Stopped at the welding shop today

[melloairman]

Ask what he would charge to cut me some 3/16 thick 2 inch rounds for swingers . He walk over to a 5 gallon bucket 1/2 full and pulled out a 2 inch round a 1/4 inch think . Asked if that would work . I said I would have to try one . It might be so heavy that it would cause a lot of bounce back . He said try it and this one is on me . If it works they are 50 cents a piece . Well next to that bucket was another one about half full of what looked like 6-8 inch rounds . I told him I might be interested in some of those for my BB rifles . Been a year since I have shot them and my thoughts have been if I don't move soon they may go up for sale . Drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the round and mounted it in my trap . Shoot it tonight and it will swing up to about a inch when hit right . I will use it tomorrow but I think I am getting less bounce back . Was not that much to pick up in front of the trap . But that can vary so more use is needed . I think that the pellets might be using up more energy when hitting the heavier plate and dropping in the trap better . Marvin

[35 shooter]

50 cents a piece would be hard to beat. Good find.

[melloairman]

I will probable never be able to wear out the one I have . But next week when I go to town I will more than likely stop and pick up a few spares .Marvin

[enfield]

I was at the local machine shop getting a Hydraulic hose made the other day and spotted large 1/2" sheets in the scrap pile with large circles cut out. He told me they had to cut 18" circles out for a job they were doing and some weren't perfectly round, $10 each so I took 2 and have 2 more to pick up next week. Should be great for BP gongs.

[15meter]

If you are in the southern Michigan/Northwest Ohio/Northeast Indiana look up a company called ALRO, metal and plastic distributor. Customer orders a specific size, they cut it to spec. and if the left over is too small/odd shaped to sell for full price they put it out as "usable drops". Rounds, squares, tubes all at greatly reduced cost.
More than one dinger has followed me home from the store in Ann Arbor. Call before you go, not all locations peddle the usable drops.

[D-RIG]

I will probable never be able to wear out the one I have . But next week when I go to town I will more than likely stop and pick up a few spares .Marvin

Yes I would go back and buy some more and at that price I'd buy lots of them
and make some plinking targets for my friends . Good luck .

[country gent]

Its not just the weight of the gong but also how easy they swing and can move. Cable slows down the swing and movement making for more splash. heavy chains the same. On my air rifle target I'm currently using sash chain (stainless) 2 strands so gong stays straight. these allow a very easy movement and a lot of give. Another trick is to mount so that gong hangs at a slight angle allowing pellets to slide off easier into the trap. My gongs are 3/16 thick hot rolled steel and the sash chain is bolted to them on the backs with button head allen screws. They actuall hang at about a 10*-15* angle and pellets either turn to dust or slide into the traps sand filled bottom. I recover very little of the pellets when cleaning.

[melloairman]

I have a filling that several will follow me home . I am in Calif. so the above info will not help me . But it might some one else . My trap is small so I use a metal strap bolted to the spinner and have to keep it close to the cross rod . I have played with the angle to keep as many pellets in side as I can . I recover a flat piece of lead from every pellet . But when the light is right I can seen dust fly off through the 1 power RD . Marvin

[country gent]

We recover a small full dia disk at the club also off the gongs they are normally lying on the ground under the gongs (1/2" steel a 500 plates 6" 8" and 10" dia) but these disks are from my 45 caliber BPCR rifles. LOL mau weigh 8-10 grns and started out 500-550 grains. Even jackets leave just a small disc.

[melloairman]

I was at the local machine shop getting a Hydraulic hose made the other day and spotted large 1/2" sheets in the scrap pile with large circles cut out. He told me they had to cut 18" circles out for a job they were doing and some weren't perfectly round, $10 each so I took 2 and have 2 more to pick up next week. Should be great for BP gongs.

Good score . Good reminder that we need to keep a eye out for more than lead .Marvin