Unless you have access to lots of scrap, pay for good steel up front. You will be able to shoot pistols at some of the AR500 targets for years and not have any problems.
AR500 is already heat treated and they are 3/8" thick. He cuts them from a solid sheet. Any time you weld it changes the strenghth of the AR500 so he just cuts holes out so you can hang them. I'll post some pics of the stands I use on his steel.
i was talking to the owner of carter chevrolet in kingfisher. he had a bunch.. and when i say bunch. a pallet full of 4' x 5' sheets of 1/4 steel ( bulletproof ) they used it to armour vehicles. but they do not do it anymore. he said he would sale it by the sheet or by the pallet. if anyone was interested in making some nice spinners...
They actually held fine. I shot them with a SKS from about 30 yards with no major marks. I probably wouldnt shoot them from that close of range again, but like I said, they held fine. I dont know what kind of steel they were, but surely not AR500. I suspect you would only need special steel if the targets arent very thick...
AR500 is about as strong as it gets, we shot a AR500 target at about 125yds with the 50 BMG and even though the target flipped through thte air about ten times it hardly made a dent. I believe it was just 3/8" plate. I would really like to have some of my own because they will last forever.
I have hit the plates as far as 850 yards and as close as 35yards (with a 223)
they are 3/8" thick....A 7wsm has hit them at 300 yards and only knocked the stands down after the 3rd or 4th hit. The only thing that happens to the target is the white paint gets knocked off.
He is a friend of mine and a great guy (along with being a great shooter) email him and he will call you. [email protected]