Hanging steel targets

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  • bauerr3

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    For everyone who has steel targets, how do you set them up on your range? I'm looking to get some and am curious what the best way is to mount/hang them.

    If this isn't where this discussion should go, I'm sorry, please move it!
     

    Cameramonkey

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    The last couple I saw were held up basically by a tall sawhorse. They found the hinge kits that you supply the 2x4s, and made the legs twice as long. And if you shoot through the wood, you simply buy another 2x4.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    chains. HEAVY chains. DoggyDaddy I think is the last one like this I saw at Proteq on sunday. The wood was obviously well worn from all the splatter, but it was still VERY solid.
     

    17 squirrel

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    I have I beam frames at my place and the steel targets are hung with 4" to 6" diameter pieces of fire hose or conveyer belting that is cut the same with as the steel target. I weld bolts on the back of the steel targets and if and when the target gets dished out, I cut off the bolts and weld new ones on the opposite side.
     

    Small's

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    i put some brackets on the back of mine so i can basically drive a 2x4 in the ground and slide the target on the 2x4. Works pretty good. We used big chains on a friend of mines targets but somebody would end up shooting the chain and breaking it. 2x4's are cheap and easy plus i can angle them forward to help with lead splatter
     

    RobbyMaQ

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    I have brackets I bought from Bobcat steel, with H frame ground mounts. Replace a 2x4 every so often.
    I also use rebar poles with chain (clamp strap an s hook or whatever). But you'd be surprised just how difficult it is to hit a 8" plate at 100 yards, when it's so easy to hit a 1/2" chain link lol.

    Lovemywoods has an excellent writeup on using rubber strapping for hanging steel here-> https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...0685-built-6-position-steel-target-stand.html
     

    wsenefeld

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    A friend bought railroad ties. Two vertical and then one horizon across those. He then hangs chains from the horizontal tie and hangs the targets from there. Works great, loud ping, and the targets start swinging some.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    chains. HEAVY chains. DoggyDaddy I think is the last one like this I saw at Proteq on sunday. The wood was obviously well worn from all the splatter, but it was still VERY solid.

    Only caveat with mine is, you have to let it settle down for a minute after a few hits. You get 30 or 40 lbs. of steel swinging and it will knock the whole thing down (as we saw when I was shooting Warthog's G3 :):). And I went with 2x4's instead of rebar just for the reason that they're somewhat "self-healing" and when they do wear out, they're cheap to replace. After last Sunday's shoot, I think I need some new brackets too though.
     

    Riflemen14

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    I use black 3/4" pipe and built a frame 48" high by 60" long. Using hose clamps to secure 2 chains to the cross bar and snap hooks to attach each of the Bobcat 8" round plates. The chains are 18" long and I enjoy the challenge of the plates moving back and forth from shot impacts. I find it helps with my trigger control.
     

    GoBoilers!

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    Question: Please forgive my ignorance, but I have been thinking of starting shooting steel targets too, and having never done this before, I have a few questions.

    I will be shooting .22 rimfire up to .45 ACP. How close can you stand to hanging steel targets and not be concerned about ricochet (spelling?) or splatter hitting you? I would probably be shooting at targets from 5 to 25 yards away. Does it make a difference on the type of bullet? I assume lead and plated would be soft enough to deform and not bounce back much, but what about fmj? Does the thickness or makeup of the target affect this too?

    I know this is a little off topic, so forgive me and thanks for any comments.
     

    RobbyMaQ

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    Question: Please forgive my ignorance, but I have been thinking of starting shooting steel targets too, and having never done this before, I have a few questions.

    I will be shooting .22 rimfire up to .45 ACP. How close can you stand to hanging steel targets and not be concerned about ricochet (spelling?) or splatter hitting you? I would probably be shooting at targets from 5 to 25 yards away. Does it make a difference on the type of bullet? I assume lead and plated would be soft enough to deform and not bounce back much, but what about fmj? Does the thickness or makeup of the target affect this too?

    I know this is a little off topic, so forgive me and thanks for any comments.

    AR500 steel will insure you don't get ricochet. Softer steel will dent, creating more chance for ricochet.
    Most calibers will shatter and spread to the sides (in a 360) upon impact. You can dimple it slightly with some 5.56 green tips.

    It is not unusual to feel a bit of lead land on top of your head or shoulder occasionally. Shooting at friday Night Steel for example, with 60+ shooters, shooting 3 strings throughout the night, I may feel a small piece of 'shrapnel' land on me once or twice during the night. But this is not the ricochet that you are likely alluding to. It's pretty harmless with eye pro.

    LoveMyWoods (The guy is just awesome) has another excellent writeup on spread patterns from steel here -> https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ion-patterns-off-steel-targets-pic-heavy.html
     

    bauerr3

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    If anyone has pictures easily accessible of their steel set up, I would appreciate them! Wife and I went to Monday night steel last week and absolutely loved it. Shooting steel is a lot more fun than shooting paper, and I want to get something set up! Basically....

     
    Last edited:

    KLB

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    range-041814.jpg
    Torsos are mounted on 2x4s buried into the ground on end.
     

    vinconco

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    Sep 21, 2015
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    I bought these from Hang Fast Targets. http://hangfasttargets.com Very new design that would seem to meet the needs described in this thread. The AR 500 plate hangs on a back angle deflecting splatter toward the ground. The hanger and chain are protected by the plate. I've shot them with about 1000 rounds so far and have not had any failures. The plates react very well and sound great.

    Here are the one's I bought and it's possible to hang them all on one T post. The hanger just slips over the post and the target hangs from a short chain.


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    calcot7

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    Old realty "For Sale" signs work pretty well. I am not sure where you can get them right off the bat though. I got the ones that I have from a remodeling company that was replacing all there signs with new ones.
     
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