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www.ShootingTargets7.com “Everything You Need To Know About AR500 Targets” Copyright 2015 Mark Leenheer v1.12 Page 1 of 21 Table of Contents

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www.ShootingTargets7.com

“Everything You Need To KnowAbout AR500 Targets”

Copyright 2015 Mark Leenheerv1.12

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PREFACE

About The Author My name is Mark Leenheer, I'm an Army combat veteran who served with the 10th Mountain Division as a Military Police Officer. When I got out I worked in my families business as a machinist and custom machine builder for over 15 years. I'm a staunch Libertarian and a proud American. If you like capitalism, support gun rights and prefer limited government, we'd probably get along just fine. Enough about me, lets talk about AR500 targets.

I've been selling my ShootingTargets7® brand AR500 targets for several years now on Amazon.com, eBay and my website ShootingTargets7.com. The experience I've gained doing that puts me unique position to write up a nice guide for folks like you who would like to understand what all the fuss is about concerning AR500 targets.

Inside this guide you will find answers to some of the questions I am often asked by my customers. AR500 targets are only just recently exploding in popularity andthere is a lot of misinformation out there. It's my hope that this guide will help youmake a more informed decision when buying your targets and help you to use them safely as well.

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Why I Am Writing ThisI'll be honest, I am hoping if you find this guide useful that you will choose to order some AR500 targets from me to see what you have been missing out on.

At the very least this guide will help you to make a more informed decision when selecting your targets whomever you choose to buy from.

I sincerely hope hope you find this guide informative. If you have any shooting friends feel free to send them a copy as well.

I intend to update this guide periodically, if there is something you would like to see added to this eBook please let me know. I love to hear from customers, you can easily leave a message if I'm not online in our chat window on our website.

You MAY share / pass along this report in it's entirety without making anychanges to it.

You MAY NOT include this material in any ebook, Kindle book, print book or any other medium.

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Table of Contents

PREFACE ......................................................................................................... 2About The Author ......................................................................................... 2Why I Am Writing This ................................................................................. 3

WHY STEEL TARGETS? ............................................................................... 6Instant Feedback ............................................................................................ 6Better Training ............................................................................................... 7Last Forever ................................................................................................... 8

WHAT IS AR500? ............................................................................................ 9Appearance .................................................................................................... 9Cutting AR500 ............................................................................................. 10Water jet cutting ........................................................................................... 10Laser cutting ................................................................................................. 11Plasma cutting .............................................................................................. 11Torch cutting ................................................................................................ 12

SELECTING A TARGET ............................................................................. 12Thickness ..................................................................................................... 12Size .............................................................................................................. 13Loudness ...................................................................................................... 13

STEEL TARGET SAFETY ........................................................................... 14Shooting distance ......................................................................................... 14Pitting .......................................................................................................... 14

HANGING YOUR TARGETS ...................................................................... 15

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Hang targets on an angle ............................................................................... 15Let your targets move .................................................................................... 16What to use .................................................................................................. 16

TARGET STANDS ........................................................................................ 17Portable stands ............................................................................................. 17Sawhorse ...................................................................................................... 17Shepherds hooks ........................................................................................... 18Tree / post mounts ........................................................................................ 18

RANDOM TIPS ............................................................................................. 19Painting targets ............................................................................................. 19Flip targets ................................................................................................... 19Wrapping targets .......................................................................................... 20

BONUS LINKS .............................................................................................. 21Refer A Friend .............................................................................................. 21Facebook Giveaway ...................................................................................... 21Affiliate Program .......................................................................................... 21

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WHY STEEL TARGETS?

Unless you've been living under a rock you've heard about steel targets, specificallyAR500 steel targets. AR500 targets are absolutely exploding in popularity right now for a lot of reasons but I will cover a few of the biggest ones here.

Instant FeedbackThis is the big one and is the reason why so manypeople have fallen in love with steel targets. When youhit an AR500 target the bullet disintegrates and thetarget sounds off with a satisfying ring, it also moves.

When you fire a round you know instantly if you've hitor missed the target and that folks, makes all thedifference in the world.

