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Guage and thickness of steel for ELR

4066.5

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 16, 2018
371
390
Montana
I'm starting to push out into work territory and considering putting together some rimfire elr events here . As the target size goes up, so does the price for AR400 or 3/16 mild steel.

Does anybody have experience with sheet metal or cheap/ thin steel for 500-1000. Sizes will be 2'x2' and 4' x 4'

Ideally I'm looking for the minimum thickness to effectively stop the SV ammo allowing me to shoot it multiple times and hear the "ding" better. Almost surely I'll need a hit indicator for past the 6-700 range.
 
Here's the velocity and energy if anybody finds that helpful
Screenshot_20200919-115200_Kestrel LiNK Ballistics~2.jpg
 
We use some 1/8 inch diamond plate aluminum at 130 yards and out. Doesn’t even dent it and very light.
 
I shot 4 or 5mm mild steel at 100m and it was bent all over. It was quite fun shooting it into shapes.

22LR is a very powerful cartridge. As you can see above, it only loses 3ftlb of power between 900 and 1000.
 
I use 1/4" mild steel from 20 yd to 150-170 yd then use 1/8" mild from there out except if running a indicator then you will want 3/16 to 1/4 plate. At our 22lr matches we typically run indicators past 200-230 yds
On sound a 3/16-1/4" plate is easier to hear then a 1/8" generally as the 1/8" has a duller sound. I tried 10 ga at 350 and 400 i could only hear it in no wind conditions it also tended to move tomuch in the wind for a even semi experienced spotter.
 
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My experience has be in line with what CRPS said. Find you a local metal shop or metal recycling center and buy drop or scrap for pennies on the dollar.
 
My experience has be in line with what CRPS said. Find you a local metal shop or metal recycling center and buy drop or scrap for pennies on the dollar.
What he said. I work at a company that does a lot of laser work so we always have round cutouts that are scrap. Paying scrap price is magnitudes cheaper than buying new steel and paying someone to cut it.
 
I've been using 5/16" aluminum plates for my targets 250y and beyond. 10"x10" plates are very loud, easily heard at 400y.

I've got a full size IPSC in the same material, and it can be heard at 550y, though that was just my son and I practicing by ourselves in a quiet environment.