Author Topic: Built some target stands (Read 5851 times)

bkoenig · « **on:** June 20, 2013, 10:19:15 PM »

I bought a couple of AR500 steel targets about a month ago and tonight I finished up building stands for them. The steel I used is a little on the light side so I'm not sure how well they'll hold up, but since I had it laying around the price was right.

The vertical part hinges at the bottom so they can be folded flat for transport and storage. The vertical and horizontal crossbars have a piece of angle iron welded to them to (hopefully) help deflect errant shots.

I have a really crappy little 110 volt welder that's on it's last legs and barely feeds wire, so my welds look terrible. I guess I have an excuse to buy a new welder and redo them....

I'll probably redo them at some point with vertical supports on either side of the target instead of in the center, but only had enough steel to do it this way and I wanted to get them finished up before the weekend. We'll see, maybe I won't shoot them up too bad.

gsd · « **Reply #1 on:** June 20, 2013, 10:32:46 PM »

Looks good Brian!

Where are you going to use these? I mainly ask that due to having the angle iron on top to deflect errant shots, you can deflect some down, but some have effectively been launched into low orbit.

That's what I would be worried about anyway.

bkoenig · « **Reply #2 on:** June 20, 2013, 10:38:13 PM »

Quote from: gsd on June 20, 2013, 10:32:46 PM

Looks good Brian!

Where are you going to use these? I mainly ask that due to having the angle iron on top to deflect errant shots, you can deflect some down, but some have effectively been launched into low orbit.

That's what I would be worried about anyway.

Good point, maybe I'll remove the angle iron from the horizontal bar.

gsd · « **Reply #3 on:** June 20, 2013, 10:43:21 PM »

Or maybe weld a flat plate to it? Just the bottom half so it deflects only down...

bkoenig · « **Reply #4 on:** June 20, 2013, 10:44:51 PM »

That's an even better idea. I'll have to pick some up tomorrow.

gsd · « **Reply #5 on:** June 20, 2013, 11:01:27 PM »

I'm just full of usually useless but occasionally handy information.

borrowedsig · « **Reply #6 on:** June 20, 2013, 11:09:21 PM »

The only real problem i see is the single stand arm holding that whole top assembly and the weight of the pendelum swinging underneath it. Thats alot of weight and alot of force, no matter how good the welds it will try and rotate the cross arm on the bottom at the pivot point and it will also be forcing back on the welds on the bottom of the single arm.
My suggestion is to tripod it with two more legs coming down to the arms about 3/4's of the way toward the front.
It will make it alot stronger and disperse the load and the vibration out along the lower arms instead of trying to pivot it at the back or put that stress on the welds.
It will also give it alot longer life.

Hope thats clear enough, If you need help designing somthing to fold it flat let me know id be glad to help.

Matt

SemperFiGuy · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2013, 05:19:12 PM »

Ugly Welds are no biggie, 'cause the whole thang is just gonna get shot up anyhow. Then you can take it down to Kansas City and sell it to the elites for Big Bucks as Prairie Art.

With typical Shooter's Luck, first shot will be through one of the chains. Kinda like putting one right down the middle of your brannew chronograph. And I'm not talking about the middle of the skyscreens.

All this proves that we're not in All This just for the shooting.......it's all the Other Messing Around to get ready for shooting that stretches out the Fun.

sfg

AWick · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2013, 10:39:12 PM »

I can't tell from the pic, are those plates 3/8"? I've been looking at some of these but my company occasionally scraps some AR400 that I could do a self built version.

Thanks for the inspiration!

NE Bull · « **Reply #9 on:** June 22, 2013, 08:38:38 AM »

Quote from: SemperFiGuy on June 21, 2013, 05:19:12 PM

With typical Shooter's Luck, first shot will be through one of the chains. Kinda like putting one right down the middle of your brannew chronograph. And I'm not talking about the middle of the skyscreens.

sfg

I can attest to that bit of truism. Brother built some steel to plink on. 3 plates, each hung by one chain link, slid over a hook. Sure enough, in short time, we has 2 of the 3 links shot in two. (and not on purpose)

bkoenig · « **Reply #10 on:** June 22, 2013, 08:47:44 AM »

Quote from: Awick on June 21, 2013, 10:39:12 PM

I can't tell from the pic, are those plates 3/8"? I've been looking at some of these but my company occasionally scraps some AR400 that I could do a self built version.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Yes, they're 3/8" but they're AR500. I'm not sure how AR400 would hold up. Probably fine for pistol rounds.

I'm planning on redoing them with a beefier vertical support eventually - this was kind of a quick, last minute slap together with what I had laying around the garage. And I do plan on shooting the chains - I've done that enough times with other targets that I'm prepared. I have some wire ready to patch them back together.

wallace11bravo · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2013, 01:57:36 PM »

Portable target stands:

Step 1) Weld two brackets designed to accept rebar.

Close up of the brackets

Step 2) Get or cut five pieces of rebar.

If you want to save on weight, you can use tubing, but it is more expensive.
DO NOT USE WOOD OR PVC!!! They will not last long as the splatter will cut them.

Step 3) Slide the rebar into your brackets, as shown below. Hang your target(s) how you like.

Assembled:

Dissassembled: you have 5 peices of rebar, two brackets, and a steel target with chains attached.

You can change out lengths or rebar for different desired heights. It balances well, is easy to make, easy to replace parts, fairly easy to disassemble and reasssemble, small enough for a car trunk when dis-assembled, light enough to hump into a spot where you cant drive.

There is a significant advantage to shooting hanging steel, as you not only know *that* you hit it, you can tell *where* you hit it, based on how the target reacts.

bkoenig · « **Reply #12 on:** June 22, 2013, 02:49:48 PM »

Those look really nice.

AWick · « **Reply #13 on:** June 22, 2013, 07:25:50 PM »

Do they get to swinging too much? Have you thought about bolting two plates inline and have the second plate act as a pendulum dampening weight?

With the 3/8" AR400 I was thinking about having .223 62gr FM as my max rifle round, will have to keep the 7.62 off of it...

Great modular bracket design with that rebar!

bkoenig · « **Reply #14 on:** June 22, 2013, 09:38:46 PM »

well, the stands worked well today. We hit them a couple of times but managed to stay away from the chains. I think once I've shot these up I'll build some like Wallace posted.

Shooting steel is so much more fun than paper.

whatsit · « **Reply #15 on:** June 22, 2013, 09:53:51 PM »

Quote from: bkoenig on June 22, 2013, 09:38:46 PM

well, the stands worked well today. We hit them a couple of times but managed to stay away from the chains. I think once I've shot these up I'll build some like Wallace posted.

Shooting steel is so much more fun than paper.

I agree. Steel is a ton of fun. Where do you shoot? Lincoln Ikes doesn't allow steel targets.

bkoenig · « **Reply #16 on:** June 22, 2013, 10:08:10 PM »

Kozball, Wallace, RobertH and I went to ENGC this afternoon. Got some dope out to 600 yards!

gsd · « **Reply #17 on:** June 22, 2013, 11:09:49 PM »

Thanks for the invite...guess ill just have to console myself on my Ducati:)

kozball · « **Reply #18 on:** June 22, 2013, 11:27:50 PM »

We will have to do it again. If John can make it, since he is an ENGC member, we could have 6 guests between the 2 of us.

Going to need more steel targets.

Koz

SemperFiGuy · « **Reply #19 on:** June 23, 2013, 08:11:23 AM »

Quote

Got some dope out to 600 yards!

Well, He shunta been standing there anyhow.

sfg