What size gong are you guys using for up to 800 yards? Is white the preferred color to paint it?

thanks for any help.

I like blue and nothing wrong with running an MOA sized plate, though a 1.5 MOA would likely work mo better for most.

i like to keep 'em about 1 moa to keep things interesting, BUT it is kinda nice to have a larger one to get your initial dope on and get your confidence back on windy days...

i like OSHA safety yellow or flourescent orange. the hits show on orange a little better, but the crosshairs stand out on the yellow best.

I run a 12" square and usually run what ever color i have left over from the project before that range session. Black works good, white is my fav. i have not tried any brighter colors like Toad had mentioned.

I use a 16"x16" at 540 yards painted white. I have a hard enough time with that. I could not imagine 12"x12" at 800 but hey I'm the new guy just learning. A couple of years ago I got good at hitting the 16"x16". As long as I keep my barrel cool, I can hit hit it consistantly. It is a good feeling.

i have 6x6, 12x12, 14x16, 22x24. They all get used for different purposes. i like the bigger ones for checking elevation and playing when it's windy. It's harder to learn if you don't have some visual of impact. I'll use any color that stands out but mainly use white. If i'm shooting for a group i'll pain an aiming point on the plate if not and it's just a fun day i'll paint it solid.

also, i'd stay away from blue.... i hear it scares deer! grins

I've got a couple of 10" round gongs that I shoot out to 600 yds, the limit of space I have. I figure that is about like the vital zone on a deer. It would be interesting at 800 as it would approaching a 1 moa target at that distance.

I enjoy using MOA-sized targets. A 6" round gong at 600 yards is more fun than anything larger, especially in a stiff and gusty wind A 10-12" gong does come in handy if one if going for "vital zone" practice to see how far he can reliably make a kill shot on game, though...

I use several sizes, have a couple of 12" ones and a couple of larger ones to shoot out to a mile. My plates are AR-500 I have a couple of guns that will tare up any thing less

Thanks for all the info guys. Where do you guys normally buy your AR-500 Gongs from? Just a local metal shop? I see that some are for sale on Ebay,
thanks

got mine here. http://lvsteeltargets.com/

Buy as large a piece as you can afford. I hang a 12inch round gong at 300 and think it's just right. That's 4moa. It's big enough to catch most rounds fired at it and a can of any light colored paint works. You can see the hits thru a rifle scope and can see if you missed the wind call or otherwise wandered outside the standard one moa that the internet world always hits at any range.
It's heavy enough-3/8ths- that a 168 to 180 grain 7or 308 bullet won't swing it up over the hanger bar.
It's big enough to shoot groups on at 300, or to check your 300 yard impacts with a 200 yard zero, or to see where different loads from the same rifle land.
I hang a 21x24 plate at 800. Some days I need all of it to figure out the wind, and some days not.
There's a big difference between shooting a one moa group at 800, or even 300, and shooting a one moa group INSIDE a one moa target at those ranges.

When I was younger I preferred a four footer. Oh wait, you said G-O-N-G!

Try this....The black is 1" the white is 1/2". Shoot it prone from a hunting position and as fast as you can. This was 103 meters(112 yards).

I use a 12" circle

I'd say go large.

I have a 15x25" AR500 from LV Steel Tgts. It's very practical for handgunning, to mid-range carbine practice, to waaay out there with the rifles.

If you paint it white, it's pretty easy to see your hits on the steel even at 1K through a decent scope(unless mirage is bad), and see what's going on.

I use a little spinner target I got with a 22. Keeps in interesting!


I have this one

http://www.priceinsanity.com/servlet/the-1066460/Birchwood-Casey,-46244,-Spinner/Detail

I place a 6" square (white) in front center of an 18" circle (unpainted). I shoot this off of my patio with a .22lr at 165yrds. It simulates 500yrd high power rifle. Sighted in at 50yrds, there is 36" of drop, and ooohh-my the wind. By the sound I can tell the difference of which gong was hit.

I took a piece of 18 inch long X 16 inch dia.X 3/4 inch thick pipe and welded the top on it, also welded hooks on each side for chain to hang it from at 300. We then took a 20 inch piece of pipe 2ft long X 3/4 inch thick and intalled it the same way out to 600 yards. We did this on my buddy's farm, as he and I both shoot a lot during good weather. Now both these gongs make a great sound when struck with a bullet. We also have a 100 yard target made of 3/4 inch boiler plate that is 2ft X 2ft square that hangs by chain for zeroing rifles!

I think I'm gonna order a 14" square for the real windy days. That should be fun!


www.bobcatsteel.com

Damn right. Glad to see you coming around.

I've got different sizes out there, and agree with those that say a 1.5-ish MOA plate can be more fun at first for a variety of reasons. My 875 yard plate is quite large- about 14x22" I think.

However at ranges I would even consider shooting at game, which is to about 650 yds or so, my plates are vitals-size for either deer or elk. Keeps me honest(and humble if the wind is gusty).

I paint them white.

Hanging them is another thing. Mine are spiked to stumpes in a clearcut with these huge nails. That's been the best thing I've come up with in terms of durability, except that you can't see your misses as easily as when a plate is on a hanger in a patch of open dirt. However, I shoot quite a bit, and others have discovered my plates too <grin>, and no matter what I hung them with, the stands would get beat up pretty fast and getting to my plates is a real chore... If I really were going to hang them right I'd use a welded frame and chains and bolt them to the plates.

I use all different sizes-beggars are not choosy
With different colors of paint, stencils or just measuring them afterwards you will be able to know if your first shot connections were close enough to be in the vitals.
Main thing is to get some and start shooting.
Stay off of the bench and shoot from field positions.

I just got 2, 12in discs, 5/8in thick, from a local machine shop. They were cutting out caps of some sort and the test pieces were discarded as scrap. They just gave em to me. I'm going to shoot them tomorrow!

scenarshooter: Good shooting, looks like fun. I think I'd struggle with that at 50yds. grin.

Whats your avg time?

We have several targets at all the ranges from 200 to 1350. We use 2.5"x4", 5x5, 6x6, 8x8, 12x12, 12x14, when you get someone that gets a little cocky just tell them to whack that little guy at 600. LOL

Out here in the west, we have no shortage of barbed-wire fences. I just hang mine on the fence where ever I decide to shoot. I have yet to break a wire but I keep a fence tool handy just in case! Some have hooks, others just a straight rod that I wire on.

You can't see it as good as I hoped, but this one just has rebar hooks that you hang on the top fence wire.

Fence, tree, multiples of ways.....grin

FWIW, the penalty for shooting/destroying fence posts is higher than shooting livestock on BLM...at least that which is enforceable by the BLM.

[bleep] gov't, why am I not surprised.
I'll stick with destroying my old man's fences...grin

I was surprised myself. 'course if the Feds can get the livestock ticket to stick the local law can greatly increase the penalty. iIRC the one I was involved with ended up in felony charges.

I used to shoot out on a piece of stateland close to Bozeman.

First couple years were okay until a bunch of idiots with pistols/AR's shot the hell out of the corner/gate posts.
They closed it off soon after that. I talked to the farmer that had the lease and don't blame him one bit.

It often doesn't take but one idiot to ruin a good thing.

What's your point? Maybe read the op's question...