Steel targets

[NoName47]

Not sure if this is the right area to put this but whatever. I just got some steel plates and am looking for ways to hang/mount them. I need some DIY ideas cause im not spending $40 just to stick it on a 2x4. Needs to hold up somewhat to weather. I was thinking of using pipe or rebar with chains. Any ideas are appreciated.

 

[Mn Fats]

I did this. Super simple. Super solid. Surprisingly light. Treated 2x6s so it'll hold up to weather. Unfortunately I also did this with my M1 Garand yesterday attempting to sight in for the Centerfire Rifle Challenge (which I'm still having trouble finding on this forum for some reason) Forgot that plate wasn't AR500 . 30-06 punched clean through. But now if I miss that target, I can say it must have went through one of the holes .

 

[Hokie_PhD]

How about a pick
So we can get ideas of what you’re dealing with

 

[NoName47]

Im not home rite now but they are just standard 8 in gong style(2 holes not 1 center hole) with 1/2 holes for carriage bolts. If you need pictures I will try to remember later

 

[NoName47]

I did this. Super simple. Super solid. Surprisingly light. Treated 2x6s so it'll hold up to weather.View attachment 835467 View attachment 835469 Unfortunately I also did this with my M1 Garand yesterday attempting to sight in for the Centerfire Rifle Challenge (which I'm still having trouble finding on this forum for some reason)View attachment 835470Forgot that plate wasn't AR500 . 30-06 punched clean through. But now if I miss that target, I can say it must have went through one of the holes .

With those plates, do they take a while to stop swinging after being hit.

 

[Mn Fats]

The Ar500 plates will swing for maybe 5 seconds or less on my setup I guess. But that's why two are chained. A feel like if it's on a fixed bar, you have to wait a little while longer for it to stop swinging. Chain seems to damper it a little better. I'm going all chains next time around. Just have to keep them tight. Pulling on the corners almost. Which I didn't do. Again, next time .

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Im not home rite now but they are just standard 8 in gong style(2 holes not 1 center hole) with 1/2 holes for carriage bolts. If you need pictures I will try to remember later

A picture is worth a 1000 words, but a good description is almost as good.

How about bolting them to 2x4s or plywood then building a way to hold that?

It seems to me as long as they have holes then it’ll be easy to mount them.

 

[MikeInOr]

Not sure if this is the right area to put this but whatever. I just got some steel plates and am looking for ways to hang/mount them. I need some DIY ideas cause im not spending $40 just to stick it on a 2x4. Needs to hold up somewhat to weather. I was thinking of using pipe or rebar with chains. Any ideas are appreciated.

$40 to mount on a 2x4? That is an expensive 2x4!

I just use hook screws into the 2x4 cross bar. When the 2x4 cross bar is shot out I just replace it with a new one. If you wanted to go cheap you might be able to get away with just driving a 16 penny nail into the 2x4 part way then bend it over into a hook.... I don't know if that would pull out or not? ...have a couple extra hook screws or nails in your range bag as one will likely get hit eventually.

If your friends are anything like my friends ANYTHING you use for a stand it going to be shout out eventually... so I just go as cheap as possible!

 

[NoName47]

$40 to mount on a 2x4? That is an expensive 2x4!

I meant for the steel brackets that go on a 2x4

If your friends are anything like my friends ANYTHING you use for a stand it going to be shout out eventually... so I just go as cheap as possible!

Thats why i was looking for options besides wood

 

[NoName47]

I just use hook screws into the 2x4 cross bar.

Do the targets ever swing or bounce off the the hooks or do you bend them closed

 

[MikeInOr]

Do the targets ever swing or bounce off the the hooks or do you bend them closed

I hit the hooks with the hammer so they are closed up a lot more than they come out of the package and the chains holding the targets rarely fall off the hooks... I like to remove the targets from the 2x4 cross bar when I am done shooting (I use a public range).... a 2x4 full of AR500 targets gets really heavy! I do use chain between the target and the hooks... it keeps the hooks from pulling out of the 2x4 and lowers the chance of the 2x4 being hit. If you have friends like mine ANYTHING will be hit. One buddy hit my chronograph... from 2 feet away!


P.S. I knew you were talking about those expensive 2x4 hangers they sell.... I was jsut being a Smart A$$.

 

[NoName47]

My shooting range is my back yard so they will sit there forever

 

[Walkalong]

If they have two holes, chain and bolts works fine, make sure it tilts forward when hanging.

