excited and try to find time to shoot any chance I get. Not having any targets I proceeded to visit Gander Mountain to purchase some. I came upon those solid steel targets that spin when you hit it. I asked the fella at the desk if he had a set that was rated for stronger than a .22 So we walk over to where they have a section. He asks me what round I will be shooting. I say “Oh just a .223” and so he grabs for the best thing he has. Something rated for a .44 Magnum. I said “will this do it? He said “you bet. Just don’t try to shoot a 30-06 at it, cuz it’ll go right through it.” I say “right, I only plan to shoot a .223 at it” He confirms “yeah, that should be fine then” My wife was with me and I say to her “that guy is a moron. I’m so sure a 30-06 would go right through this ¼ inch thick slab of solid steel.” Wife says “I’m not so sure honey, guns are pretty powerful” I finally make it to the range. Set up the little steel spinner. Slap in a full mag of Back Hills 55gr FMJ Blue Box special. And then it was on. So who thinks they know what happened? To be continued with pics… |
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Are you kidding? That soft mild steel crap made for handgun rounds???? 5.56 has more penetrating power at close range than 30-06 I would bet. Penetration in steel is heavily velocity dependent. 1. You need to me a MINIMUM of 50 yds back (100yds preferably) when shooting steel targets with rifles. 2. Good M193 or M855 will blow right thru 1/4" mild steel. I have lots of these plates back home that look like swiss cheese. If the metal has any hardness to it, it becomes increasingly difficult. Always shoot hardened AR400 or AR500 with rifles.... and at a safe distance. A jacket can ricochet and do serious damage at close range. ALWAYS wear eye protection when shooting, but especially when shooting hard targets. At 50 yds, with a .308, I cant make a mark on my steel plates. But with M193, I pock-mark the surface of it. Set the target back to 200yds or more, and it doesnt do anything to it. Highly velocity dependent. |
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Took the kids to the range over New Years. Set out a cardboard target and a .22 cal swinger at 50 yards. Kids are using my 10/22 and soon switch over to .223 and .30-60. My boy come back to me a bit later and says "Dad... are you supposed to shoot the swinger with CZ (.233)?" Me ->  "Uh, no""Oh. Kath (my daughter) did" Me ->  Yup. Cleanest, smoothest and round hole outside of a plasma rifle in the 40 watt range you'd ever want to see. 
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| If you would have been shooting M193.... I bet it would have been a bit worse.... I use to take "cut'offs" from our machine shop.... typically a 4" piece of cold roll, sawed into 1/4" plates. Weld those to angle iron or chain and make pistol swingers. When they got all beat up.... I'd hit them with some SA surplus. Right thru. |
Take it back. Get your money back. They guy at the store told you it would work. Obviously, you didnt know any better. 
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HA!!! Maybe I'll try that. I don't know what I was thinking? I just thought "steel = tough" and little copper coated lead bullets ain't gonna do shit to steel. Plus it's rated for a 44 magnum *and* Mr. Expert sounded very confident. LOL!!! I laughed so hard when I saw this thing on the ground. It actually cried out "please stop. I can't take anymore" |
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We've always had "bells" at the range at our hunting club. When they were all shot up a few years ago I thought I'd make new ones. I went down to the burn out table at work and found two drops from 1" AR plate, one 8" diameter and the other 12" diameter. I welded angle iron to them and hung them from the pegs on the back stop. They've been there at least 3 years. High velocity stuff, including .223, .308 and .30-06 make nice divots, about 1/4" deep. I've never shot at them from closer than 100 yards. Pistol rounds bounce right off, just scuffing the paint off. The faces of them are pretty well cratered, and the angle iron has been shot off a few times, but they're still nice and round. A quick coat of orange paint and they're good for a month! They make a nice bong, and swing when you hit them. Occasionally when using .22's or pistols at 25 yards you get a bounce back (ricochet), but they're always moving slow. 
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Shot one of those once with a .30-30 last year. Bullet burrowed straight through and bulged out the back, nearly penetrating entirely. It's still in there. Lucky I was using a hollowpoint and it flattened out instantly. When they say "don't use anything but pistols", they fricking MEAN "don't use anything but pistols". |
I'll guess that you filled it full of .223 caliber holes. |
www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=92018 No experience with it though. |
How far away was the target? I know for a fact ( ) that those same spinners are like hot butter against 55gr FMJ at 50 yds. I got one of those to shoot with my .41 mag, and it does fine, although it's all bent to hell (a 250 gr bullet at 1450 fps pounds hard). But some guys at the range didn't know the spinner was mine, and shot it with their ARs at 50 yds (I was at the car when that happenned).Nice, clean holes all the way through. They were shooting XM193. I'm rather surprised that you didn't punch holes in yours. I have shot a lot of metal targets (soft steel), and the penetrative/cratering capabilities of the 5.56x45 are awesome. It actually craters steel far worse (deep) than .308 or 8mm Mauser. |
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It looks like Swiss cheese but tastes not too good. Years ago I shot my 3/8ths inch thick hanging steel target at 25 yards with my AR and it looked like it was drilled. It didn't even move it, I thought I had missed it until I saw the tiny point of light as I got closer to it. I also shot it with my SKS with a softpoint and the hole was slightly larger than .30" Last year I gave my wife a left handed Stagarms AR for Christmas. We went out into the yard to shoot it. While I was filling up water bottles she started shooting. I thought to myself,"Hmm, what's she shooting at?" Then it dawned on me. Crap. Now there's a bunch of holes in my target. Time to get a new plate. |
If that is what I think it is, some friends of mine developed it. They have in fact shot it with a .50BMG. It left a small hole about what you would expect from a .223. Everything smaller, just resealed around the hole. They shot it with everything they could think of. Even had me shoot it with a 75# bow and some 100gr. target points. ETA: +1 on taking it back. Because a) they gave you bad info b) they will refund your money - my wife used to be in customer service at the one in Indy and c) how else will the idjit that sold you yours learn? |
WOW. $30 bucks and it can withstand a .50 BMG!! Dang. Might have to try that. 
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Ha, I've got one just like it only BOTH legs are shot off and it has lots of holes thru it. |