Nothing like ringing steel in your back yard!
Attachment 81905
What kind of steel do you guys shoot at? I use a 10" Caldwel AR550 gong/stand.
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Nothing like ringing steel in your back yard!
Attachment 81905
What kind of steel do you guys shoot at? I use a 10" Caldwel AR550 gong/stand.
My local range had a 100 yard and 200 yard range with steel plates on wires. The 100 yard range had very small three inch plates. You could only shoot at the plate off-hand, no bench rest shooting.
I took an extra gas cylinder for my M1 rifle and installed a target block so I could use a target front sight with round apertures for steel plate shootings, this really worked out fine.Attachment 81915Attachment 81916Attachment 81917Attachment 81918
That is a gorgeous rifle man!!!! Why do they not allow you to hit the plates from a rest? That is a strange rule. I'm spoiled by living on a farm where there are no rules. Lol
In northwest TN, we have a range that spans over 700 yards with plates at every hundred which are fixed positions 12inch and 8 inch.... then we have movable plates, know your limits, metal heads, and varying animals for our monthly matches.. High power, tactical, vintage sniper and routine practice. quite fun.
I wish my range allowed steel. Only time you see it is at pistol matches. For a lot of shooting I find it more fun than shooting paper, especially pistol shooting and general plinking.
I was the keeper of the steel for ages at my range, usually road iron...the stuff they made plates that are used to cover trenches so traffic can drive over them. Tough and long lasting...usually about 18" square so guys can shoot off hand with some sort of reasonable chance of hitting at 200 Yd...
I have two 3/8 inch AR500 plates that are 15 X 22 inch and one 1/2 inch 24 inch circular gong. Mostly shoot milsurps and 300 win mag long range rifles at them. When the buddy's with the 50 calls come over I only let them shoot the 1/2 inch.
Here I don't have any place to shoot steel.....yet. I've been offered to become a founding partner of a new private range 10
miles from home. Hopefully soon enough........
I have a 2' Salute popper on my little range. He's my second. I shot my first one so much that his little feet fell off and he finally keeled over dead. I replaced him with one with a solid bottom in hopes that he lasts longer. They are an absolute blast and certainly won't owe you anything by the time they need to be replaced!!
I really dig that plate holder. That is nice. I have trouble with shearing off my mounting hooks from sheer force. LolQuote:
Originally Posted by Steve762
What part of Ky are you from? SouthWest??Quote:
Originally Posted by LesPaui+sg=win
Eastern KY my friend.Quote:
Originally Posted by speckles
Excellent information...Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve762
I use the line paint, florescent orange.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve762
Yea...I like orange paint better as well....my eyes are old and I have real trouble with even the best irons.
If you really want to have some fun do sub sonic 22lr at steel. I found some Winchester that the box says is ~700fps....shooting it out of the WZ48 or old mauser....I don't even bother with ears (yea I know) but the action is louder then the report from the rifle.
It is really my new kick....I have a bench I built, and I just sit there loading one at a time and shooting steel....you can hear the birds sing, the wind blow.....it is really the best time.
If you have really any bolt 22lr give one of those subsonic a try....the remington in the green box is actually the "hottest" subsonic I have.....if you can find that winchester stuff give it a go....it is really a fun experience.
I did a quick look on google to find it but could not....my luck is they don't make it anymore.....I want to say it is not a hollow point, and was in the 700-ish fps on the box. The orange "healing" targets are also really fun.....I have a spinner and I guess because the bullet is just taking its time it really makes the thing spin.
If anyone is interested I will try to snap a pic....I really hope they still make it.