I made a base for a 2x4 out of an old base from an IV pole. I've actually made three now, all different. Pollen is thick here.

 

[Walkalong]

$17, fits on a T-Post. hangs some one hole steel targets.

https://makeitringtargets.com/products?olsPage=products/ar-500-target-hanger-t-post-topper-hook

$21, fits on a 2x4

https://makeitringtargets.com/produ...gong-hanger-with-12-carriage-bolt-wide-narrow

They have good prices on targets as well, someone linked us to this place in the last steel target thread.

 

[Varminterror]

Lots of options. Depends on your DIY capabilities somewhat, but even VERY simple projects can be done for little money to produce high quality, high function racks.

For smaller targets, up to about 10” 1/2”, a guy can hang directly on a “shepherds crook” found for about $12 in most lawn and garden departments, meant for hanging potted/basketed plants. I’ve hung 66% IPSC from these as well.

A DIY’er with a drill can also buy 6’ lengths of angle iron at home improvement stores, bolt the 3 together in a tripod, and then even bolt two of those together to make a swing set. I use cable to limit how far mine open to give them added stability. They fold down nicely for transport, and can hold a 6-7ft span of VERY heavy targets. I usually hang a 24” round 3/8” target and two 1/2” 66% IPSC’s on mine.

In a cab now, but can attach a couple pics of mine shortly.

 

[Varminterror]

Same angle iron in both pictures, but with one leg from each bolted to the other to make a swing set.

Wanna say each 6ft length was $16-17, plus the chain cost and a handful of bolts, nuts, and washers.

 

[Tilos]

The steel should hang at angle downward, so the bullets deflect down:

Here's some other threads on steel targets:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?search/36760571/&q=Steel+Targets&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

 

[Varminterror]

Getting to 20* down defection is pretty easy. 2 nuts on a 1/2” bolt behind a 66% IPSC gets there, without even gapping the nuts. That pic above is way more down angle than necessary, that’s a tiny target, it doesn’t need nearly that much gap between the chains and the plate. At longer ranges, however, the target angle is largely irrelevant, especially when hanging on straps or chains so the target can move.

 

[LoonWulf]

https://www.amazon.com/FLAT-CORNER-...t=&hvlocphy=9032769&hvtargid=pla-594087434634

Used those (locally from Ace) 1" EMT, some chain, and quick links, to do a few racks for a buddy.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

If you are leaving them in one place, use fence T posts. Drive two in the ground and hang the plates on chains between them

 

[luzyfuerza]

Two t-posts, plus two of these brackets



https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...chPreview-_-DidYouMean-_-Product&cm_vc=-10005

plus a 2x4 between the t-posts/brackets.

Hang the targets on chains from the 2x4.

 

[Chuck R.]

1st question to answer is; permanent or portable??

I use a combination of both depending on the purpose. Most of my rifle steel is permanently mounted, the majority of my handgun steel in portable to I can move it around to set up drills and CoFs/Stages.

For one set of rifle targets I use a similar setup to the one luzyfuerza mentioned above. It's cheap and works well utilizing "T" Posts:



https://www.shootsteel.com/products...MI76Lq39G54QIVR77ACh0pqQ0sEAQYASABEgINxfD_BwE

One of my favorite "T" post setups comes from Hang Fast Steel:



A simple bracket that slips over a post and hangs a target using a 3 link piece of chain. Very sturdy and have wrench cutouts for the common bolt/nut sizes for hanging:

https://hangfasttargets.com/products/standard-hanger

One of my other DIY stands uses threaded pipe and 2x4s to make portable plate stands. The plates are mounted using through bolts with springs to allow for movement:



The other stands I like are commercially made from Arntzen. Not exactly cheap, but they are portable and have held up very well:

 

[nhcruffler]

This is my .22 & hand gun range behind the house. I cut some silhouettes out of scrap plywood and screwed them to some grade stakes. Used whatever I had on hand to hang the steel. My 100 yrs range is just a 12" gong hung off stakes ( which do need an upgrade) . Sorry for the poor quality pics.

 

[roval]

bought bracket and hooks off ebay and 5 foot lengths of emt conduit from hardware.

 

[ericuda]

U will want to move them for range or for fun. Grab some plant holder shepherds hooks for less than 10 bucks at farm supply store. I have 3 mounted and way more on hooks just wherever. Wonder what gets shot more.