Making durable metal silhouettes

[wruehl1]

So this what one of our “Chinese” targets looks like in “newish” condition (top photo). The metal is allegedly steel of some sort, but it is really flimsy and weak. Claims to be 2mm thick, but only if you measure the powder paint too. They do not hold up well to magnum level 50ft/lb adult Airguns. To be fair, they were meant for airsoft guns, not the hardware we were using on them. As you can see the big guns just shred these guys, pretty fun actually but the damage is cumulative and after one afternoon, most were not usable any longer. So I got to thinking, “What would it take to design a target that COULD in fact sustain such abuse and live to fight another day?”. Part of my TIG welding practice is to make up some test samples using the following metals and processes. Sample one will be mild steel, 1/8″ thick not heat treated. Sample two will be the same part dimensionally but with a case hardening treatment to make the surface really hard, but leave the low carbon inside pretty soft. Sample three is 1/8″ and 3/16″ 1095 hardened and tempered, and a control group of annealed units. The goal here is to come up with a reproducible process/material combination that yields acceptable longevity at a reasonable cost. Recently I got some “real” silhouettes from Pyramyd Air and I’m pretty sure they are made from Asian sourced Hot Rolled plate ~1/8″ thick and even those started to distort after only one shot. My first choice would be AR500 abrasion resistant steel, this material is often used for heavy duty targets on commercial ranges because its super tough. Trouble is it’s also pretty expensive, and really difficult to find in thicknesses suitable for Airgun targets. The only quote I was able to obtain was almost $1000 for a sheet of 1/8″ and that was discounted because the sheet is covered in rust, needless to say I passed on that bargain. More to come! Maybe some video of live manufacturing and testing. Stay tuned!

These are the battle worn...

If you have suggestions leave a comment, perhaps we can all learn from your experience!

 

[golfer70]

That does look like fun. As a kid I used to shoot plastic army men with my RWS 48 after nailing them down to a board. Those were the days. 

 

[crittahitta]

That Looks like diecast metal maybe. I just started this year making animal "knockdown targets" I dont have a welder. I use an angle grinder and bolt them together. Good luck. If you produce a quality product at reasonable prices you could make some money. I just dumpster dive looking for sheet metal i think is thick enough to withstand my condor ss. So far I made about 5 heavy duty targets.

 

[Jheikkila]

For long range shooting. 135 yards and on I use old 6-8 inch frying pans. Hanging by the handle they move on contact and take less damage. They make for a very satisfying sound. 

 

[steve-l]

I have done some testing and 3mm Cor-ten will work, but 4mm mild steel might be even better. Both are inexpensive.

 

[wruehl1]

That Looks like diecast metal maybe. I just started this year making animal "knockdown targets" I dont have a welder. I use an angle grinder and bolt them together. Good luck. If you produce a quality product at reasonable prices you could make some money. I just dumpster dive looking for sheet metal i think is thick enough to withstand my condor ss. So far I made about 5 heavy duty targets.

Defiantly not die cast, these are really awful sheet metal (steel). When they tear it does sort of look like die cast, but it is just crappy steel.

 

[wruehl1]

Still learning my way around on the TIG machine. They are serviceable welds for the intended purpose, but DEFINITELY NOT PRETTY! Hopefully that will come later. Anyway, these are the first two samples in mild steel 1/8" thick. One will get tested as is the other with a case hardening process. Forgot to bring the 1095 steel to work today to cut the coupons, but tomorrow is another day. Slow but steady progress so far.

 

[wruehl1]

Samples are fabricated and heat treated! Here is what we have for cannon fodder:

Low Carbon Sample 1 (As Welded)

Low Carbon Sample 2 (Heat treated, case hardened)

1095 1/8" Sample 3 (As Welded)

1095 1/8" Sample 4 (Heat treated)

1095 3/16" Sample 5 (As Welded)

1095 3/16" Sample 6 (Heat treated)

1095 1/8" Sample 7 (Fully hard, no temper)

Next step is blast these guys with the trusty FX Crown in .22, should be a fun test. Will grab some slow motion impact footage and see how they hold up.

 

[wruehl1]

Here it is! 

https://youtu.be/xEpmHP61rWA

This video is the actual test on the steel samples. Guess what? Heat treated high carbon steel is pretty darn tough! But you knew that. Big fun for sure, got to work with the Side Shot some more to get more out of my Pixel 2 XL. Hope you guys enjoy.