Homemade Rimfire Targets 2.0

[Trigger Monkey]

About 10 years ago I made some steel rimfire targets from 1/4" thick steel stock you can get from Lowes. I'm the first to admit they were crudely cut out and they kinda did the trick but recently I wanted to improve on the concept. I got some of the same steel, did some math to make templates, and had a local machine shop cut new targets out for me. Going left to right they scale to represent a BC target at 200 yards, a BC target at 300 yards, and an IPSC target at 400 yards when placed at 50 yards. I took them three of my old targets so hopefully soon I'll be able to pick up another 200 yarder and two 300 yarders.

Previously I mounted the targets to steel stakes with bolts, this time around I'm still using steel stakes, albeit longer, and using hooks so they will swing. The goal is to have more realistic reactive targets that I can use for rimfire practice sessions.

I'm kicking around a couple "no welding" ideas give one of the 200 yd BC's a reactive flapper. I may also make some square shapes too that scale out to a 12" plate at 300, 400, 500...I dunno, we'll see.

 

[mikeshaw2]

If you'd care to share the files, I could use some. Fixin to set up a home range that has maybe 75yds once my suppressor is out of jail

M

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I actually just made some templates this afternoon because I had a feeling someone would ask. When I did it I printed my templates out on card stock, cut them out, and traced them onto the steel.

 

[mikeshaw2]

awesome! Thanks

M

 

[xocyrusx]

About 10 years ago I made some steel rimfire targets from 1/4" thick steel stock you can get from Lowes. I'm the first to admit they were crudely cut out and they kinda did the trick but recently I wanted to improve on the concept. I got some of the same steel, did some math to make templates, and had a local machine shop cut new targets out for me. Going left to right they scale to represent a BC target at 200 yards, a BC target at 300 yards, and an IPSC target at 400 yards when placed at 50 yards. I took them three of my old targets so hopefully soon I'll be able to pick up another 200 yarder and two 300 yarders.

View attachment 7901452

Previously I mounted the targets to steel stakes with bolts, this time around I'm still using steel stakes, albeit longer, and using hooks so they will swing. The goal is to have more realistic reactive targets that I can use for rimfire practice sessions.

I'm kicking around a couple "no welding" ideas give one of the 200 yd BC's a reactive flapper. I may also make some square shapes too that scale out to a 12" plate at 300, 400, 500...I dunno, we'll see.

I’m slow today… BC?

 

[Trigger Monkey]

It's the outline of the B and C scoring zones of an IPSC target.

 

[st1650]

Get those cheap lollipops/sucks and shoot them at 75 and 100 yards.

 

[xocyrusx]

It's the outline of the B and C scoring zones of an IPSC target.

Gotcha… long day… didn’t put that together

 

[TACC]

Thanks for the assist.

Great idea, I like the ingenious idea of putting them on the 1/2 hook.

I'm curious as to how well the idea worked.

And do you think you could use that idea at say 200 or 300 yards for centerfire?

Do you have actual dimensions for the ipsc targets at different yardages?

 

[Trigger Monkey]

There's no reason you couldn't scale the targets for 200 or 300 yards to reduce them down to simulate targets at further distances, it's just a matter of doing the math. For example, a BC zone target that's about 2 3/8" wide X 4 3/4" tall would scale to look like it is about 1,000 yards away if put at 200 yards. It should also range correctly, if you range it at true dimensions you'd get 200 yards but if you ranged it as if it was 12" x 24" it'd range at 1,000 yards.

You'd have to have them cut from appropriate steel though if you're going to shoot it with a center fire rifle.

 

[68hoyt]

What are the D dimensions of a full size target ?

 

[Trigger Monkey]

A BC Zone target is 12" X 24" usually and a full size IPSC is 18" X 30"

 

[egd]

re the half hooks-I'd go with a whole hook. The first time that round smacks the plate it's going to go flying. And they are hard to find in tall grass.

 

[DFOOSKING]

brad at Atlas Targetworks has auto resetting target mounts and about a dozen options ranging from animals to IPSC's.

 

[MarkCZ]

I don't have the equipment to cut steel. I use Magnum Steel knockdown's https://magnumtarget.com/product-category/knock-overs/ I run a long range 22lr steel. We have the 1.5" eggs, 5" IDPA, and 4" round. We have railroad rails the set these up. A 4"X4" or 6"x6" post laying down, works great. If you get the targets rated for pistols, the cost is lower.

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I took the targets to the range this morning to test out at 50 yards and all in all they survived just fine. The big IPSC one made out of AR500 that I got in a trade years back and the lollipop and one on a stick were ones I made years ago. I'm going to need to make some tweaks to the auto-resetting targets, I think the springs are giving out.

The hooks did ok, only one fell off the hook because I shot it in the head and flipped off but just fell straight down. Probably the biggest issue was with the two smaller ones, when I'd shoot them they actually rode back on the hook and rested against the stake. I'm going to troubleshoot that one today but I already have a couple of ideas. For less than $25 invested, I'm happy and looking forward to adding a few more. I'm definitely going to cut out some square ones too to simulate 12" plates.

 

[6.5SH]

Small hose clamp as a travel stop on the bolt. Slit piece of fuel hose and a ziptie could work as well.
I ran into the same issue with the Lowe's Shepherd hooks and NRL22 targets, with the smaller targets it would launch the target over the hump and down the main shaft.

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I was thinking a rubber stopper or something along those lines, I was going to hit up the hardware store and see what they had. For one of my auto reset targets I was going to try to rig up an AR hammer spring, I dunno, just having fun tinkering with them.

 

[DFOOSKING]

You want to go to farm/hardware store and get yourself some castration bands. You get like 100-200 for a couple bucks. They are thick rubber and grips tight....as they are designed to. lol

 

[nockhunter]

You could jam a nut to the end of the threads. It would keep the plates from moving against the stake. You could bend the threaded part down a bit and leave a little some more hook.

Mike

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I updated the auto resetting hostage target using the AR hammer spring. It seems to work pretty good but it might be next weekend before I can shoot it again to test it out.

 

[Bigtee-02]

I bought this set from JC Steel Targets to add to my other target setup.

 

[sjmpcc022]

You want to go to farm/hardware store and get yourself some castration bands. You get like 100-200 for a couple bucks. They are thick rubber and grips tight....as they are designed to. lol

A very true statement stated by someone who obviously knows! Made many a bull calf sad back in the day with those little rubber bands. If you have trouble finding them, they are a medium green, or at least they were in the 70's/80's. If you need to ask where they are, be sure to tell the guy u are an animal advocate, butchers and sadists castrate calves with a knife!!!!!