Portable targets for practice?

[SPlisken]

I'd appreciate some input on what you all use for LR practice targets, specifically those of you who hike your targets out to the shooting location. Apologies if this is covered elsewhere. I looked for a similar posting but didn't find one.

I have been using a 12" square Shoot-N-C target taped to a 12" square of cardboard to give it some stiffness. I usually take along 3-5 of them with another 3-5 bent metal frames to attach them to. The frames are just aluminum rods with sharpened ends bent into a U-shape. I stick the frame into the ground and use twist-ties to attach the targets to them. It is very light and works great but a 12" target gets hard to find beyond 500 (insert newbie jokes here )...anyway, If I can find a place with enough safe distance I want to push beyond 500 and was hoping others might have suggestions for me.

Thanks in advance! I'll post pics of my set-up in the near future.

 

[Buffalobob]

During election years I go and get a few of the signs that are on the "U" shaped wire frames and take them home. I recycle the paper and then use the frames as targets holders. It is important for me to get several of them being as sometimes I am a sloppy shot and will hit the frame. I will tape a piece of cardboard or even just a construction drawing sheet to it and use blue one inch painters tape as the target. As the distance gets longer I may put two frames side by side.

 

[bigngreen]

Every time I pass one of those campaign signs I think they would work great but I have never done anything about it.
I can drive anywhere I want to shoot so I have a large gong situation going, I can break it down into individual sections by just pulling two bolts. But it would be nice to be able to set out several paper targets and run between them for practice on the turrets.

 

[sscoyote]

2 pieces of electrical conduit cut to length, cardboard attached with cable ties (zip straps) all along the edges. 2 pieces of rebar, pound them into the ground and slide the conduit tgts. over them. About as versatile, cheap and portable as i could ever think up--

 

[retiredcpo]

buffalobob
I do the same thing for some targets but I go to the local craft store and get a
sheet of cooragated plastic its about the size of poster board. the frame fits inside the plastic
the plastic closes back on its self after shooting so it lasts much longer than carboard.

 

[SPlisken]

Thanks all for the suggestions so far. It looks like I'm not off base anyway with what I'm already doing. Some good ideas for increasing the size of the target, thanks!

As an aside here is a link to the USFS site with the regulations for my immediate area where I shoot most frequently and why I asked the question initially.

USDA Forest Service, Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests, Pawnee National Grassland - Recreation Activities - Target Shooting Regulations

I know I've seen lots of video and references to shooting rocks (or more specifically right in front of rocks) at distance for practice which would work great with a spotter, but I do a lot of solo hiking/shooting and need to stay self-sufficient. The use of the paper targets allows me to keep a record of my practice too.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

I sometimes use a cardboard box and set it on the ground on end using the bottom to tape my target to, and put a rock anchor on the inside to keep it stable.

 

[pdog06]

Heres mine made out of scrap 2x4's.. For shooting I staple chicken wire across it to clip the targets to with clothes pins. As seen here I have a pc of truck bedmat on it for use as a backstop for my bow targets, you know, incase I let one fly practicing those longer shots.( I have another pc of mat that drapes over the top of it, but it makes it hard to carry so I dont staple it on there).

 

[winmag]

Hey, I have a jeep wrangler so space is limmited for hauling stuff to shoot long range. My setup includes few things. 1) 2'x4' piece of 1/2'' plywood painted white, with 2 shoot-n-see sticky backed targets pre stuck on and double secured with 2 thumbtacs 2) Three concrete stakes/form stakes 3) a 4 lb hammer.

pound 2 stakes in about 16'' apart. stand plywood against first two stakes and pound in your third stake in behind. All done.
Works awesome on uneven ground with form stakes, just level up the plywood and bang a nail thru one of the holes to secure it.

If I take a shooting table, I throw in another piece of plywood and 2 colapsable saw horses. Home Depot and Lowes both carry 2'x4' precut pcs if you dant have your own saw.
I like the political sign whackin idea!!
good luck

 

[MachV]

Like MontanaRifleman I like cardboard boxes, the bigger the better (applience boxes work great!). They can be folded flat for transporting and set up with rocks or dirt in the bottom to keep the wind from blowing them away. Tape the paper targets to them and/or just tape over the holes.
The regs are there to help keep the riff-raff from bringing out old apliences and computers to use as targets.....For some reason they forget to haul them back out with them????