I'm thinking of hanging a piece of 1/4-1/2" steel to shoot at so I can hear the hits. Seems like I shouldn't have to worry about ricochets with non-jacketed lead bullets and balls, right?
Steel Target?
- Thread starter Vermonter
- Start date
- Status
Make sure the "hanger", or hook attached to the back is high, or drill the hanging hole high, this will make the base tilt back towards the thing it's hanging from. The spent round will fall close to the target. Also, remember that lead some times splatters, so have the sides enclosed also. I'd put a couple of inches of sand below the target so's I could reclaim the lead. Have fun.
I shoot cap and ball revolver and muzzleloading pistol at old farm disc blades hung on chains There is a dirt bank/hill behind them and I never shoot from less than 25 yds away. They are concave and tend to stop the lead bullets within a few feet. Even if I mangage to send one through the hole in the center, they stop at the bank behind.
Farm disc blades are tempered and are very tough. But not suitable for anything but pistol and light round ball rifle charges.
Farm disc blades are tempered and are very tough. But not suitable for anything but pistol and light round ball rifle charges.
Vermonter,
I'm a CAS shooter and that's all we shoot at. SLTM1 is correct, but you need to make sure the plate is tilted slightly forward at the top to direct the splattered bullets down. He said that, but I wanted to make it clear.
Go look at this photo:
http://www.parmarng.org/freeidaho/AlSkDjFhG/CollapsablePlateHolder/125_2599.jpg
There are two things to notice, the target hangs at an angle because of the attachment point on the back and secondly it has one attachment point so the target "wobbles" when hit. Sand below the target is a good idea. The splatter will cut a trench at some point below the target depending upon the height of the firearm and the distance from the target.
If you refer to that picture again, an optimum set up would have the legs hidden by a hay bale or a berm. The ideal target is behind something that stops bullets from hitting the legs and provides a barrier to stop ricochets going down to the ground from coming back towards the firing line.
At ranges where targets are moved around hay bales work well. For a home or personal range make fixed target positions with permanent berms and then have multiple firing positions. You can move your shooting line up and down the range in a private setting.
Have fun
Mako
I'm a CAS shooter and that's all we shoot at. SLTM1 is correct, but you need to make sure the plate is tilted slightly forward at the top to direct the splattered bullets down. He said that, but I wanted to make it clear.
Go look at this photo:
http://www.parmarng.org/freeidaho/AlSkDjFhG/CollapsablePlateHolder/125_2599.jpg
There are two things to notice, the target hangs at an angle because of the attachment point on the back and secondly it has one attachment point so the target "wobbles" when hit. Sand below the target is a good idea. The splatter will cut a trench at some point below the target depending upon the height of the firearm and the distance from the target.
If you refer to that picture again, an optimum set up would have the legs hidden by a hay bale or a berm. The ideal target is behind something that stops bullets from hitting the legs and provides a barrier to stop ricochets going down to the ground from coming back towards the firing line.
At ranges where targets are moved around hay bales work well. For a home or personal range make fixed target positions with permanent berms and then have multiple firing positions. You can move your shooting line up and down the range in a private setting.
Have fun
Mako
We used 2/0 chain and grade 8 bolts with grade 8 washers and nuts. The chain mounted on the back makes the plates lean forward, so fragments will be directed down or be weakened if they're driven up. We used AR500 7" circles from qualitytargets and 1/3 size IDPA style tombstones from Wideners.com. They're mounted to frames made of black iron pipe stuck in the ground with spikes.
We used 2/0 chain because we figured if a hydraulic cutter at Lowes can cut through it, so could a bullet. 2/0 is sturdy enough but cheap to replace when it gets hit (rifle bullets cut through them like butter, but pistol bullets knock the zinc plating off)
30-06 and .308 slightly dimples the metal at 50 yards, 5.56 slightly dimples the metal at 50 feet. The edges of the metal are soft because the plasma/laser cutters ruin the temper when they're cut out, there are a few nicks on the edges from rifle bullet near misses. Welding can also soften them, too.
We used 2/0 chain because we figured if a hydraulic cutter at Lowes can cut through it, so could a bullet. 2/0 is sturdy enough but cheap to replace when it gets hit (rifle bullets cut through them like butter, but pistol bullets knock the zinc plating off)
30-06 and .308 slightly dimples the metal at 50 yards, 5.56 slightly dimples the metal at 50 feet. The edges of the metal are soft because the plasma/laser cutters ruin the temper when they're cut out, there are a few nicks on the edges from rifle bullet near misses. Welding can also soften them, too.
I have one of these "static" steel targets from G&T Targets. Works like a champ. So far no pistol caliber has phased it. I made my own base from an IV pole base. I also have a 3/8" by 12" square steel AR 500 target I made a holder for. The holder works on the target frames at the range. Sorry, no pics yet.
- Status