Customers often tell me after they have had the chanceto shoot steel that they will never again use boring paper targets. I can relate because I felt the same way, chances are good you will too.

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Better TrainingShooting experts agree that the instant feedback provided by steel targets makes

you a better shooter in less time using less ammunition than paper targets. The reasons for this are simple, if you flinch and miss you know immediately, if you're jerking the trigger and miss you know immediately.

Steel targets eliminate the guesswork, they're brutally honest and if you're making a shooting

mistake they let you know right away. With paper targets you don't know how youdid until you inspect the target, even then you are not sure what shots did what.

If you're like me you shoot not only because you enjoy it, but to be able to protect yourself and your family with a gun if needed. Steel targets make achieving this both easier and more fun.

Imagine you are learning to play the guitar but you can't hear any sound like until you are finished with the song. That's what it's like shooting paper targets.

Now plug that guitar into an amplifier and hear every mistake the instant that youmake it, how much easier do you think it would be to learn how to play? That is how much different it is when you shoot steel.

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Last ForeverSome people are put off by the cost of steel targets but the reality is that quality AR 500 targets will last forever provided you follow the simple rules and don't abuse them.

When you factor in the increased fun factor and a much higher efficiency of training provided by steel targets they are clearly a cost-effective investment in your shooting proficiency.

I wish I could tell you that steel targets will save you money on ammunition but unfortunately that is not the case.

Almost all of my customers tell me that they now burn through ammo like crazy because shooting is so much more fun than it used to be.

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WHAT IS AR500?

I'm not going to get too technical here because it's just not necessary. AR500 steel is an expensive and incredibly tough high carbon heat treated alloy steel with a brinell hardness between 470-521.

Bullets shatter on impact or simply smash up and bounce off of AR500 targets. Unlike cheaper steels it can handle being shot repeatedly without developing pits or craters that can lead to dangerous ricochets.

AppearanceAR500 steel has a very high carbon content and it isnormal for it to have a high degree of mill scale.AR500 is not sexy and smooth like cold rolled steel.

AR500's beauty lies in it's incredible toughness notit's appearance. We ship our targets unpainted asmost shooters prefer to paint them after each round of shooting.

Customers love our low prices, painting and prepping is an unnecessary expense that would get passed onto our the consumer.

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Cutting AR500You can forget about cutting AR500 with a saw or drilling holes in it, it's simply too hard. There are four main methods you can use to cut AR500 and only a couple of them are acceptable for making targets.

High concentrations of heat will damage the temper of the steel near the cut edge and alter its hardness. It's important to minimize this heat as much as possible because it can lead to increased edge chipping of the shooting targets when hit by bullets.

Water jet cuttingThis is the preferred method to cut AR500 targets because there is no heat affected zone whatsoever. Water jet cutting has a high quality of cut with crisp accurate cuts produced even in high mill scale areas. Unfortunately, water-jet cutting AR 500 steel is an extremely slow and expensive process. For most manufacturers and price savvy consumers it's not a cost-effective option.

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Laser cuttingLaser cutting is the second best methodused to cut AR500 targets. The kerf(width of laser beam) is tiny at just a fewthousandths of an inch. Newer andmore powerful lasers cut very quickly and efficiently with minimal introduction of heat into the cut part. Cut quality and dimensional tolerance are also excellent, suffering only slightly in high mill scale areas. Today's best lasers cut fast and efficiently allowing the manufacturer to pass the savings on to their customers.

Our targets are cut on the machine in the image above.Scroll to the bottom video in the play list on this page to see it cutting, click here.

Plasma cuttingPlasma cutting, (submerged or not) is third in line for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that with a plasma cutter the cutting kerf is many times wider than that of laser. This wider kerf results in a lot more heat being put into the part, exactly what we want to avoid. The cut quality also suffers, it's unable to match the precision of a laser or water jet.

Plasma cutting is fairly cheap and has a much lower cost of entry than purchasing a state of the art laser cutter. For that reason plasma cutting is fairly popular with smaller manufacturers. If plasma cutting machines cost as much as lasers I am confident no one would use them to cut AR500 targets.

