22_Shooter 1,560 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) I have a 3/8" AR500 Brinell steel target on the way. This one: (Not bad for $39, since it comes with the holes pre-cut. Which seems kinda rare with steel targets like that.) My plan is to get 2 of these hanging plant poles for about $8 each: .........and then get some rope or chain to hang the target between the poles. The tracking info on the target says the package is 10lbs, so those poles should have no problem supporting it. Sounds kinda ghetto, huh? So that being said, anyone else have any other ideas? I just need it to be portable, cheap, and it has to allow the target to swing freely, to reduce the chance of ricochets (we'll be shooting at 100yrds with 5.56 and 7.62, so ricochets shouldn't really be too much of a concern anyway). So the above idea is the cheapest I could come up with, as far as a stand. But I'm always open to other ideas. Also, I found this video of a homemade PVC target stand. Cheap and easy. It'd be perfect for anyone who's into paper targets, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c_eA_oM_PY Edited June 20, 2012 by -Shooter- Quote Link to post Share on other sites
armalite_ar50 86 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 I use old bed frames setup like a swing set we hang bowling pins off of rope and go to town with the subguns on it. They bounce around really good and the more ya hit them the harder they are to hit on the next burst. I set it up so it folds and fit's in the back of my buddies cherokee losen the bolts colapse it throw it in and go. get there set it up hang pins and enjoy the day. Oh! Extra rope is good to, sooner or later yer gonna hit one and have to pick the pin up off of the ground and re hang it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted June 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 I use old bed frames setup like a swing set we hang bowling pins off of rope and go to town with the subguns on it. They bounce around really good and the more ya hit them the harder they are to hit on the next burst. I set it up so it folds and fit's in the back of my buddies cherokee losen the bolts colapse it throw it in and go. get there set it up hang pins and enjoy the day. Oh! Extra rope is good to, sooner or later yer gonna hit one and have to pick the pin up off of the ground and re hang it. Totally forgot about bowling pins! Yeah, those make awesome reactive targets, and it just so happens that my sister's friend's family owns a bowling alley, lol. Might have to hit them up for some old pins. Thanks for the reminder. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
armalite_ar50 86 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 Oh don't leave that plate anyplace where you can't see it or it will grow legs. This spring we had all our cross bars and steel plates stole out of the coal pits in Monroe county PA. We spent alot of time setting them up only thing left is the upright poles we placed in concrete. The took the plates, chains, and cross bars. We had it setup on the back side of a flooded quarry shooting over the lake. 1200 yards for the 50's Were pretty sure it was kids on quads that hauled then off for scrap. It was 5/8th plate steel 3 foot X 4 foot and we had 5 hanging for the 5 of us that shoot the BMG's together. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SaigaKen 338 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 I have a 3/8" AR500 Brinell steel target on the way. This one: (Not bad for $39, since it comes with the holes pre-cut. Which seems kinda rare with steel targets like that.) My plan is to get 2 of these hanging plant poles for about $8 each: .........and then get some rope or chain to hang the target between the poles. The tracking info on the target says the package is 10lbs, so those poles should have no problem supporting it. Sounds kinda ghetto, huh? So that being said, anyone else have any other ideas? I just need it to be portable, cheap, and it has to allow the target to swing freely, to reduce the chance of ricochets (we'll be shooting at 100yrds with 5.56 and 7.62, so ricochets shouldn't really be too much of a concern anyway). So the above idea is the cheapest I could come up with, as far as a stand. But I'm always open to other ideas. Also, I found this video of a homemade PVC target stand. Cheap and easy. It'd be perfect for anyone who's into paper targets, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c_eA_oM_PY I used one of those plant\yard flag holders once, but I was using a cardboard target. My first shot hit the bulls eyes and my .308 round sheared the pole in half......end of holder 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dad2142Dad 6,559 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 Please do not forget this is the political season. The signs still out there from the losers make great stands for the sticky back targets........ 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Mark 2,452 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 What about Chinese style? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matthew Hopkins 1,065 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 (edited) I will tell you what I use, and it cost me way under 5 bucks, in fact it's cheaper then paper targets. go to a garage sale and pick up x-mas tree ornaments. I find them for 25-50 cents a box. if you ever go to garage sales, every frickin' one of them have x-mas stuff. then I find a political sign, cost: zero shekels , get rid of the sign and I hang the x-mas ornaments off that, and shoot them. other great garage sale targets, bowling balls, elmo dolls, those god awful lawn ornaments, usually they are like a buck, but I offer 50 cents. BTW, I see those type of plant hankers here for a buck or 2 at garage sales Edited June 20, 2012 by Matthew Hopkins 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JoeAK 337 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 I use a railroad tie-plate for my .22 I made the stand in about 2 hours out of scrap wood some 1/4" steel rod and some wire coat hangers. It's similar to a saw horse and breaks into three pieces easily and quickly, the plate hangs from the top with the bent up coat hanger. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ImperialArt 29 Posted June 20, 2012 Report Share Posted June 20, 2012 That pic of the chinese soldier is great!!! Let's forget for a few moments that a moron is holding the target... I'm pretty sure those are houses or businesses of some sort in the background. But I'm sure that wooden fence will stop a 7.62 no problem. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Lots of good ideas! Putting holes in paper just loses it's luster after awhile. Oh don't leave that plate anyplace where you can't see it or it will grow legs. Unfortunately, the shooting spot is going to be available for a limited time only. A friend of the family who buys and flips houses just got a house with some land out in the boonies. So we're going to use it as a shoot spot until they're done fixing the house and are ready to sell it. So we won't be leaving anything behind when we're not there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
