12-04-2019, 04:45 PM
In my limited experience, steel at 1000 yards starts to require a little extra thought. To be a 2 MOA target (my suggested minimum size); the metal size and weight starts getting pretty big. At the same time the bullet energy at 1000 yards gets pretty low. Combined with the ability to see and hear reports getting strained that far - further compounded by the more absorbing weight of the larger target. At 1000 yards, it gets tough to be sure you hit or not. Fresh white paint helps, but the practicality of that isn't as nice as the demonstration, as you have to travel that >1/2 mile to repaint it. Once you get 5 shots or so on there, it might be tough to start seeing more (depending). Once you get 20, forget about it. So that means you have to go up there and repaint every 20 shots? That's effort. Better if you can hear it and see it move.
So to that end, I'd suggest keeping it around 2-3 MOA, as larger just gets too massive. For thickness, I really don't know for sure, but I'd consider trying something a little thinner, since the bullet will be low energy by then anyway; and such should move more and so be more visible when you hit it (at 1000 yards).
Another option is to do a multi-plate version. Maybe four 16x16" squares in a big square, so that there will still be enough energy to visibly see one of them was hit and is moving.
So to that end, I'd suggest keeping it around 2-3 MOA, as larger just gets too massive. For thickness, I really don't know for sure, but I'd consider trying something a little thinner, since the bullet will be low energy by then anyway; and such should move more and so be more visible when you hit it (at 1000 yards).
Another option is to do a multi-plate version. Maybe four 16x16" squares in a big square, so that there will still be enough energy to visibly see one of them was hit and is moving.