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Torch cuttingI'll make this quick and easy, besides the poor cut quality torches introduce far too much heat into the targets to be considered for use cutting targets.

SELECTING A TARGET

ThicknessI'm surprised by how many people over buy their targets paying for more thickness than they really need. I suspect it's because most don't grasp how tough AR500 is. Buy the thickness best suited to YOUR use Don't over buy, thicker targets cost more and don't ring as loudly.

I have an easy to use selection chart on my website, you can check it out on my website by clicking here.

Another spending mistake I see often is a family of pistol shooters will put in a large order of 1/2” targets because a neighbor who shoots a 338 Lapua might stop in to shoot from time to time. Don't do that, buy the thickness of targets that are best suited for your needs.

If you want to accommodate that neighbor and his monster 338 Lapua buy a 1/2” gong for him to use with the money that you will save from buying your family the1/4” (or whatever other) thickness targets that are better suited for your needs.

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SizeThere are several things to consider when deciding what size of target you want. The first thing you should know is that larger targets ring louder than smaller ones. A 16 inch gong (especially the thinner ones) can ring very loudly while a 3 inch gong (especially the thicker ones) will have more of a dull smacking sound.

If sound is important to you then you should know the 10” gong and larger are significantly louder than the smaller 8” and under gongs. If you're not too concerned with the sound then select a size you feel would be appropriate for your shooting situation.

LoudnessIf loud targets are important to you then the basic rule is to buy the largest and thinnest target you can afford suitable for whatever you are shooting at them.

Wear noise canceling earmuffs, as they cancel the sound of the shot, then amplify the sound of the ring afterwards WIN/WIN. Earplugs muffle the shot but also the ringing target (not good). Not wearing earplugs will make it hard to hear anything besides the shot (also not good).

TIP- Electronic muffs are cheap, buy a pair you will be glad you did.

How you mount your targets can also impact their loudness, more on that here.

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STEEL TARGET SAFETY

Shooting distanceFor maximum safety it's recommended to shoot no closer than 10 yards using pistols or 50 yards with rifles. ALWAYS WEAR SHOOTING GLASSES when shooting steel targets, even observers just to be safe.

PittingA pitted target is an unsafe target especially when using handguns due to the closer shooter proximity to the target. Pits can increase the likelihood of a ricochetcoming back to the shooter. Luckily pitting can be avoided by obeying a few simple rules.

1. Keep the speed of the bullet below 3000 ft./s at the point of impact. It's the heat produced at the point of impact that damages the temper of the steel and produces the pit. .223 /5.56 22-250, etc need to back up to appropriately reduce the speed of your bullets to avoid pitting your targets.

2. Never use steel core ammo, green tip, XM-855 penetration rounds, Russian silver tip or any other ammunition with a steel core. Not only does steel core ammunition cause excessive pitting it also ricochets to a high degree and does not break down at impact like lead bullets do.

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3. Mount your targets on an angle so the bullets have an easier path to the ground. More on that here.

Some shooters will still shoot cheap steel core ammunition at their steel targets, others will break the 3000fps rule and shoot their AR15's at 50 yards or even closer regardless of the fact that it's strongly recommended not to do so.

If you insist on abusing your steel targets with close range rifles or steel core ammunition make sure that you save one non abused, non pitted side for safe use with pistols.

HANGING YOUR TARGETS

Hang targets on an angleMounting your targets on an angle gives thebullet an easier path to the ground. Not only isthe safer due to reduced ricochet risk it alsotransmits less damaging heat to the targets. Rob from Armslist.com did a great job of explaining that for us in the video on the left side of this page. Click here to check it out.

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Let your targets moveWhenever possible mount your targets so that they can move freely when hit. Not only does the movement give you additional indication of a hit, it also transmits less energy into the target itself.

What to useWe prefer to use chain to mount targets whenever possible. Our mounting kits use 1/4” 30 proof chain and find it to be a cost-effective and durable option in most situations.

