1000 yard targets...

[cysoto]

Once you step out past that, you will probably want a bigger target, and the best indicators are the flash strobes. MGM carries them for about $135 per, and you just affix them to the back of a piece of static steel. Hit the target, the strobe flashes.

I had forgotten about those... These target hit indicators work really well and you can see hits even in broad daylight.

It can also be used on hanging steel but, if the wind is strong enough to move target, you might get a false-positive. For this reason, using it on static targets works best.

I have one that I made myself for under $40 (the most expensive part was the flash). All that is needed is a mercury tilt switch (~$3 from Amazon), a flash with a PC connector (I paid $25 for mine but I am sure you can get them even cheaper on eBay) and a PC cable ($$$ depends on the length; you can find them for less than $10).

[jerrymrc]

Actually, the unknown distacen range, where they shoot the .50 competitions, goes out past 2000 on huge targtets. You need a good spotter on a good optic to see hits.

I may be wrong but is that not open to the general public on non match days?

At the last match I had down there I remember the gate was locked to it when we went to look at it.

[Hoser]

I may be wrong but is that not open to the general public on non match days?

At the last match I had down there I remember the gate was locked to it when we went to look at it.

The Tubb (1,000 yard range) is open on most days. The range just east of it where Barrett used to run their classes and the 338 match is held is not open to the public.

[bogie]

This may sound kind of hokie, but what about a long range baby monitor? You'd be able to hear the gong ring anyway over the monitor if the wind didn't garble the mic up too much. They make them in 2.4 GHz which should be good for at least a couple thousand feet (3000 ft maybe since you'll have line of sight). It may be worth borrowing one to see if it would work.

Not to sound like an idiot, but what is "AR500" steel? And where can you get it? Can it be cut and welded like regular steel?

AR 500 steel is an abrasion resistant steel as somebody already said. It has high strength and toughness that gives it excellent impact resistance. It was designed for use in a lot of earth moving and heavy construction equipment for excavating and hauling rocks, gravel, mining, etc. You can buy it at a lot of metal suppliers and online. It's nothing special really but there are some other materials that would work and are somewhat cheaper for targets.

Mechanical cutting and drilling would be a pain for the same reason that it resists wear. Laser or water jet cutting would be the way to go. Plasma cutting would work but you don't want to overheat it since it's a tempered material. They quench the plate and then temper it at the mill to reduce hardness and give it the high toughness that it has.

Yep, you can weld it too but not like regular steel. You would probably want to use a hardfacing consumable, like what's used to repair endloader buckets, dozer blades... If you used a more standard weld consumable you could break the welds if your bullet had too much energy and hit the welds.

[Bentsight]

We use similar targets here but they are hung from the cross pieces with heavy conveyor belting. The belting is cut in the shape of a capital "I" and bolted to the back of the target with grade 8 bolts. Any impact on the plate makes the target move easily and if someone hits the belting the bullet passes right through w/o any movement vs. striking a chain support that will move the target or break when hit. We have also found that if the target mounting holes are placed down from the top of the steel a small amount it makes the target hang at a slight down angle and deflects the bullet/fragments downward instead of direct splatter on the target stands.

[losttrail]

Today we used a 20 or 30 pound AR500 20X20 inch plate, painted white, hung by chains... and couldn't figure out if we were hitting it at the 1K mark...

The next route is trying something lighter... hopefully will swing like a mutha when it gets hit...

What do you guys use for targets going out that far???

Walkie-Talkies, zip tie and duct tape.

Zip tie the transmit button down on one W-T. Duct tape it to the back of the target. Turn it on.

Take the other W-T back to the firing line, turn it on.

Shoot at the target. When you hit it, the 'gong' sound will be transmitted from the W-T on the target to the W-T with you.

[cstone]

http://www.discovercircuits.com/dc-m...-2012/pg-7.htm

For those electronically inclined, you could make a low powered laser indicator to flash on the target when it is struck.

[Lars]

Try a Pensacola blue paint. The color stands out good against any backdrop and shows hit remarkably well. I was sure we wouldn't see hits from 1000 but we could see them better than on white paint.

[Great-Kazoo]

Try a Pensacola blue paint. The color stands out good against any backdrop and shows hit remarkably well. I was sure we wouldn't see hits from 1000 but we could see them better than on white paint.

Fluorescent orange paint with a black border and center

[HoneyBadger]