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

An angle grinder with a metal cutting blade is your friend. miles

Either of these would be very easy to make or at the advertised price just buy a couple - drover

Those seem unnecessarily complicated for their intended use.

I've been meaning to make up some of these very simple brackets that would work well with the rebar hangers that JackRyan mentioned, particularly since it would allow for easy height adjustment of the target. They'll rest and bind at any lug location on the T-post and can be cut from 3/8" or even 1/4" plate with no welding required. Their design makes then very reliable if there's a load on them. I didn't design them but rather saw them somewhere and make a cardboard template to the get the dimensions finalized. That said, since I have plenty of chain laying around, it's easier for me to drill a hole in a T-post, make an S hook and hang them that way ... for the moment.

I bought two target brackets similar to the pipe brackets in the OP's post except mine are designed to be used with a 2x4 cross member instead of a pipe.

Additional parts include:
2 each steel targets, round, with holes in the "bear's ears"
1 each 2x4, which I cut in half and predrilled about 6 holes on the bottom of the long edge of both pieces for eye hooks
2 each pieces of electrical conduit
4 each 1.4" thick eye hooks
4 each "D" rings (aka spring links)
4 each quick links
4 each 5/16" anchor shackles
6 feet swingset chain

The 2x4 made two horizontal members, one being a spare. The eye bolts get screwed into the holes in the 2x4. I bought different size targets and multiple holes allow me to pick the hole that work best for each target size. Have not had to replace the 2x4 or any eye bolts.

The conduit got cut into appropriate lengths for the 4 legs of the target stand. Like the pipe in the OP's post, these angle away from the targets.

The swingset chain got cut to appropriate lengths. The anchor shackles connect the target to the quick links, which in turn connect to the chain. So far I have not had to replace chain or anchor shackles. The "D" rings connect the chain to the eye hooks.

Set-up time for the target stand is 2 minutes or less - put a target bracket on each end of the 2x4, attach conduit legs. Hang targets by "D" links. Done.

The target brackets are hardened steel, like the targets. Everything else is cheap and easy to replace. I carry some wire for a quick fix at the range in case the swingset chain gets cut by a bullets. The 2x4 has a few holes in it, my SIL shot a leg, which I repaired with a weld, he shot it again and I repaired it again (easier than buying more conduit) and the bolt come out of one of the anchor shackles, which I replaced.

Simple, easy, cheap. Sorry I don't have any photos.

Hang Fast Targets has this T Post hanger
Multiple targets can be used on the same T Post.

Tag

You must be using one tough camera !

When a lead projectile strikes hard steel the bullet fragments in a 360 degree pattern at about a 20 degree angle away from the plate. Placing the camera slightly behind the target or in front off to the side a little puts the camera out of the splatter cone. THE STEEL MUST BE SMOOTH AND HARD.

This theory is foolproof with cheap cameras ;-)) I've never had any splatter hit the camera though.