TIP- Make sure your mounting kits are secured tightly to the targets or it can deaden the sound.

High velocity rifles can break chains and a broken chain can stop your fun, especially if you're at the range. For this reason I like to take along chain repair links so if I happen to break a chain I can repair it quickly and easily at the range even without tools.

Some shooters like to mount their targets with straps because they can absorb some hits without breaking. I have also heard of customers using lengths of used fire hose or conveyor belting for this purpose.

I have some pictures of a customer who did this near the bottom of our gallery.

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TARGET STANDS

Okay you bought some targets, now you need some method of getting them up inthe air so you can shoot at them. There are a few different options depending on what your needs are I will go over a few of the more popular ones here.

Portable standsPortable target stands are designed to be taken with you to the range and then folded up and taken back home with you when you're done using them. Not everybody has enough land to be able to shoot safely on their own property. If you have to pack up

and take your gear to the range you might consider a portable target stand like the one we offer here.

SawhorseThe saw horse style target stand is forshooters who don't intend on havingto travel with their stands and don'tmind spending a little time buildingone themselves. Here's an example ofa sawhorse style stand built by acustomer. You can find more examples of customer built stands on our gallery page here.

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Shepherds hooksShepherds hooks can be a nice low-cost option for mounting targets butthey do have two significantdisadvantages. You can only hang onetarget per shepherds hook andshepherd hooks cannot support theweight of heavier targets.

A 10” x 1/2” gong is pushing it for thistype of mount. Shepherds hooks areavailable in most Lowe's or Home Depot's for under $10.

As you can see in the image it's pretty nice to be able to randomly disperse your targets in your shooting area.

Tree / post mountsThis is exactly what it sounds like. A tree or post mount allows you to bolt a mount to hang a target from the side of a tree, 4 x 4, railroad tie or anything else you can think of. When building a home range it can be beneficial to have targets placed randomly throughout the field of fire. These type of mounts make it easy totake advantage of trees or other wooden structures to hang targets from. I'll be offering these on my site for sale very soon.

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RANDOM TIPS

Painting targetsMost all shooters paint their targets after a fewmagazines because it allows the shooters to more easilysee where they've hit the target and gives an extra layerof feedback that make shooting even more enjoyable.

I've found the most effective paint for targets to be a high-quality primer that coats fast and dries quickly. Resist the temptation to cheap out on the spray paint, you end up using four times as much and waiting four times as long for it to dry.You can see what I use by clicking here.

Flip targetsFlipping your targets periodically is a good idea because as the bullets hit the targets they cause the surface to expand ever so slightly. After many thousands of hits this can cause the target to dish slightly. If upon inspection you notice your targets have begun to dish simply flip them around. Thinner targets are more prone to dishing then thick ones are so keep that in mind.

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Wrapping targetsWhen you hit a small light target with a high-powered rifle it can cause the target to wrap around the top of the target mount. This can make the target difficult to hit and is also hard of the chain and mounting equipment because of the abrupt stop.

It can be frustrating to have to walk 600 yards out to unwrap your target so you can continue to shoot it with your rifle. If you find your targets are wrapping up onyou, you might want to mount them in a way that they can rotate around your mounting bar instead of wrapping up on it. Again, we have some examples of people using straps in our gallery on our website.

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BONUS LINKS

Listed below are a few extra ways that you can take advantage of our special promotions and offers.

Refer A FriendEarn in store credit for referring your friends to us Learn more here. I have people who have earned THOUSANDS of dollars worth of free targets by taking advantage of this program.

Facebook GiveawayWe have a Facebook store and continuously run giveaway offers there for a free 8”x3/8” gong, if interested you can enter here. If it's full when you check it out try again later, we re-start them as soon as they fill up.

Affiliate ProgramIf you have a website with traffic in the gun/shooting/hunting space why not partner with us and put a link to us in your content? We pay 10% of every sale and it could not be easier. Learn more here.

Final WordsIf you are already a customer I'd like to sincerely thank you for your business, if not, I hope to have you on board as a happy customer in the future.Is there something you would like me to add to this ebook? Let me know here.

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