Recently one of our customers presented us with a question that we think should have more light shed on the subject!

Customer Question: Your targets use hardware to attach to the backing plates, where others weld the plates straight to the targets. Other manufacturers claim this method is superior due to the removal of anything on the front of the target that may cause ricochet. What would Blue Steel's response be to the use of fasteners instead of welding? 

BEST Response: There is very little concern of any ricochet from mounting hardware as they account for very little of the targets surface area! In research, it is much SAFER and more practical to mount your AR500 target NOT weld them especially in high strike zone areas. The reason is simple, by welding to the back of the target you heat up the AR500 steel, the heat then weakens the target plate leaving you with a target that will be a lot more likely to be affected by bullet strike and it will divot which makes bullet deflection erratic. Another good reason we bolt our targets is for longevity, you can reverse the target plate at any time and utilize both sides!