Need steel target advice

[WATERWALKER]

A few years ago I bought a few JC Steel targets. They’ve held up very well w/ no cratering or pitting. That being said, I’m not shooting them closer than 250 yards or w/ magnums.

I’ve got a few silhouettes I hang w/ brackets off T-posts & I’ve got a target stand w/ rebar legs & crossmember that I hang a 25% IPSC from as well. Our local range only goes to like 500 yards, but the steel rings very loudly, - even the 25% IPSC leaves no question whether you hit it ir

The T-posts are very convenient as far as range set up goes. I place them wherever I feel the need each trip & pull them when I leave. I drive them in only as far as I deem necessary (w/ a driver) & wiggle as needed to pull them.

Range setup & tear down is really easy as long as you don’t sink the T-post 18” deep, LOL. I’m west of you in DR so the soil is similar.

 

[Bear9350]

I help manage a club range going out to 600 yards. The steel that stays out on the range for general use all the time hangs from rubber straps from stands. All the hardware, especially anything exposed to possible bullet impacts is grade 8. It can be a real pain sourcing grade 8 carriage bolts but they can be found. It's worth it though because anything lesser blows up with a single impact and then you have a target down.
I'm working on transitioning all the steel that is used for special events to the JC steel target type slotted hanger with a t-post and hanger bracket. So much easier to set up and take down the range for a match using these style targets. I don't have to worry about a piece of hardware getting shot off or loosening up and causing a target failure.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Made at the house and portable. Target size can be changed if you feel like it based off range. I add a small paddle to the top for a challenge sometimes

 

[Steel head]

Jesus!

No way I’m hiking that into my spots!

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Good deal on plates from a hide member.
Qty 5- 12"x12" Squares 1/4" AR500 for $105 shipped.

https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/ar500-targets-1-4”-thick.6975912/#post-8272666

There are plenty of home built pipe hangers ideas floating around.

Heres one of mine. You can substitute different length pipes for taller or wider. Electrical conduit is cheap and readily available.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Jesus!

No way I’m hiking that into my spots!

He said “ranch” so surely he has some toys to navigate said ranch. And I said portable not “man portable” ,maybe crew served is a better description

 

[Steel head]

He said “ranch” so surely he has some toys to navigate said ranch. And I said portable not “man portable” ,maybe crew served is a better description

 

[vinconco]

It can be a real pain sourcing grade 8 carriage bolts but they can be found. It's worth it though because anything lesser blows up with a single impact and then you have a target down.

We did some testing on GRADE 8 bolts and found that most of the failures of NON GRADE bolts involve the heads popping off from torque forces on the target plate from bullet impacts. It usually looks like they were shot off but most of the time the heads just pop off. High Tensile strength GRADE 8 bolts resist these forces and target failures are greatly reduced.
Hang Fast Targets has a good supply of GRADE 8 bolts available HERE

Here is an example of a NON GRADE bolt head that popped off during testing of our new CLOSE RANGE RIFLE TARGET. It popped off after about 20 rounds of 7.62 x 39 @ 25 yards. I thought I hit it with a "lucky" shot but upon reviewing the camera footage it was obvious the bullet did not strike the bolt head but hit the lower corner of the plate imparting torque stresses on the bolt head. I went back to the range and managed to find the bolt head.
We switched to GRADE 8 and the testing resumed for hundreds of rounds with no problems.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Just for the sake of portability here are two more I use. The one on the left is purchased as a kit and the right one I made with leftover 1” conduit (sourced from local scrap bin) for legs and some cheap 1” square tube stock from Lowes that cost 6 bucks. Flat steel from Lowes probably another 6 bucks. Cut and weld myself, so minus steel I have about twelve bucks in this setup. Both break down and will fit in a backpack just about completely.

 

[vinconco]

Just for the sake of portability here are two more I use. The one on the left is purchased as a kit and the right one I made with leftover 1” conduit (sourced from local scrap bin) for legs and some cheap 1” square tube stock from Lowes that cost 6 bucks. Flat steel from Lowes probably another 6 bucks.

T Posts cost less than 5 bucks each and I can hang multiple targets on each T Post. T Posts can be used ANYWHERE except solid rock.
Hillsides are no problem.

Here is another system for those that must use chains that works on all terrain.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

T Posts cost less than 5 bucks each and I can hang multiple targets on each T Post. T Posts can be used ANYWHERE except solid rock.
Hillsides are no problem.

Here is another system for those that must use chains that works on all terrain.

All your pics are broken for me.

 

[vinconco]

All your pics are broken for me.

I changed the source for the pics so try refreshing the page and let me know if that works.

