Tree Targets

[Bladesmith]

Hey.
first post for me, been lurking for a couple of months. There is so much great
information here,
My question, is does anyone have pictures or plans on a tree target that will stand
up to 45acp and 44 mag..

Thanks for any help
Billybob
Knifemaker

[Von Gruff]

Giday Billybob and welcome to the forum.

I made this for a single target and used 3/4 in wearalloy (as in the steel used for digger buckets and dozer blades etc) and it stands up to my 404 Jeffery with 350gn Lino boolits at 2400fps so your 44 mag should be a doddle.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/steelplate003.jpg

This is why I put the angle iron guard on the stand as the ocasional low hit was a bit destructive.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv39/VonGruff/steelplate001.jpg

Von Gruff.

[Bladesmith]

Did I ask this question in the wrong place, or no one shoots metal targets?..maybe I got bad breathe..
someone please tell me where I should post for this type of question.
thanks,
Billybob
Bladesmith

[felix]

Definition, please! A tree target to me is a knot seen clearly with the sights of choice. ... felix

[shotman]

You ok just that some maybe thought you were shooting trees. You know how the "greenies" are .
The big problem is metal and bullet impact dont work well together. I have made several and the amount of impact is unreal on a weld . I built one to with stand a 50bmg I thought about 10 rounds and it broke

[Bladesmith]

wow never thought of it that way..i have hit a tree or two.
some call it a dueling tree.. it is up right about 5ft tall, 2in wide, has 6in or so plates that will flop from one side to the other when hit. i hope this help..i know what they look like. i just never seen one, or know how they work,,like when you hit a traget, and it flops to other side..what keeps it there?
again, thanks to all for any help
Billybob

[Walter Laich]

Are you going to use cast or do they have jackets on them?

Reason I ask is in SASS (cowboy shooting) that's pretty much the type of target we use but we shoot lead--no jacketed bullets.

I've hit them with my .45-70 and the targets hold up well to the impact.

Here is a link with a pic link on the first post to give you an idea as to what is being used:
http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/powder-keg/11350-my-home-made-steel-targets.html

[Bladesmith]

Thanks Walter,
what direction do the bullets go when they hit?..and yeah, I shoot mostly cast boolits when target shooting
I think I would like the dueling tree because when you hit the target plate it swings around the post and resets itself on the other side. so you know you hit target and you don't have worry about walking back and too to reset
thanks,
Billybob

[bigdog454]

And here I always thought tree targets were squirrels.
Learn something new every day.

[Moonie]

The range I frequent has these, I'll be happy to take some pics and try to post them next time I go out there. I've shot them with 45acp with no issues, not seen anyone shoot them with magnums but they should hold up fine, at least with cast.

[Bladesmith]

Thank you Moonie,
and everyone else.for the help
Billybob

[Artful]

I helped make one up years ago but have no pictures of it
- it had 6 AR400 steel plates (3/8"?) welded to round rod with a 90 degree rod to swivel on.
__
O I

- the rod was connected to a bearing but the bearing was inside a pipe cut at angles so the plate had to climb up the ramp as it swiveled and when it got to the top (pointing straight away from the shooter) the angle changed sloping down with weight of rod and plate momentum moving to the other side of the I beam.

/\__
II O

Made so if you didn't hit it hard enough it wouldn't flip to the other side (not enough momentum to climb the ramp) . - it was calibrated so 357 magnum hitting on the outside edge would send it over but a 38 or 9mm wouldn't if hit on inside or center target. (just change the angle of the grind.

The upright was I bean with angle Iron on front side to protect I beam as far as bullet material it was hitting a less than vertical perpendicular plate so the bullets went 90 - 270 with some minimal back towards shooter but we made sure this target was at least 35 yards away and nothing to either side.

We made it for the pistol range so no rifles were ever shot at it - pistol shots no damage except to paint and dents in angle iron (soft metal) - whole thing mounted on a truck rim so you could roll it out of the way when not in use.

Hope that helps and doesn't just confuse ya.

[Walter Laich]

We have a minimum distance of 10 yards for pistol and 15-20 for rifle.

We found the bullets splatter 90* to its path. That would make a round spray pattern parallel to the face of the target.

We have our targets tipped forward a few degrees so the lead at the bottom of the spray ends up going backwards and not straight down. We don't want the lead coming off the target down there hitting something off the ground and ricocheting back towards us.

The 'stuff' that comes off the top doesn't seem to make it back to us.

If the target face is dented or 'crated' from jacketed rounds then all bets are off as to if and where any splatter will go.

walt