Show your targets! What do you use?

[Joe13]

You can make a tall saw horse stand, lowes sells the saw horse hinge things for like $7 a pair, then use 2x4's to whatever length you wish. I made one with 5.5' legs, and a 6' cross beam.

It's a bit challenging for me to set-up if I'm solo, but I'm old & out of shape. Piece of cake to set-up with 2 or more folks.

Can hang the steel with 2" strapping using tow strap from harbor freight (?$20 for 20'). Or use chain.

I've only used it for pistol so far, but the same principle would apply for rifle.

Yup, that's how I built mine.

I used full 8' 2x4's though.

 

[Joe13]

I had never thought of that, I don't think I've even ever seen it researching target stands! I can get 2x4's free at work so I'd easily be in business. Tow strap sounds like a good plan to me. Thank you sir!

See post #4.

Been using them for years.

 

[oremike]

I've seen people use those two of those garden hook thingies to hang a gong off of, seemed to work well. For myself I like to aim small to miss small so I shoot these:NRA Official Smallbore Rifle Training Targets TQ-14 50' Chickens Pigs

 

[HarryHaller]

See post #4.

Been using them for years.

Ha, dang it. That's what I get for skimming earlier posts. I'm stoked to try it out. What size gongs have you hung from it? Do you use chain to hang them?

@oremike I have buddies that use the garden hooks with gongs for pistol targets and they work great, I've wondered about their durability with larger targets against bigger rifle rounds, have you seen how they hold up to that?

 

[Diamondback]

Ya know those annoying "YOU ARE PRE-APPROVED!" dummy credit cards?

Those, and bottle caps. I figure, when I can hit a Coke cap on demand, repeatedly, I've reached Good Enough.

 

[Joe13]

Ha, dang it. That's what I get for skimming earlier posts. I'm stoked to try it out. What size gongs have you hung from it? Do you use chain to hang them?

I don't own any gongs myself but had a friend out that for some reason though 1/2" rope would be enough...

He dinged away on an 8" plate for a few min with a .223 and then I hit it once with a 7.62x39 and knocked it clean off.

He said he loosened it for me so I shot the other 3 down with one hit each.

I would go chains personally. The straps will probably be strong enough but will catch shrapnel or a stray bullet and will fail sooner then later.

The chain is cheaper anyway but I would also buy a small box of 'S' hooks, as I've been to shoots where the chain got hit and broke and there was no way to re-attach it without welding equipment.


I just used regular drywall screws and took a charged cordless drill and extra battery to put it up and take it down. Plus a pair of pliers to close the 'S' hooks.


The 'legs' can be left attached to the metal brackets as they will fold in and then you only have to put the cross beam on with 2 screws on each side.


I've used 4' legs and beams for closer up target holders as well.

If you going to shoot paper/cardboard then just bring some 1x2's and put one or two screws in each. If long enough you can put targets below and above the main beam.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

View attachment 313369

'bout $15 worth of PVC & 2 furring strips. The PVC is friction fit so you can take it apart for storage/transport and I drilled holes halfway up in the furring strips every 2" so you can make it height adj by using a dowel/screw/pin/whatever. Edit: same thing as Kristina's link.

I like Kristina's and your target stands. I just went all PVC on mine. I use a piece of plywood for the baker and it shortens down enough that I can throw it in the back of my Honda accord or ford escape...

 

[ron]

Savage Model 10, 308. This is the load I worked up for my M1A.
Seems to work in the Savage. Need some time to do some load
development. 100 yards from the bench 5 shot.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

Savage Model 10, 308. This is the load I worked up for my M1A.
Seems to work in the Savage. Need some time to do some load
development. 100 yards from the bench 5 shot.
View attachment 314822 View attachment 314823

Finally, someone that knows how to shoot. POA=POI!!!!!! I like it in the X-ring and zeroed right. Here's how my African big game rifle shoots:

10 shot group at 100 yards:


10 shots from my .223 rem:



I know we all have rifles that shoot "1 moa all day long", here's a target of mine:

 

[oremike]

@oremike I have buddies that use the garden hooks with gongs for pistol targets and they work great, I've wondered about their durability with larger targets against bigger rifle rounds, have you seen how they hold up to that?

Haven't seen that, I'm mostly a pistol shooter.

 

[rubberband]

I like Kristina's and your target stands. I just went all PVC on mine. I use a piece of plywood for the baker and it shortens down enough that I can throw it in the back of my Honda accord or ford escape...

