Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hanging Steel Targets on the cheap

I've been selling AR500 rifle targets in the classifieds for a bit and I get a bunch of guys asking how to hang them so I figured it would be helpful to post a few things I've figured out. My shooting spot is somewhat remote and getting to targets requires hiking so some of this stuff may not be of concern for some.

I always cobbled together brackets and used rebar as legs but dang it if they didn't always fall over with the crazy wind and weather at my shooting spot. Rust and sharp edges from bullet strikes really suck and putting them in a pack is sorta necessary where I hang my steels so I was looking for a better solution.

I ran across these target brackets and bought several. Uses 1" electrical conduit for the cross member and 3/4" for the legs. Electrical conduit is super cheap, galvanized, light weight and easy to cut with a hacksaw. Drill some holes and use lock pins if you're in a hurry or just bolt them to save a few bucks. Looks like this.



Old firehose is still my favorite way to hang them as it can absorb a bunch of hits and it's free. Check local stations. It can be a bit hard to work with though. A good set of tin snips will make fairly quick cuts and a sharp drill bit with one end of the hose in a vise works pretty good. I always start with a smaller bit and work up to 1/2". Make sure to put hose on back side of steel so bullet shrapnel doesn't kill it prematurely (Cough, Kingston. Cough.) Throw a couple hose clamps on either side to keep the target from walking to the low side of cross member.

I like targets with square holes as they allow for use of carriage bolts. Carriage bolts only need one wrench vs. a standard hex type bolt that will get pummeled with splatter from your bullets and be a bit hard to get a hold on when it comes time to change things around.

Results might vary.

Feel free to post up your solutions.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Cool post ... thanks!

I use T-posts since they're cheap (or free in my case) with chain (also free) and weld the nuts to the bolts. This is my 700 yard target and the 8' posts are about 4' in the ground.
I was thinking about setting up a drone with a paint can so that I don't have to hike all over the hill to paint steel at 100, 200, 400, 700 and 1,000 yards.

Higginez; thanks for starting what should be an interesting and informative thread. I' m looking forward to see what other solutions people put forward.

I shoot steel plates at my "farm"; a 1/4 section (160 acres) ENE of Edmonton. My distances are relatively short; up to 450 yards and all the spots I set up plates are easily accessible by truck so my input has little relevance to what you and MCMXI get up to either distance wise, or challenge of terrain and access.

I use old pallets and 2x4s to create frames; primarily because that is what I had on hand. I gave a good deal of space between the uprights and plates to reduce the shredding of the wood caused by bullet splatter. I use use chain and bolts to hang the plates.

When moving the frames leather gloves are highly advised unless one likes cuts from bullet fragments embedded in the wood.

I hope you all have wonderful thanksgivings.

GRF

What purpose does welding the nuts on serve?

Also curious why you paint the backs of them?

My preferred method is to cut and weld 1/2" electrical conduit to make brackets, and to use 3/8" rebar for legs and cross-post. Makes for compact transportation. I like to use rubber truck floor mats cut into strips or old bailer belt cut into strips for hanging the plates. I use grade 8 bolts and nuts with large washers for fastening, with the strap bolted onto the back of the plate with the head of the bolt exposed to bullet strikes (rather than the nuts and exposed threads of the bolt). The strap gets wrapped around the crossbar with a bolt/nut/washers holding together the loop. I weld beads on the crossbar to keep the plate and strap from shimmying down the bar as it gets shot and swings. Using this system wear items are easy and cheap to replace.

I weld the nuts on and drive the T-posts deep to make it harder to steal the targets. The bolts that pass through the T-posts also have nuts welded on which takes all of a minute to do so it's no big deal. I paint the back of the targets when I first hang them to help mitigate corrosion, to give me a white target to shoot at if the plate flips, and because paint is cheap.

Makes sense.

Thanks.

Good stuff! I've been contemplating the best way to hang those plates I got from you Higg.

Jordan, if you have a chance, I would like to see a pic of the conduit brackets you weld up.

Thanks!

Good stuff....😎

I'll see if I can grab a pic of one. I'm not a welder so they're just cobbled together, but they're strong and they work awesome.

I just use t-posts, chains, and s hooks.

I have brackets similar to that and J hooks for 1" conduit to hang your 4" targets. Picked them up off amazon. Planning to have them lined up on a 10" header.

For long(er) range, I just use T posts and chains and bailing wire. I just put 'em back in the barn before I leave the farm.

I added some more targets at 500 yards today. I drilled holes in some T posts, made S hooks and cut some lengths of chain. I like this approach since I can easily raise the targets up if the snow gets deep.

Looks good to me!

12’ 5/8 cold-rolled rod.

Measure 4.5-5’ from each end, heat and make 90 degree bends. You now have a giant “U”. Use a bench or angle grinder and sharpen the ends to a point. Weld 6-10” lengths of larger chain ~6” in from the bends.

I use “S” hooks to hang the plates on the chains.

You want the 4.5-5’ legs so you can pound the legs into the ground far enough to not tip when you shoot the plates. Hanging them from the chains gives the whole thing some “give”. It’s easier on the plates than “hard mounting” them where they can’t swing. Lots less chance of a long/distance ricochet as well.

Had the inmates make some swingers for me. Bottoms of oxygen/acetylene tanks. 2 treated 4-5” posts, chunk of rebar works good. Don’t target practice much but they’re handy to have out in the back field, tough bastards too.

I produce the steel that they make into those Cylinders. If you ever get a chance to watch the process it really is an interesting process. We sell them a chrome moly steel they extrude into the cylinders. Would work well for a target I'm sure.

3/8 rebar, a vise, about any size pipe, a chisel and hammer.

With that you can make about any length hanger you want for about any situation.


Cut it with the chisel and hammer. With a mark on each side you can bend it back and forth a couple times to break it where you want.

Put your pipe in the vise and the end of the rebar in the hole and bend to make what ever hook you want or each end. You don't need any bolts or nuts or chains.

That's a good idea and one I'd use for sure if I didn't have so much chain that I got for free. I like T-posts because they're easy to drive into the ground with a cheap post pounder, the 8' lengths are rigid, they don't weigh much and they're easy to drill. I got a hundred or more for free when I bought this place so it doesn't cost me anything to hang targets, well, not including the cost of bolts and the plates. I added another yesterday at 400 yards.

Using rebar as hanger material really is a great idea though. I have some laying around so might use it for pistol targets. Thanks.

Couple of t-posts. Couple of pipe tees, I think 1 1/4 inch will go over a t- post. It has been a while. Run a piece of re-bar or small pipe through the tees, with the odd side over the top of the post. I use pieces of tie down straps picked up on the road. Larger size works best. Punch a hole with a hot nail or bolt of the correct size and make loops using small bolts. Done. miles