Steel gong target idea help

[Porter24]

I'm planning on doing a lot of steel plate shooting this summer and am going to be using my .223 and .308

Do you guys have blueprints or any advice on the best way to do it. Plan to use a 8-10in ar500 circle gong and the stand and all needs to fit in the back of a jeep grand cherokee.

Thanks

 

[Darkside-Six]

I'm planning on doing a lot of steel plate shooting this summer and am going to be using my .223 and .308

Do you guys have blueprints or any advice on the best way to do it. Plan to use a 8-10in ar500 circle gong and the stand and all needs to fit in the back of a jeep grand cherokee.

Thanks

I purchased a few steel targets 6" and 8" for about $10 each, were very cheap. I just place them on a shepherds hook and they work great. very easy and cost effective.

 

[oinco]

check out JCSteel's T-post hangers- very economical, so are T posts from your local ranch supply house- get a post driver and you are done. You could transport enough targets and hangers in your JGC for a whole match.

 

[roachm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN3--JT8R7U

this is what I plan on doing before this summer.
Looks like a great idea

 

[roggom]

I would look into the JC steel rebar and conveyor belt kits. I made my own stands out of angle iron for a 12" and 8" gong, but they are a pain in the ass to hump 800 Y. The rebar is cheap and can be bundled together with some paracord for the hump(unless you can drive to where you are going).

 

[JC Steel]

Porter, hope your well,

check out our T POST brackets, they are simple and effective. Sounds like it will be a good fit.

jcsteeltargets.com

 

[trailrider121]

I made some stands out of 10' 5/8" All Thread Rod or #5 rebar and bent into a big U shape. Made some leg kicks for support. Hag plates with 1/4" chain and u-bolts. Super cheap to make and carry. Very stable to date.

 

[tomcfc11]

I've thrown stands together out of wood, rebar, pipe....doesn't need to be too fancy. The problem I have is the size of the stand can come into play when using scrap. JC steel's rebar or t-post are easy and take up little room in transport.

 

[Drifter™]

I use one from DS Welding like this:

Link: DS Welding

It has held up great for several years so far.

 

[T J]

Porter, hope your well,

check out our T POST brackets, they are simple and effective. Sounds like it will be a good fit.

jcsteeltargets.com

I've got a handful of Jake's targets, luckily spending a decade or so in the welding industry, I have the means to build my own T-Post brackets. I wish I had gone that way YEARS ago, it really doesn't get any easier.


t

 

[JC Steel]

If you have the ability use some conveyer belt, It will last a lot longer, and is way cheaper, considering one hit to the chain and you will be back at the hardware store.

I made some stands out of 10' 5/8" All Thread Rod or #5 rebar and bent into a big U shape. Made some leg kicks for support. Hag plates with 1/4" chain and u-bolts. Super cheap to make and carry. Very stable to date.

 

[lash]

I'll vouch for JCSteels targets, his easy rebar stand setup, and the conveyor belt hanging material. I bought a bunch of very small steel targets for my homemade KYOL stand and found that the conveyor belt was a bit too heavy for this application. You can also get used fire hose for this, but I had a bunch of obsolete flat motor drive belts about 1-1/4" wide and they work great for the small targets. Take multiple hits and leave only a tiny hole where the bullet passes through.

Plus, with JCSteel products, you are supporting a good cause.

 

[badmutha6]

I found some scrap metal at my grandfathers house. The scap I found was 2 3/8 or 1/2" metal plates of unknown hardness. One was shaped sort of like an IPSC target and had a bunch of holets in it and the other was a rectangle with an ear on it. I placed it in a drill press to add a hanger of some sort. I then welded the plates together with a 220 stick welder and eventually hung the plate from a saw horse with scrap firehose and a grade 8 bolt. I used the saw horse as it was inexpensive and I needed it done quickly. I added some eye bolts to the legs of the saw horse to stake it down and hopefully prevent it from rocking and falling over from the impact of the rounds etc. I haven't decided whether or not to shoot the flat side or the side with all the holes in it. Its for rifle at distances so I guess we will see how it holds up.





I did cut that ear off the bottom but had to do it later, my son doesn't like the sound of the grinder.

 

[lash]

That's a good quick target from found material when you don't have other options.

My experience with found steel is that you will end up replacing it sooner rather than later, though it will suck you into buying some good AR500 steel targets from one of the great vendors here on SH. In my case, I had a roughly 3/4" thick hunk off the end of a 6" diam steel bar. Drilled two holes in it and hung it up to shoot at. At 300 meters (328 yards), my .260 would leave about 1/4" deep divot in the steel and a dimple on the back (3/4" of steel!). So I shot at that until it looked like the surface of the moon and then bought some good steel targets like I mentioned and have never looked back. 3/8" thick AR500 doesn't dent or ding at 300m and takes as many hits as I can throw downrange at it.