I just took the basic idea off the internet...don't remember where I saw it but for anyone who wants to make one, the materials are:

1 - 10' piece of sched 40 1 1/2" PVC
4 - 1 1/2" Ts
2 - 1 1/2" 90 degree
1 furring strip
2 screws

Cut the 10' PVC into (8) 15" pieces
Cut the furring strip in half
stack & tape the furring strips together and drill some holes every 2" from the bottom


dissembled & assembled pics attached. I chuck it and a tarp to catch my brass into a duffel bag and it's easily transported.

 

[Quartermaster]

I saw this design online today
Self feeding clays...with a collection bucket
View attachment 314757

 

[Camelfilter]

Ha, dang it. That's what I get for skimming earlier posts. I'm stoked to try it out. What size gongs have you hung from it? Do you use chain to hang them?

@oremike I have buddies that use the garden hooks with gongs for pistol targets and they work great, I've wondered about their durability with larger targets against bigger rifle rounds, have you seen how they hold up to that?

Ha! Joe's probably where I got the idea from I the first place, just couldn't remember who. Thanks!

My truck has an oddball size bed at 5.5' long, but I have 6' width wise at the rails under my cap/camper. If I keep them at 6' long with the bracket, there easy for me to haul horizontally without losing space to haul my other crap.

Nice thing about that system is they can be cut to fit in any vehicle.

 

[FordPrefect]

Here's my AR500 plate after a short day of shooting. It even withstood several hits from my 500, only 350 grain bullets though.

 

[eldbillbo]

Well before I got myself some Ar500 steel targets back in the early days I would find an apple tree and just pick the apples off the ground that no one would eat bio degradable and no wonder why so many deer hung out at the pit I shot at.

I also used frying pans that the teflon coating wore off on so they are no good any more for cooking they work great then you just trow them in the recycle bin.

I get a good laugh from ever one when I used a broken old ironing board and cloths hangers to hang frying pans from the Iron board lasted many shoots before going into the recycle bin and when shot up fits a lot better too.

Clay pigions I clay breaks down basically clay is just hardened mud.

Other peoples junk some times there is so much left over crap to shoot at I don't have to bring anything.

And before there was tannerlite I would buy the cheap $1 2 liter sodas and shake them up really good and shoot them .30 bullet it seem the bigger the bullet the bigger the explosion you would be amazed at what a big splash you would get from a shaken 2 liter soda bottle. of corse pick up the plastic as it is recyclable.

Also back in the days of cheap beer and ammo a shaken can of beer made a big splash as well.

I made a target stand from my daughter's crib. I took the metal parts a steel frame and bent into a L shape and hung targets from it.

I have welded various target frames I had on really nice one made where the pieces slid out of pocket so it could be disassembled but Then some friends decided to do some mag dumps at my target spraying the stand so it was stuck together.

I am all about recycling and getting the most use of junk around the house. Before scraping the metal I get one last use out of it and then bring it home and put it in a bin.

another thing is good for long range is saving all the non deposite plastic drink bottles and filling them with water and dye . not so good at short ranges as one try one shot and its toast but if you are shooting 400 yards or more its a good way to see you are hitting. but be sure to pick up you bottles when you are done and recycle them.

All about repurposing and recycling.

 

[Capn Jack]

Got this idea from a local range:
For a semi-permanent set up, drive two steel fence posts in the ground and
stretch chicken wire between them. Attach you paper targets with cloths pins.

 

[Diamondback]

Got this idea from a local range:
For a semi-permanent set up, drive two steel fence posts in the ground and
stretch chicken wire between them. Attach you paper targets with cloths pins.

Bonus, if you rig it right you can use it as a clothesline too.

 

[Member 34319]

I didn't realize I had a picture of it when I first got it!

 

[mjbskwim]

When not on a range , my friend Dave and I try to find the smallest , oddest colored or shaped rock and we each try and hit it.
Stray leftover shotgun shells are also great for this.
My wife makes soap so the ugly odds and ends make for fun targets.
Andy

How much bigger a target do you need than a shot shell?

OK sometimes when sighting in. Like today with my muzzle loader

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Mjbskwim,
How did you do sighting in your muzzleloader?
As for a bigger target , sometimes we shoot at the primed end of a loaded shot shell and try to touch it off with a round ball hit!
Andy