Practical Steel Rifle Targets
The Bang Switch 07.25.13
I prefer to shoot steel, it’s cost-effective and nothing beats that distinctive ring of a bullet whacking a steel plate from 100-plus yards adding to the fun of the whole shooting experience. Steel targets can be fast to setup and tear down, and there’s very little cleanup required at the end of the day–just grab your target and go.
You’ll noticed I said that steel can be easy to setup and take down. That’s because not all steel targets are created equal. Some are heavy and require tools to assemble multiple parts every range session. Others, like the Challenge Targets Stake-N-Shoot, are left fully assembled for transport and at 13 pounds are light enough that you can easily walk two down range without much effort. Setup is incredibly simple, too. Just stomp on the flange attached to the big spike into the ground and go. If you live in an area with really hard ground, take a big hammer down range with you and beat it into the ground–you’re not likely to break it. It’s built like a tank.
For those concerned about the environment, shooting steel saves a LOT of paper targets. When I used to shoot mostly paper, I would go through 500 targets a year or more. That’s a lot of paper. Steel targets can last you a lifetime and no trees are harmed in their use.
The target featured in this article is the Stake-N-Shoot 8″ Popper which is rated for rifles. You can shoot both handgun and rifle rounds at this target as it’s made of high quality AR500 steel and is 3/8-inch thick. The minimum safe distance for handguns is seven yards and the minimum safe distance for rifles is 100 yards (with velocities not higher than 3,100 feet per second at impact). The target stands about 20 inches tall so it’s easy to see at range. You can use a can of cheap spray paint to make it any color you like for easy visibility.
The targets come disassembled but it only takes a couple of minutes to put them together. Once together, there’s no need to take them apart for anything unless you want to reverse the target to extended its life (flip it around). You can shoot FMJ (full metal jacket) rounds at the target, but it’s not recommended that you use AP or steel core ammo. I’ve shot mine with Wolf bi-metal bullets and have had no issues.
These targets are very affordable at $129 for the eight-inch popper, but Challenge Targets has agreed to give our readers a short-term discount code bringing the price down to $99 per target. That’s an amazing price for a target that will last you literally a lifetime. I use the Stake-N-Shoot targets regularly on the Military Arms Channel and really like how lightweight they are and how simple they are to set up and take down. It’s a big time and money saver for me.
If you want to take advantage of the discount you can find the Challenge Target Stake-N-Shoot here.
Use the discount code: CTH0712713
Originally posted at TheBangSwitch, republished with permission.
