Design for a relatively easy to build target stand.

[Jim_Fleming]

Guys, it's been a while, but I'm still here...

Today I have been working on a relatively easy to build target stand...

I hope you can make heads or tails out of this...?

The one thing that I can see that ISN'T clear is the width of the slot for the corrugated paper backing... Corrugated paper is usually 1/8th inch thick... I intend to make the slot 3/16th's of an inch wide.

[crabo]

These don't take up the room, are easy to carry and you just staple the cardboard, (IPSC targets) to the 1x2s

[BruceB]

Buy two five-foot lengths of 1/2" rebar.

Get a large-ish sheet of cardboard from a furniture store's trash.

Fold the cardboard in half and duct- tape the sides of the folded-over sheet together.

Drive the rebar stakes into the ground at a span slightly less than the width of the folded cardboard.

Slip the folded cardboard over the rebar posts and attach targets.

Windproof, dirt cheap, minimal bulk, and fast. All you nreed for tooling is is a T-post driver and the duct tape.

We've used this method at the Nevada Shoot for years with perfect satisfaction.

[winelover]

Just recycle those political signs that have the heavy wire rods that push in the ground. Use masking tape to attach targets.

Winelover

[Jim_Fleming]

Gents, you all have excellent ideas!

The thing is I'm trying to set this up, both at my local range, and also have the flexibility to set this up just about any where it's safe. My stands are going to be no more than 24 inches tall. One 8.5-11.0 sheet only. Ideal for rifle testing, I thought. All the way from scope installation, where you have NO darn idea where the impact point is, all the way up to and including group testing...

Thanks for your excellent comments!

J.

[jmorris]

I make them so they will stack, even built a dolly to move them, targets and sticks around.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/tools/IMG00146.jpg
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/tools/IMG00144.jpg


I also have a modular one that stores more compact but can expand to a huge backer.

I'll have to take some up close photos but below it is the one to the right of the 9" steel at 300yds.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=141354&d=1304169643

[Jim_Fleming]

Again, very interesting! I love "stealing" these excellent ideas, you kind folks so *generously* give.

[Jim_Fleming]

Ahem, perhaps collecting might be a better choice of terminology. LMBO!

[pmer]

I have a 2'X4' sheet of ply wood with a hinge on each upper corner. Attach 1''X 2'' legs to the hinges and it looks like a A from the side. Folds thin for carrying.

[jmorris]

I found some close up shots of the last batch I built. The 1x2 is moved in side the 1x1 H allowing them to stack, I also notch the bottom so they don't hold water. Powder coating them holds up a lot longer than paint.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/target/target%20stand/HPIM0727.jpg

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o213/jmorrismetal/target/target%20stand/HPIM0728.jpg

[CATS]

Plus one on the political signs, spray paint out the name. Easy to take with you so you have them if you need them. Take two so that if it is windy you can tape them in a T shape to resist the wind. Keep staple gun, staples, tape, tacks, clothes pins, a claw hammer and 8penny nails in your range bag. When all the targets are taken, there are usually a few that are too broken to use. Nail or tape one up and there you go. Why carry more big stuff than you need?

[jcw1970]

Not being handy, I bought mine here. http://targetmeister.com
You can't destroy it.

[hotrod13]

On the political sign, when you shoot up the plastic, replace it with cardboard from boxes. It is thick enough you can just slide in the corrigated (SP) holes.

Rod

[FrankG]

I made mine similar to the one in op but from angle iron with a 1/4" slot for the cardboard to attach target to . has held up for over 20 years even taken a few 'hits' . Just heat it up with hot wrench , pound it out add some fill weld and good to go again . Heavy nough that wind dont blow it around .

[Mk42gunner]

Again, very interesting! I love "stealing" these excellent ideas, you kind folks so *generously* give.


Ahem, perhaps collecting might be a better choice of terminology. LMBO!

We called it latteral transferring in the Navy, transferring from one naval activity to another.

I have started to use a foam poster board for my targets at home. Available from Walmart for a couple of bucks, if you get busy and leave it out in the rain it isn't destroyed.

Robert

[Jim_Fleming]

Thanks Robert, it's been many years since I served in the USN. I've forgotten most of the USN jargon. LOL!

[7of7]

Look at the real estate sign holders.. available at most home depot stores.
They are 25-35.00 and last quite a while.. I have one that I have been using for the past 4 years.. I have hit the metal frame, but straightened the damage out and welded the hole..
I also use the corrigated plastic panels that are made for the sign. I haven't replaced it yet, as it holds up pretty good..

[geargnasher]

JMorris, POWDERCOAT? REALLY? We have more freakin' overachievers on this site than anywhere I know of! That's just outstanding! :drinks:

Gear

[Alan in Vermont]

Just recycle those political signs that have the heavy wire rods that push in the ground. Use masking tape to attach targets.

Winelover

Yup, those work great. For informal shooting use the stick on targets that show a green spot when hit, "Shoot-N-See" I think is the brand name.

The beauty with political signs is that every two years there is an unlimited new batch of them. I go out on election night and score as many as will fit in the car. The good ones for our use have a wire frame shaped like a big "H" with a hard plastic "cardboard" sign. The others supply a bunch of small rod that can be used in other projects. In my case I use that rod to repair tomato cages.

