Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting How are your steel targets set up?

Give me the nitty gritty on the hot set up. Just got access to a private range and would like to get it set up with some gongs for small caliber stuff. I only have 450 yards so will be playing with .223 and .22lr mostly. I'm sure 1/4" mild steel is fine for the rimfire but thinking the .223 will be tough on the mild steel at those ranges. What size plates at what ranges do you guys like? 1/4" or 3/8" steel? Pics would be great too.

I use the 1/2" thick AR500 targets from JC Steel Targets, mounted on their T Post brackets. Can't imagine a better setup�

John

Here is an example I posted some time ago. I welded the chain to the upper corners and they have held up for some time now. This is not hardened steel but I set them up between 750m and 1000m and they are still ok. Mostly used 338 WM, 30-06, and 243 WIN on the steel. I really cannot tell you what the 223 will do at closer distance, but at 450 I guess it will only make a very small dent.

I have a few others where I drilled holes through the corners that I just slide a bolt through and attach either a chain or piece of wire. Although the frame works fine, we have have plenty of trees I use to hang them from. This example is about 8mm thick(thin). The frame is regular flat bar bent and welded.



Pieter

Just take a length of 2x4, drill holes in each end for some U bolts, and use the heavy rubber bungees. The wood takes a beating from splatter, but mine is still going strong after a summer of shooting. I leave the t-posts, and bring the rest home with me each time.

PS, if you hang the gong low, it helps you see where your hits are going if you miss. I never shoot with a spotter, and if I missed it was often a guess as to where. At least if I am low I can see it because the dirt blows up under the gong.

For portability I've had good luck with the "Last Stand" brackets. Add some rebar and you have a swing-set type hanging system. Lots of options out there.

This is a fixed system I use and can squeeze 950 out of. I particularly like the big plate for checking initial dopes because the impact spots are easy to see and I don't have to "chase" around hits in the dirt, etc when I'm shooting alone. The middle circle is a 6" cutout that swings on a pendulum.



For portable rigs I use these. Kind of a close up, but you get the picture. Frame is 3/4" sucker rod and the plates are attached with baler belt. The plate is just 1/2" mild steel which take a beating but are easily replaceable.

My steel garden is now running up the spine of the far ridge on the left, out to 2000 yds.

Some very fine ideas here fellas!

I'm a big fan of the JC Steel T-Post bracket.... but this works well too....

Two U-posts, two eye-bolts, two S-Clips, and 3/8" rebar....

Thanks for the heads up on jc steel. Pretty good way to get set up without too much dough.

In the meantime these will do.

higbean, we are also having a group buy right now, super deals that cant be beat.

jcsteeltargets.mycustomevent.com

Like stated above, our T POST brackets are very popular. They are easy, secure, and last forever.

We also have rebar target stand kits, also simple but plain work

Thanks for the ideas gentlemen!

My range is limited to 350 yards but the lay of the land allows berms to be staggered every 50 yards, with an additional berm at 25. I have steel gongs and paper target holders at each position.

All of the steel is AR500 or better, with most of the gongs hung by pieces of junk fire hose I got from the local FD. The rest are hung with chains. The square gongs are from JC Targets and most of the rest of the steel is from Action Target.

There is a heated shooting shack with a built in benchrest. The overall setup looks like this:



The 25 yard position is mainly for rimfires:



There is a pistol range (which is also the 50-yard rifle position)with a falling plate rack from Action Target:



At 100 yards there are two gongs, plus a steel plate rack from Law Enforcement Targets rated for rifles. When you shoot the round plates they swing up out of sight, and when you shoot the square plate it resets them.



At 150 yards there is a silhouette and a spring loaded plate that pops down and up when you hit it:



At 200 yards there are three gongs:



At 250 there is one gong:

[img]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/wildhobbybobby/100_2462-1.jpg[/img]

At 300 there is a small silhouette that is the same size as the vital area of a deer:

[img]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/wildhobbybobby/100_2463-1.jpg[/img]

And at 350 there is a lifesize silhouette and a gong:

[img]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/wildhobbybobby/100_2464-1.jpg[/img]

I like to shoot all kinds of rifles and handguns on the range, and the full size silhouettes are very suitable for use with iron sighted military rifles.

Firehose is a great target hanger, so are strips of rubber horse-stall mat. Chains, not so much, unless you never miss

I haven't broken a chain yet, but I still have half a roll of fire hose and also some of those screw closing link doodads that I could use to easily repair a chain.

SS, do you guys shoot cows?

Life isn't fair, you shoot better
you find animals to shoot better

At least I have a Glock

mike r

Dang it Bobby! That range looks like fun even if it's only 350 yards.

JCSteel will be getting some of my money as the other idjits at the range already shot up the mild steel. Stupid aholes even had the nerve to lie about it.

You know, another use for that firehose is to cover the bar/chain on your chainsaw. I fell on the freshly sharpened chain on my Husky 394 once; only once.

scenarshooter, what did you make your brackets out of to hold your rebar?