In search of... designs for steel plate target stand

[oldkim]

Target stands for steel plates.

I'm searching for designs for a target stand for steel plates. Shooting 100-200+ yards

Needs criteria:
-Cheap
-Easy to assemble and dissemble (must be able to pack in and out)
-Portable (if possible 1 person setup)
-Hold up to 60 lbs of steel
-Not rigid (means that you can "hear" the hit - not some plop from a rigid stand)
-Not permanent, something to put out and take home
-Design should be easy with low "building" - no welder or other tools needed (I don't have a welder or other tools)

Plan to use on outdoor shooting pits (as many established ranges will not allow use of personal steel targets).
Current ranges that have steel have them fixed on solid immobile target stands for durabilty.
Just miss the good old sounds of hitting steel that isn't muted by the solid structure of the stand.

I don't go often but for special outtings I would like some flexibilty to take advantage of shooting all the steel plates I have bought in the past.

Here are some examples:

Ground Target Stand Short.jpg

http://www.shootsteel.com/3-8-ar500-12x ... hort-legs/
$134

Gong Stand.jpg

http://www.shootsteel.com/36x36-gong-stand/
$217


I'm looking at a variant of the second one (gong stand).
Build it a bit "bigger" with simple steel pipe.
Maybe stand about 8-10 feet tall by 10 feet wide, hanging the steel plate with firehose. Having sections of 4-5 feet coupled together to make 8-10 foot sections with a 10 foot cross member.

I have several steel plate targets from 3/4" AR 500 silhouette (weights close to 60lbs) to even bigger 2'x2' (24"x24") square to smaller size ones in 3/8"-3/4"

This one is interesting... but too expensive. I would opt to just try to make my own.

http://www.amazon.com/ShootingTargets7- ... B00GF7TKOO
$147


So, if you have an idea or seen a design that is interesting... post it up.
Please do post it with a link so we can find out more info about it.




So, I'm not interested in these types of target stands.

Rifle target stand.jpg

http://www.shootsteel.com/target-stands/

Just not a fan of something that splashes onto the stand - which means damages the stand.

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[Duke EB]

Here's one I saw recently: http://www.laststands.com/

[oldkim]

I do like the use of rebar.

The pair of plastic molds for $40 (plus shipping) is steep.

Remember I'm cheap. I have a design I'm planning to use that will do the job of that "plastic" thing.
Parts for $9 but I still have to test it out.

[toys in the toybox]

3 or 4 ft. 2x2 with firehose hinges, rebar topper pinched in the firehose (or another 2x2)


Mind you i have not built one myself ..Yet. but it sounds like it will meet your criteria for light, packable, recycleable etc

Did i mention cheap?

[DocNugent]

The attached violates your rules (no welding, no use of a tubing roller, etc.), but it may still contribute an idea or two to others' ideas. It shows two minis (about 8"x10" each), but thicker materials would support more weight.

First, imagine that the curved vertical piece is straight and the base is a rebar 'V' instead of a concrete-filled 'U' (rebar bends pretty easily compared to a hollow tube). If the 'T' upper section is conduit (lighter than rebar), it'll be pretty easy to flatten the ends with a sledge and then put bolts through the overlaps.

Viola! (sic) What you got is a two-gonger for one shooter to do A-B-A-B drills with, or two shooters to share.

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[oldkim]

Uh... did I mention it was suppose to be portable?




Interesting concept but not for my use.

[chasin Tail]

Im too lazy to go take a pic, but heres a link to a video of my setup. its a 10" AR500 plate 3/8" Rings loudly!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9brR7dIMPKs

Shooting the same plate @ 300 yards with camera on shooting bench.. Good "ding" sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAMo42z52H8
It did take some welding, but its completely portable as it is a top/bottom & 2 (2x4's). Lays flat in the bed of a truck and sets up in about 20 seconds.
The wood is sacrificial as bullets explode on contact and copper shrapnel imbeds into the wood.

This was another idea I was going to copy using lag bolts, which would require some time to assemble in the field, but would be all wood and no welding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OauT2neohws

I think that you will find using light materials like PVC isn't going to withstand the energy transfer of rifle bullets hitting the steel plate very well, unless you get something to anchor it to the ground

[dogfish]

Chain, carriage bolts, lag bolt, hammer drill, stump. Our regular stump shooting set-up.

Chain is fairly durable. About 12-15" per target.
Carriage bolt heads are domed so splash from the plates cause minimal wear.
Lag bolts are cheap.
Stumps won't be logged or processed so leaving lag bolts in isn't an issue.
Hammer drill makes for easy installation, and every man should own one.
I'll take a pic next time we set up a station. Just run targets to the stumps with bolts and hang. Reverse process when done.

Built a stand for hanging steel from. Picture shows first version using load strap. Splash from bullets cut the strap. We later moved to carriage bolts and chain. If you have a mig/stick welder you can build up a berm of weld that protects the load strap and get away with that.

About $15 in black steel pipe and two 90 degree elbows. Made a frame from scrap wood. Good for pits. Later version turned raw 2x4's flat so there was more purchase between the long boards, the end stabilizers, and the 4x4. It is next to our standard "pit" paper target stand. Light. Sturdy. Use rocks on base to keep steady.

[Carpenter]

I do like the use of rebar.

The pair of plastic molds for $40 (plus shipping) is steep.

Remember I'm cheap. I have a design I'm planning to use that will do the job of that "plastic" thing.
Parts for $9 but I still have to test it out.

I'm cheap too but time ain't free. I was thinking about welding some of these up myself but hard to justify over just buying these. I might try electrical conduit around the outside of their bracket instead of rebar to reduce weight.

http://jcsteeltargets.mycustomevent.com ... rce=search

http://jcsteeltargets.mycustomevent.com ... rce=search

This is a pretty cool idea too using turnbuckles.

http://www.guns.com/2014/02/28/diy-stee ... -5-photos/

[never_to_much]

I use a fence post. (Tpost) and an adapter made from angle iron. But you'll need to weld. Here's a place you can order them http://jcsteeltargets.mycustomevent.com ... rce=search

[Massivedesign]

My Stand is still going strong! I've had to replace the vertical 2x4's a few times but otherwise, still taking hits.






Extremely portable, breaks down into 5 pieces.

[beckdw]

I've seen a teepee of pipes with a chain wrapped around the top and the steel target hanging from the chain in the center.

[oldkim]

Good ideas... folks


Now let's look at portable without 5 people to drag it down range. And not just a few feet. 200-300 yards if you factor from the car to down range.

And did I mention cheap and no major tools or welding (I don't have a welder)

[DocNugent]

Good ideas... folks

Now let's look at portable without 5 people to drag it down range. And not just a few feet. 200-300 yards if you factor from the car to down range. . . .

What's your weight limit (with or without the steel targets)? I haven't seen any stands posted (except MassiveDesign's Massive Design, perhaps) that I wouldn't call portable by one able-bodied person (that leaves me out!).

As I remember high school physics, if the mass of the stand isn't greater than the mass of the targets, the stand will 'walk' or be knocked over.

[never_to_much]

You don't know anyone with a welder. We shoot the Tpost target stands from 50 yards to 1400 yards very portable. Cheep
At the thunderbeast group shoot last year we shoot a lb ar500 on a Tpost at 200 yards with a 338 lapua and it stood there and took more hits.