Totally worth it.

In the meantime, fire away at your target and let us know how things turned out. Even if it punctures, you'll have fun and will be hooked on steel. Just my opinion.

 

[badmutha6]

That's a good quick target from found material when you don't have other options.

My experience with found steel is that you will end up replacing it sooner rather than later, though it will suck you into buying some good AR500 steel targets from one of the great vendors here on SH. In my case, I had a roughly 3/4" thick hunk off the end of a 6" diam steel bar. Drilled two holes in it and hung it up to shoot at. At 300 meters (328 yards), my .260 would leave about 1/4" deep divot in the steel and a dimple on the back (3/4" of steel!). So I shot at that until it looked like the surface of the moon and then bought some good steel targets like I mentioned and have never looked back. 3/8" thick AR500 doesn't dent or ding at 300m and takes as many hits as I can throw downrange at it.

Totally worth it.

In the meantime, fire away at your target and let us know how things turned out. Even if it punctures, you'll have fun and will be hooked on steel. Just my opinion.

Those were my exact intentions. I have access to Ft. Bliss Rod and Gun Club and they have steel silhouettes out to 1000 but I can't always go out there. This steel was laying at my wife's grandfathers house and he wasn't going to use it. I got the scrap hose from a contact at fire and had the wood. I think I have $20 in this target since I had the eye bolts, all I bought was new saw horse brackets, a can of paint, and a half inch grade 8 bolt and nut. Great way to spend $20. Going to put it far out there and ding it with the 243 and 308 until its pitted too bad. I think the total thickness of the welded plates is close to 1". What I am going to do next though is figure out some hangers for about 5 round 8" ar500 targets from a different system that the posts and hangers were destroyed and get them rehung at work or take them home.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

same thing here, i was using mild steel at 385M / 421Y, cratered with .3006, dented a bit with .308, a small pock mark to near nothing with .223.

had some guy with a mosin and steel core ammo drill holes right through it, target didn't even move. looks like swiss cheese now.

but on the AR400 i had gotten donated, that steel core didn't leave much of a mark on it at all. but i'm still able to use the other non swiss cheese mild steel targets for at least another season. AR (400 or 500) is definitely worth the investment if you shoot alot.

also as commented above, conveyor belt is the way to go if you can get it. mending that chain gets old quick. i think JC offers conveyor strips as a stand alone product, i got a whole bunch off him "mounting kits" strips are 15" long and 1.5 to 2 inches wide. they take a whole lotta hits.

if you can find some belt, i've found the easiest (but stinky) way of cutting it is an hand angle grinder with a metal cutting disc, cut about 3/4" through then slice the rest with a utility knife.

i got the JC double T posts too, but not sure if i can actually utilize them in my steel match like i thought i was going to. but for casual individual shooting those T posts are handy. if you have smaller targets, you can fit 3-4 on them if you don't mind drilling an extra hole or two.

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...et-handing-method-jc-steel-targets%2A%2A.html

 

[badmutha6]

So, I shot my target this weekend and it held up until just before we were about to leave. We had hit it about 40 times at 475 yards with 308, 223, and 22-250. Last round broke the welds between the plates and a better examination revealed that I suck at welding and that I need a hotter welder. The material failed to bond it. I had used a 220 stick welder and I have a friend with a better mig that we may try but he also thinks its on the upper end of what his can do. I do have a buddy with metal shop (builds custom gas tanks for drag cars) and he has the gear to do it. The rounds did not tear up that steel very much, some minor pitting. Could that be from the 1/2" backing I had welded to it or should I not worry about it and keep shooting?

 

[Diver160651]

I use these hanger brackets with ridge steel pipe.
http://www.gongshot.com/target-stand-target-bracket-flat-rate-shipping-via-usps/

I have also used the rebar setup. With heavy plates they get really bouncy as the crossbar length increases. Nothing wrong with them if you are shooting smaller plates under 1k.. But for longer distances it is nice to have a larger plate.



Jt

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[andrewstc]

Porter24,

For an easy to transport and setup stand check out The Last Stands. These simple brackets let you build any sized stand out of ½” rebar and the stands can be easily broken down and moved. They’re compact, durable and easily adjusted to any terrain.

Everyone’s suggestions of hanging targets from conveyor belt or fire hose are spot on. I’ve also seen some have good luck using pieces cut from a heavy tie down or ratchet strap.

Definitely stick with the AR500 you mentioned in your original post. Do NOT shoot at mild steel – it can be very dangerous. Stay away from targets that have been welded – it weakens the material and the welds will eventually break. AR400 can be had for less money but if you spend a little extra now on certified quality AR500 your targets should last a long, long time.

Let us know what you end up with and how it works for you!