I built a swinging target

[c1skout]

I've been gathering junk for awhile to build some "reactive" targets, had some time today so I broke out the torch and welder.

84881

The targets are 5" squares made out of discarded road grader cutting edge, about 3/8" thick, I welded them to the edge of 1/4" mild steel plate that I welded onto 3/4" black pipe. The pipe pivots on a long piece of hex stock that was part of an old jack handle. The rest is random junk steel. I'm planning to use this for centerfire pistol practice. It got dark on me tonight so I'll have to try it out another day.

[John Allen]

It looks good. Next time make a shooting gallery with ducks on a chain! ;)

[Artful]

Good start

[Buckshot]

..............Nice that you have the plates angled like that. I've seen steel plates made so they were perpendicular to the ground. At normal pistol ranges you'd get peppered with backsplatter.

.............Buckshot

[Bullshop Junior]

Looks pretty neat. We had one when I was a kid that was 12"x12" set at a hundred yards hanging from some chain. Shot that thing with everything from 22lr to 50 Bmg

[BK7saum]

Great job. Should hold up pretty well to pistol rounds. I attach my steel targets to the frame by bolting a piece of baler or conveyor belt between the frame and target. The shock is not transferred to the frame or welds. But my steel is ar500 and shot with 30 caliber and larger rifles at high velocity.

[c1skout]

How are you attaching the target to the minebelt? I'm guessing you use the belt as a hinge.

[Garyshome]

I need something like that!

[clownbear69]

How far do you plan on shooting with it and what are you using?

It looks thick enough, but I did make something similar except with 1/4" steel. my .30-06 still punched through it at 300 yards

[BK7saum]

My targets have 2 holes in the top. I took a 18"-24" piece of belt and folded it over,drilled holes for two carriage head bolts. Then bolted the belt to the back of the target to give it a 5-10 degree tilt forward. My frame is made of 3/4" iron pipe and disassembles for transport. The two "a" frames on the ends are welded solid with a piece of 1" pipe at the top. I welded a set screw into the 1"pipe. To complete the stand the target is hung over the center pipe and locked into place with the set screws on each end. The target on the belt swings freely from the cross piece. My targets have held up well to a lot.of abuse and can twist and swing to dissipate the entertain transferred on impact. It's dark now or I would snap a pic or two.

Got a deer to process. My daughter was with me today when we got a doe. Dressed about 70 lbs. Projectile was a 265 gr. Ranch dog boolit in a hornady sabot. Full penetration through both upper shoulders and took out the spine. About a 1.5" hole all the way through. Not bloodshot but lots of bone fragments.

[BK7saum]

Well, got the deer in the fridge and snapped a couple of bad pics of the target. Will try to do better tomorrow
http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee467/BLK7mm/2013-10-28201020.jpg
http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee467/BLK7mm/2013-10-28201028.jpg
http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee467/BLK7mm/2013-10-28175444.jpg

[Bzcraig]

Not too jealous of the targets but am of having your own place to set it up and shoot.

[BK7saum]

Currently I hang a plywood/paper target from the frame so I can recover my boolits intact from the dirt pile/berm. The berm is 82 yards from my reloading shed.

[c1skout]

I like the minebelt idea, I may copy that for my next one.
I got to try mine out last evening. Shot it with a 22, 380, 45acp, and 357mag. Worked well and really made a nice ring when hit. I was shooting from about 20 paces. I did hit the frame a few times and that convinced me that I need to put some more angle-iron on the edges to toughen up the light steel I used for the stand. What I have will not hold up to repeated hits.... and I'm not a good enough shot to only hit the targets!

[lead chucker]

Nice swinging target. Looks plenty stout. You should get some Zombe glow in the dark stickers for it.

[Awsar]

if you want some free good steel targets go by the railroad tracks those steel plates used under the wood ties are great 1/2 thick
my .308 puts a good dent in it but doesnt go thru and they are free.
when they repair the tracks around here they leave old ones on the ground so i got a few they also have hole near the edge to hang them with.

[Magnum6]

I made a swinging gong one time at a Range I was Ex. Officer at for a few years .... Gong was a 15 inch diam. piece of 1 inch plate steel" , and hung it from two 1/2 inch log change's slanted & welded to the bottom part of the top of the main frame , which was made out of 3 pieces of 4x6 inch tubing , 1/2 in thick . Tubing Leg's were 5 ft. long" , concreted in the ground two ft. deep.... concreted hole's were 2 ft. x 3 ft. deep in diam. , and the top 4x6 tubing ... Was 4 ft. a cross , to the 4x6 tubing legs and welded on to the legs with a 1/2 in weld bead .

Place that thing at the 200 yard berm , and we use to have MORE fun with thing than a barrel of monkeys ! I use to sit @ one of the range benches and shoot that thing with my 8 3/8's inch. Mod 29 pistol , shootin 240 Gr. Gas Check Cast bullets @ it for HOURS @ a time , sometimes as many as 600 round's in a day . The Range Member's shot Every" thing at that gong except a 50 BMG , and Nothing ever went clear through that thing . the tubing had a buncha holes through it , but Stood up Well" . I had to replace the changes on the thing a few time's , cause somebody shot through one or the other , of the two changes , but that was it . As far as I know that thing is STILL in use @ that range today . Haven't been back there in Over 25 years' now , cause that range is 600 miles form where I live now . Had a Lota Darn" good shootin day @ that place , I tell yall that . That's one range And a FINE" Buncha Member's I Really miss :mrgreen:

[c1skout]

Another update. My boy and I were checking some loads with rifles the other week. We shot my swinger with 70gn 222 bullets and 130gn 270 from 75 yards.... no damage. That cutting edge must be real tough steel.

[lukeyduke]

Looks good.

[Krumfola]

I've always used a square plate with 2 chains welded to the back so that I could hang the plate and still adjust the height when necessary. You can hang it from a stand or even a tree limb if necessary.

[huntrick64]

Be careful with mild steel (aka railroad plates). Even though the bullets don't go all the way through, they will make craters in the steel. Sooner or later, when you are shooting your handgun, those craters will invert your boolit and throw it right back where it came from. One time while I was shooting my 357 mag with cast boolit at about 20 yds, the bullet went through the plywood backstop, hit a t-post that held up the plywood, came back through the same hole in the plywood, and hit my friend in the ankle who was standing directly behind me. The boolit was all there, but the front and one side was deformed. The t-post had the tits facing us and apparently they formed enough of a crater that it simply threw the boolit back at me (or at least my friend). Fortunately for thick socks and all of that action robbed enough energy that it didn't break the skin, but I can promise you those t-posts aren't behind the plywood anymore.

I have also had small lead fragments stick in my face and hands when shooting at a dimpled steel target with a handgun. It is AR500 from now on, and of course, safety glasses.

I recently changed some of my target hangers to the agri-belt like the above photo. They are very durable, but I don't get the same "clang" that I liked so much before. As a matter of fact, when I hit the belt-hung targets at over 200 yds with my 45-70 Sharps you can barely hear it. It was pretty loud when I used the chains. I will probably go to steel "J" hooks in the future for both durability and improved sound.

[TCLouis]

I have caught one in the chest and one in the head from those special little inelastic collisions.

Good reason to be wearing safety glasses when shooting.

In both cases I just did NOT "use enough gun"