Speckles Dickson Co. Tenn here
I have to say that is an absolutely beautiful Garand, is that a standard stock or an aftermarket?Quote:
Originally Posted by RCS
The birch stock with the "shell flame pattern" was a gift from my 1st Sgt Francis Steck when I was an armorer. The stock was produced by Overton who provide stocks for the M1 rifle during the post Korean War and after period. The stock is without markings as these stocks were used as field replacements. I only used BLO to finish the woodAttachment 82233Attachment 82234Attachment 82235
I remember when I rebuilt an M1, serial # SA 329175 I had to buy a set of NOS Numrich birch...looked fine but not nearly like that. The rifle had been run over by a truck in the front handguard and the whole thing needed help.
That is on nice set of furniture on that Garand. Thanks for sharing
Quote:
Originally Posted by CINDERS
+1....that is one of the best looking guns I have seen photos of....and we all know photos don't do justice......and not best looking M1's....best looking GUNS.
That thing is a treasure.
I use the same setup at my local public range. The range goes out to 175 yards, and it's super fun shooting at that distance with irons.Quote:
Originally Posted by LesPaui+sg=win
I do repaint mine white, and always have a can of paint with me at the range. I've tried bright orange, but I don't like it as much as it tends to blend in with the backstop too much especially in the fall when the leaves start turning color. The orange just seems harder on the eyes to pick up when shooting with iron sights for me.
That Caldwell gong was one of the best investments I've ever made, and the AR550 steel gong has held up great to large doses of 30-06, 308, 8mm, 303, and 7.62x54r.
Only problem with it is that I have trouble keeping the plate on it. 8mm and 7.62x54r put a slapping on that thing! I've destroyed many hooks for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by RazorBurn
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...022ec264-1.jpg
I hang mine inside an old tractor tire...the tire will catch the splatter very well. With how things get stuck inside the tire I am amazed the legs hold up.
I also use cable and not chain on mine...as simple tie of the cable and you are good....it seems to hold up better.
years ago I built a gong out AR plate. I pulled it out of the scrap bin at work. It was an inch thick and 3 foot in diameter and it took a beating. It took a fifty at 100 yards and only put a big pock mark in it. When it started getting to beat up we'd pull it down when we had enough people and hard face it. It usually took four strong men to hang it.
That's quite a claim if the ammo is issue ball. The ball ammo contains a steel penetrator, mild steel, and that doesn't evaporate on strike. If it was a civilian product then it well may just have lead core. AP of course is a Tungsten core...all bets are off then. I used to christen any plate I hung with a clip of AP out of the M1 rifle...all went through to the point you could see through the hole they left. Didn't really matter what steel, but that was what it was for. We had a piece of armor plate from the dockyard that was from the destroyers, it lasted very well for years.Quote:
Originally Posted by TDH
I use bolts with nuts on the backside of the plate. Hand tightening them works great. I also carry a few spare lengths of chain, and extra bolts and nuts just in case. I've never completely cut the chain or hooks (now bolts) off of it yet. My poor frame has taken more rounds than I would care to admit, but has held up great.Quote:
Originally Posted by LesPaui+sg=win
Mine wanted to fly off when hitting it with 308. The bolts and wingnuts work like a champ, and have done a great job at preventing the plate from coming off. I've also noticed that if I get it the frame the least bit sideways it made it worse. If you see the plate twisting sideways instead of swinging straight back it's a sure sign that you're hitting it at an angle instead of straight on.
---------- Post added at 10:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------
That tire idea is a great one. You have to really watch picking my frame up now as the fragments will cut if you don't watch. Next time I go to the range I'll take a picture of my frame. It's like a Timex. It takes a licking, but it keeps on ticking. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by cherokee
I had some WW2 vintage AP 30-06 (10 rounds or so). I thought about seeing what it would do to my gong, but in the end I realized that it would probably cost me 70 bucks or so to replace it. That kept me from trying it.
There's no way I would have taken a shot at any steel plate at 100 yards with 50 BMG. That's just playing with ricochet fire if you ask me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABGIJwiGBc
Some of the standard ball almost went all the way through in the beginning then you fill the pock marks and hard face it again. The range eventually closed and I never did find out what happened to it.