West Sandy Steel

What is AR500 steel?

AR500 is abrasion-resistant plate steel with a surface hardness of roughly 500 on the Brinell scale. That hardness is the whole point. A hit deflects off the face instead of digging into it.

Mild steel does the opposite. One rifle round leaves a crater, and craters are what catch fragments and throw them back toward the firing line. AR500 stays flat, so it stays safe, and it keeps ringing long after cheaper steel is scrap.

What thickness of steel target do I need?

We cut plates in 1/4″, 3/8″, and 1/2″. Size the plate to the fastest round you will ever put on it, not the round you shoot most.

• 1/4″ is for rimfire and pistol. It hangs light and swings easy. Centerfire rifle will ruin it.
• 3/8″ is the workhorse and what most shooters should buy. Pistol, rimfire, and standard centerfire rifle at proper distance.
• 1/2″ is for magnum rifle and high-volume use where you want the plate to outlive you.

Not sure? Tell us what you shoot and we will tell you what to hang.

How far back should I stand from a steel target?

Minimum 10 yards for pistol and rimfire. Minimum 100 yards for centerfire rifle. Those are floors, not targets, and more distance is always safer.

The real limit is impact velocity. Keep it under about 3,000 feet per second at the plate. A round that arrives faster than that will crater AR500 no matter how thick it is.

Never shoot steel core, bi-metal, or armor-piercing ammunition at our targets. Soft point, hollow point, and hard cast lead are what steel is built for. Everyone on the line wears eye and ear protection, every time. Retire any plate that shows a crater, a dish, or a rolled edge.

Do you build custom steel targets?

We do, so if you need a shape, a size, or a rig that is not in our store, send us the idea and we will quote it.

Same steel, same Grade 8 hardware, same shop. Call 713-203-5672 or email us to get started.

Where are West Sandy Steel targets made?

Every target and stand is precision fabricated at our shop in Huntsville, Texas, from American steel. Nothing is imported, and nothing is farmed out.

Shouldn’t your Texas target be made in Texas?