 

[acudaowner]

steel is fun you shoot it , if you hit it , it makes noise happy happy add the those lights when hit they flash that is pretty cool as well least till you or someone else hit the light and they break another fun one is golf balls those things shoot out where ever its pretty cool trying to re find them and hit again and again

golf balls on berm started at 300 yards some ended up out around where that truck was around 400 yards some go straight up others I will have to look for next time at the range .

 

[roostercogburn98]

@vinconco what kind of brackets are those? I like those and look like some flexibility in hanging height.

 

[Diver160651]

@vinconco what kind of brackets are those? I like those and look like some flexibility in hanging height.

Hang Fast.. The plates are reactive and loader than most other hangers.

Look at the video below. Note that I think I am shooting either a 6mm 105 or a 6.5 123.. either way a small caliber.

The first plate is a 3/8" AR 500 JC target popper, 30 seconds in the camera switches to the 900y target using the Hang Fast IPSIC 1/4" AR500.


Listen to the sound of the large plate hit with a small caliber relatively far and see how reactive it is.. This is what I was discussing in post #38

 

[dghboy315]

Another vote for T-posts.

And D-M Targets has great prices

D-M Targets

AR500 targets and hangers that don't break the bank. Targets are engineered for reactivity, reliability and ease of use.

www.d-mtargets.com

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

Damn, the hangers cost more than the plate and T post combined.

 

[vinconco]

Hook type hangers are junk after you break off the hook.
We use bolts that will set you back less than 2 bucks.

Hang Fast hangers start at under 10 bucks for small plates
For large plates they start @ 17.95

 

[Bear9350]

@vinconco what did your stack up look like on the bolt head that popped? I have a piece of rubber between the plate and nut so I find it unlikely the bolt heads were popping off. Most of the time one shot takes the majority of the head off and the next impact on the bolt head takes the rest. This is on a club range that sees a lot of use. If you are using chain I could see the head popping off. Bolt stretch is also an important factor not often considered.

It took some searching last year but I finally did find a source for grade 8 hardware that I could purchase in bulk for not to much more then standard hardware.

 

[Sheldon N]

Another vote for T-posts.

And D-M Targets has great prices

I really like the Key-Lock style hanger they offer.

 

[vinconco]

@vinconco what did your stack up look like on the bolt head that popped? I have a piece of rubber between the plate and nut so I find it unlikely the bolt heads were popping off. Most of the time one shot takes the majority of the head off and the next impact on the bolt head takes the rest. This is on a club range that sees a lot of use. If you are using chain I could see the head popping off. Bolt stretch is also an important factor not often considered.

It took some searching last year but I finally did find a source for grade 8 hardware that I could purchase in bulk for not to much more then standard hardware.

The holes in my plates are square so I use 1/2" Grade 8 CARRIAGE bolts.
I've been using this setup for over 5 years never popped a bolt head until I used a non grade bolt.
I know I didn't hit the bolt with the bullet because I had 2 video cameras on it at the time and the video showed the hit at the bottom of the plate. I posted a pic of the bolt head earlier in this thread and there isn't a mark on it.

The reason for the extreme angle is for close range rifle. The angle deflects frags and energy downward increasing the life of the plate. The longer bolt increases the angle using the Hang Fast hanger.

Here is a pic of my stack.

 

[fusiachi]

!/8 and 3/16 thicknesses can be good choices for AR400-500 shot at longer distances, especially when portability is an issue. A 7SAUM pushing 195s at ~2800 fps. will dent a 1/8" plate at 800, but I've found that to be an insignificant price to pay compared to the relative ease of setup in a spot where we have to hump targets in from a road. The plates themselves become a bit convex after a number of hits, but it's easy to turn them around on the mount and just shoot them back flat again.

 

[Diver160651]

Damn, the hangers cost more than the plate and T post combined.

LOL and people wonder why we charge for Matches..

Heck just lat year we put a couple more K into targets. Will do more in 2020. The thing is, if the stuff can weather a 40-100 shooters banging away 10X a year you know the money is well spent. We also see the ones that fail miserably.

FYI also sent you and email about a partner and fellow Hide guy, Bay Area local.

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

LOL and people wonder why we charge for Matches..

Heck just lat year we put a couple more K into targets. Will do more in 2020. The thing is, if the stuff can weather a 40-100 shooters banging away 10X a year you know the money is well spent. We also see the ones that fail miserably.

FYI also sent you and email about a partner and fellow Hide guy, Bay Area local.

Speaking of which I believe #86 is out of commission.

It was folded and hanging on for dear life right up to the end.