U.S. Pratorean 1,234 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Shooter, Where did you get that steel from if you don't mind.? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Shooter, Where did you get that steel from if you don't mind.? Wideners. They have quite a few different shapes/sizes in 3/8" and 1/2" AR500 steel. The big plus (for me, anyway) is that they all come with mounting holes pre-cut. I'm not sure of the going prices on AR500 steel targets, but Widener's prices seem good to me. I figure $39 for a target that should last a loooooong time (depending on how you plan to use it, of course) is a good deal. Shipping for the one pictured in my OP, which is about 10lbs, was $12 I think. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow. I'm going to be setting it up my back yard, just so I can paint the target with some white Rustoleum spray paint. That's another thing that's good about steel targets. Once you mark it up good with shots, you can just re-spray it for a fresh/clean target. Plus, the white will be easier to see hits at distance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mogunner 240 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 This is my buddy's place where we shoot. We call the target holders "trees". 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted June 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 This is my buddy's place where we shoot. We call the target holders "trees". There's a few trees that would work for target holders, where we're going to be shooting. But they're not close enough together to hang the steel from in a swinging motion, and I don't want just bolt it directly to the tree. Just because if it can't move, it's going to wear out the steel quicker and/or make ricochets more of a concern. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mogunner 240 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 We've got some spinner targets down near the 50 yard tree to plink at, then up close for handguns I have a frame that I welded together out of some old bed frames that folds down for when we shoot the farther distance targets, we usually blow up ballons to shoot at all over the place, freeze some gallon jugs of water, stuff like that but not much as neither of us likes to spend a lot of time cleaning up after shooting. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gunfun 3,931 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 double up the chains or cord that you hang it from. jacketing scraps tend to cut the strings and whatnot. Although cutting one string can make a surprise spinner target that can be fun. Is there a cheap source of the railroad tie plates that is not stealing them from the tracks? those are about perfect. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
armalite_ar50 86 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 For a RR plate just walk the tracks when they replace them they leave them on the side of the tracks. @ least around here they do I know a few people that ride four wheelers and collect them for scrap.... In PA all the abandon tracks are owned by rails & trails and the ones in service are considered trespassing. So get the 30 dollar permit for rails and trails and have @ it. there is alot of cool stuff to find on the tracks other than scrap steel. I know of a ghost town that is 100% complete with wooden sidewalks and water tower in UP STATE NY. Another good target stand are the reality signs they are a littl heavier than the political ones so they last longer. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
master of the bush 17 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Put a Shoot-n-See target on a lib's or owser's protest sign and let them be the target holder. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SaigaKen 338 Posted June 21, 2012 Report Share Posted June 21, 2012 Please do not forget this is the political season. The signs still out there from the losers make great stands for the sticky back targets........ OR use them like I do......Cardboard behind with thumbtacks through the front....... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Straydog 18 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 My shooting gallery, scrap wood air nailed together with political sign backing (staple gun works great for sticking targets to them), a couple of luan silloettes with lungs and hearts (my neighbors idea). And numerous aluminum cans I found behind a grainery. I got alot of those RR plates, I may have to rig up something for them. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Straydog 18 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Cans are getting pretty ventilated.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JoeAK 337 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) Is there a cheap source of the railroad tie plates that is not stealing them from the tracks? those are about perfect. I live right next to some railroad tracks, whenever they do work on 'em they tend to throw the old stuff over the hill into the woods, that's where I picked mine up, take a wire brush to it to get off some of the rust, then spray paint it and it makes a nice target. In this situation I don't really care if it's stealing, they toss it and forget it, and I've never seen 'em come back for it, there are entire sections of rail half buried in the hill from where they did the same thing. They are mild steel though so rifle rounds are gonna pit 'em, 7,62x39 makes about 1/8" divots, and .308 makes about 1/4" divots. Edited June 22, 2012 by JoeAK 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Straydog 18 Posted June 22, 2012 Report Share Posted June 22, 2012 Artillary 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted June 23, 2012 Report Share Posted June 23, 2012 In this video, they use a couple of the plant hangers as steel target holders. You can kind of get a feel on how they move around.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted June 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 In this video, they use a couple of the plant hangers as steel target holders. You can kind of get a feel on how they move around.... [media=] [/media] I'm subscribed to his vids. Not sure how I missed that one, haha. Thanks for the link. Looks like my setup will work fine then, since I'll have 2 plant holders supporting 1 target. ......................and DAMN his wife is hot. She's in a bunch of his other vids. He's a lucky man. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Yea, she bad. Love that southern twang too! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ckrockets 24 Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 ......................and DAMN his wife is hot. She's in a bunch of his other vids. He's a lucky man. luck has nothing to do with it....who says money can't buy happiness.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulyski 2,227 Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 A guy I know bought a brand new steel target... He went to a shooting spot, hung it up, and as soon as he gets to where he's going to shoot from it sounds like a gong orchastra.... Only problem was, it was rifle shooters & it was rated for 9mm... Needless to say he was absolutely livid, but there were too many potential witnesses....... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
22_Shooter 1,560 Posted July 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 A guy I know bought a brand new steel target... He went to a shooting spot, hung it up, and as soon as he gets to where he's going to shoot from it sounds like a gong orchastra.... Only problem was, it was rifle shooters & it was rated for 9mm... Needless to say he was absolutely livid, but there were too many potential witnesses....... The first time I took my ex to an outdoor range, she did something similar. It's an unsupervised range and everyone agrees on when the line will go cold, to change targets downrange. Well we showed up and unloaded and I was just taking shots at an old TV someone left as a target, while we waited to go cold so I could set up the targets I brought. Well, she didn't realize what was going on and she started taking shots at someone's spinner target (looked like it wasn't rated for anything more than .22) with my G19. Luckily I noticed it and she missed the few shots she got off before I said something, lol. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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