AR500 steel targets and heat.

[Chris B.]

AR500 steel targets are heat treated and high heat can destroy the temper and soften the steel so bullets will cause more damage to the steel. I never weld on my AR500 targets for this reason. I made a small error and was welding on a mild steel 1/4" thick plate I had one of my AR500 plates under this mild steel I was welding on. The mild steel was red hot and directly in contact with the AR500. When I noticed this it had turned the white spray paint on the target a slight green color but it was mostly intact. The mild steel had a black powder coat on it and that bubbled or melted off the back side of it where it was touching the AR500 target and is now stuck on the AR500 steel. Do you think this area of the AR500 was soften up because of the heat coming off the mild steel? I hope it is still just as hard so it does not crater in those spots from a .223 round hitting it.

The areas are circled in red and the black spots are melted powder coat. Think the AR500 was damaged from this heat?

 

[05ChevyI5]

I'd be anxious to send a couple FMJ's downrange just to see. My feeling is the damage is minimum. Hopefully just paint scorch.

 

[jjjxlr8]

I wouldn't worry too much. I had a friend fill all of the water cut holes with weld and weld heavy duty loops on the back of all of my 1/2" thick AR500 targets. When a bullet contacts the weld areas, it will pit it very easily but all of the area directly around the weld filler seems just as hard as it was. It stands up to 7.62x54r rounds with mild steel cores at 100 yds. without significant pitting, just as before.

I've found that the only way to hang the small circular targets is by moving the attachment points out of the the "splatter plane." I tried using steel cables, hardened bolts, flexible cords, coated steel cables, etc. and it usually only took a half dozen hits before the bullet splatter would cut right through the hangers. Now that I have the loops on the back, the target hangers usually survive the entire range session.

How do you hang yours?

 

[Chris B.]

Thanks guys! I hang mine on a steel frame I welded up and use old conveyer belts to hang attached with grade 8 bolts. Holds up well! Got to JCsteel.com as they sell hanging kits.