[Jal5]

Been using political signs for years too. Always have a couple in the bed of the truck. In a brisk wind they aren't so good though...might try the corrugated cardboard one poster mentioned as it would be heavier.

Joe

[Circuit Rider]

jmorris, Is it expensive to set up a powder coating system?

[jmorris]

I don't like to paint, thus all of my surface rusted "projects". It's hard to sell rust so I got a bid for paint and then powder coating. To my suprise powder coat cost less.

[Tammany42]

Got tired of the weight. Bought 1 inch PVC, elbows and tees. Slides together and is rebuildable. Use Wire ties to hold the card board to the pipe

[slim1836]

I use camping cooking irons, two irons stuck into the ground & one cross bar. I attach a paper target with clothes pins to the cross bar and several on the bottom of the target for weight. Works great if not too windy and very portable. In lieu of paper targets, a steel gong can be hung also with a stick on target

Same could be done with rebar.

Slim

[Jim_Fleming]

Interesting, Slim.

Thanks!

Sent from my Droid

[jmorris]

Here is one I keep in my truck. It's set up really small in this photo. It uses 1x2's for everything but stows very compact. It is adjustable for any size target as long as your sticks are. You can also run them through the base so you don't even have to stake it down for wind with 2 8' sticks through them. The angle is so a stray bullet can't crimp the base.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMAG0326.jpg

Here it is in use when a few friends wanted to sight in for the TX state multi gun. It's the one out at 300 yards set at 8' apart with butchers paper 3'x6' so they could see hits if they missed the smaller aim point targets, before moving on to the steel.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv5/qvideo/IMAG0150.jpg

The 300 yard targets are an auto restet steel (like the larue), 9x9 steel and the stand, left to right.

[Jim_Fleming]

Nice! I just got around to making mine from 2x2's and some OSB material for the sides to be wind resistant.

Mine'll 10 3/4 x 14 cardboard pads. For now I'm just going to use two of them. As I need more I'll make them.

J.

Sent from my Droid

[Artful]

I just made a PVC one for a young shooter who need portability
- it fits inside a folding chair carry bag

I used 1 inch PVC takes two 10 foot sticks
4 base tubes 2 feet long each
those are connected by 2 "T" fittings
then two one foot tubes slip into the "T"s
again connected to 2 more "T" fittings
the two bases are now connected by putting a horizontal PVC tube in
then you can either put in wood but I choose to keep building with PVC for actual target frame
so to add versatility.

I made the Horizontal PVC in two length one 2 foot and one 3 foot for a wider target stand.
continuing on up I have four 2 foot tubes and two connectors
that allows you to either have a frame two feet high or four feet high
on top goes two elbows and another horizontal PVC tube (again made a two foot and a three foot)
You need to cut your backer board out of either plastic sign board or cardboard to spring clamp to the frame.
and you can choose a bunch of different sizes to put the lego stand into
1x2, 1x3, 2x2, 2x3, 2x4, 3x4

You can drill holes in the legs tubes to stake to the ground
or you can lay sand bags on them

[Walter Laich]

or you could go the organic route using natural materials:


170389

[jmorris]

Two of these would do it without the need for a human holder and are more compact that the sticks.

http://dsp.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pDSP1-18376848p275w.jpg

$2.49 ea here. http://t.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=34758246

[country gent]

On the PVC stands I made Iused a table saw to slit the upper tubes to 1/4" wide slits so card noard target backers just slide in then the top cross bar locks them in place. This slit can be done with a table saw or a fixture and router. Make them on the larger size as a hit on the plastic is very destructive.

[Don Fischer]

Boy this is old! I make my own target stands; pretty much like all these don't don't break down. Mine are wood, normally 2'2. The backer is what ever I have, last few were 1/8" door skins. use those thumb tacks with the large plastic head to hold on the target's. One big difference in mine is a wide board across the bottom. Get quite a bit of wind here and I pile rock's on the bottom the hold it in place. Hate it when I'm just ready to pull the triger and the wind shake's the target or completely blow's it over.

[izzyjoe]

Country gent, you and me think alike, that's the same thing I did with pvc. It's light and brakes down easily, although when I made my base I glued it together after I filled it with sand, that way it's a little more wind resistant. I don't have a table saw, so I clamped the upright target holders between two 2x4's and made my slit. My grandad used to say, there's more than one to skin a cat! I also like to use medium size boxes from work, they make nice three sided targets. Then when done, I brake them down take them back to the cardboard bin at work for recycling.

[Doc Highwall]

This is one that I use and is 36" wide that uses 1" x 3", I also have one like it that is only 18" wide and uses 1"x 2" as uprights. Both bases fold up and the up rights of 1x come out and make a very compact unit. The leg design holds the center up off the ground so it is stable on uneven ground and can even be staked down for shooting AR500 plates.
170550

[RP]

Using political signs the wire frames that hold them for the most part are cut ladder wire which is the wire used when laying blocks or bricks comes in different sizes. Lengths are around 10 foot some cutting and cardboard which the ladder wire will fit in the cells can make many more targets. But as long as you do not hit the wire part just changing the cardboard or coraplast sign out your still in the game.