Making a steel gong louder?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I've got an 8" AR500 steel target hung on chains that rings great. Bought an 18" AR500 (both are 3/8") thinking it would be louder, but it just thudded when hung on chains. Other than the difference in size, the 8" has holes 1/2" or so within the outer diameter. The 18" has "ears" with the mounting holes. I took the 18" down, and experimented with different hanging methods. Any bolt secured tightly in the ears seemed to really dampen the vibration. Ended up hanging it off of one ear, loosely suspended, on a fixed eye bolt. It is better, but still doesn't seem as loud as it should. I didn't have a shepard's hook to try, but I imagine it would allow the gong to vibrate nicely. I was tempted to cut the ears off, and drill a new mounting hole, but drilling AR500 can't be easy, and didn't want to toast the drill bits unless I had at least a little evidence that it would make a difference. Any thoughts?

[Bazoo]

Hang it from rope instead of chain. I'll require more maintenance but it should ring well. My 2/3 IPSC is on a stand with a carrage bolt that let's it hang loosely. It rings well.

[country gent]

Hit it with a bigger round. LOL Usually a thud from a gong means it hung to tight or has a crack or inclusion somewhere. To get the clear loud ring it has to vibrate freely. You might try doing away with the bolts and go to replacement chain links instead. Thy tried rubber straps on the clubs gongs and they moved good but the hit was more thud than ring with them.
Our gongs were at 200yds. A hit from centerfire 22s got a wiggle and tink sound. The 30s were better and got more movement along with a light ding sound. My 45 90 with 550 grn bullets they swung to almost the height of the cross bar and sounded like a bell ringing. Especially the big gong. We had a bank of 3 12" 8" and 5". The bigger gongs take a harder hit to ring clearly

[WheelgunConvert]

Hang a cowbell on the back

[Hossfly]

Hang from a piece of old fire hose will last longer with hits to hanger and lets vibrate better,

[Chainsaw.]

Hossfly beat me to it, fire hose is great for hanging gongs, should ring better and it last a good long while. If not, just remember the lighter the touch of what ever is holding it, the better the ring.

[Snow ninja]

I've gotten good results from some plastic coated wire, maybe 1/8" in diameter. You're done for if you shoot it though...
I'm gonna have to try the firehose.

[bmortell]

you could take any kind of thin metal sheet and hang them both together with the ar500 one in front and the other sheet behind it and they will slap together when hit, should make a loud sound. or it might not work at all I just made that up in my head lol.

[Hogtamer]

Those thuds aren't bullets hitting the berm are they?

[Winger Ed.]

Those thuds aren't bullets hitting the berm are they?

My Grandmother would say, "Now just tacky, tacky, tacky".

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Thanks for most of the replies! I'm still a little stuck on the "ears". Anyone shoot targets with ears and without, side by side?

[TCFAN]

I shoot AR500 steel plates with and without ears and can tell no difference.
This is a 10 inch target with a 3 inch center that swings up when hit and the ring is different depending on which plate is hit




This plate is 1/4 inch AR500 hung with 1/4 inch rebar. It rings very nice

[Geezer in NH]

Heavier bullet , more speed.

[rockshooter]

I refer the gongs without ears. I do range maintenance at a private range and some turkeys aim at the ears and they break off.
Loren

[poppy42]

Hang a cowbell on the back

Yah it needs more cow bell

[bobthenailer]

I use strips of mine convayer belts cut to my needs usually 2 "W X 10"L

[jonp]

Hang it from a rubber bungee. Buy a bag at Harbor Freight for cheap and replace as needed

[jonp]

Yah it needs more cow bell

[David2011]

The best ringing targets I’ve seen were mounted with carriage bolts and used automotive valve springs. The bolt went through the target, the valve spring was next, a large washer, then double nuts tightened against the washer to slightly compress the spring and tightened against each other. The bolt then went through the support and a final nut secured the assembly to the support. The bolts were 3”-4” long x 3/8” diameter.

[tommag]

I wonder if attaching some sort of resonator to the back would help?