AR500 Steel Targets | Vet Owned & Zinc Plated | USA Steel
"America’s Toughest Steel Targets – Veteran-Owned & Battle-Tested"
Built from certified USA steel, ships fast. Trusted by 437,697+ shooters since 2012.
🎯Selecting The Right Targets
Why AR500 Steel Targets?
AR500 steel is a premium, high-carbon steel alloy engineered for unmatched durability and impact resistance.
The "AR" stands for "Abrasion Resistant," while the "500" refers to its hardness rating on the Brinell scale, typically between 470 and 540.
This exceptional hardness makes our steel targets incredibly resistant to wear, deformation, and damage—even under intense target impacts from high-velocity rounds.
Conclusion: AR 500 is the top choice of target material for any shooting target or target system requiring maximum strength and toughness.
⚖️ AR600 vs AR400 vs AR500
AR500: Gold standard— Durable, affordable, proven
AR600: Higher speed rating, but more expensive and brittle
AR400: Affordable, great for pistol, rimfire, airgun
Bottom Line: AR500 meets 95% of requirements, offering an ideal balance of hardness and toughness (non-brittle) for
shooting targets.
AR600 will pit slightly less at velocities of (2,850–>3,000 fps) however a target plate from this target material is more likely to develop cracks when shot than with AR500.
For more specific help on selecting a reactive target thickness see our 🧮 target thickness calculator.
🛡️ Steel Targets Safety
Always wear eye protection, even bystanders no exceptions
No green-tip or AP rounds into targets
Never exceed 2850 ft per second at the target
Inspect targets regularly for deep craters or pits
TLDR: When used correctly steel targets are very safe and every target will last a lifetime of use.
