Have Steel....Now What

[MagMan]

I recently purchased a 4'x8' sheet of 1/2" AR500. Actually I split it with another guy. Now I'm left wondering what sizes I should cut.

What I was planning on doing was mounting square plates on 2x4's with carriage bolts that were firmly planted in the ground. With as many targets as I plan on having I don't want to mess with frames/swingers.

My range has tall grass everywhere so spotting shots that have missed their targets is difficult. I also take quite a few new shooters (new to long range) out so the extra target size is a bonus for them. If my sizes seem a bit on the large side this is why.

This is what I was thinking for a 4'x4' sheet.

(2) 18x18" for 1k+
(3) 16x16" for 700-1k
(2) 14x14" for 500-700
(2) 10x14" & (2) 9x12" for 500 and less

I currently have 12" plates out to 700 and 14" past that but they are riddled with holes and falling off their posts.

What do you think?

 

[GUNNER 1]

gun)sounds like, you have a nice setup, i just finished building a 1200yrd range, and its a lot of work, but talking about targets , you might try this , ibuilt a steel frame out of 2&2/8" pipe at my big dirt pile, 24ft long 10 ft high,went to a place that repairs farm equitment , and got a bunch of old discs they range from 8" to 22" and welded re bar rods to them that i bent into a j at the top of rebar, painted them white ,with orange bulls eye 4'' i just hang them up and 2 or 3 guys can shoot at the same time, when one gets shot up just hang up another on, and they didnt cost, anything,

 

[blipelt]

What about one portable?


Brent

 

[J E Custom]

gun)sounds like, you have a nice setup, i just finished building a 1200yrd range, and its a lot of work, but talking about targets , you might try this , ibuilt a steel frame out of 2&2/8" pipe at my big dirt pile, 24ft long 10 ft high,went to a place that repairs farm equitment , and got a bunch of old discs they range from 8" to 22" and welded re bar rods to them that i bent into a j at the top of rebar, painted them white ,with orange bulls eye 4'' i just hang them up and 2 or 3 guys can shoot at the same time, when one gets shot up just hang up another on, and they didnt cost, anything,[/QUOTE

I would cut them 2 to 2 &1/2 MOA Square for the distance to be shot. Example= 1000yrds=
20''x20'' or 25''x25''.

Also if you hang them they will last longer because they can rebound and they ring better
if they are not tied down.

Round ones ring the best but are wastefull when cutting them out of a square plate.

Nothing wrong with the wooden frames but chain works best for the hangers.

A simple tri pod made with 3 peces of 1''x 6' pipe that fold (Drill 1 hole through one end
of the pipe and bolt all 3 together). then hang the 2 chains on the ends of the bolts.
The tri pod can be moved and transported very easy.

Just an idea
J E CUSTOM

 

[gamedog]

A simple tri pod made with 3 peces of 1''x 6' pipe that fold (Drill 1 hole through one end
of the pipe and bolt all 3 together). then hang the 2 chains on the ends of the bolts.
The tri pod can be moved and transported very easy.

Just an idea
J E CUSTOM[/quote]
That sounds like a slick set up.

 

[MagMan]

What about one portable?

I may keep one of the large ones for a 1200+ portable but the rest will be permanent distances.

Also if you hang them they will last longer because they can rebound and they ring better if they are not tied down.

This is true, my thinking was with the carriage bolt I could periodically turn them around as apposed to stake pockets. I really don't care how they ring, the whack from the 300 & 240 SMK's is sufficient enough.

I like the ideas and I'll see if I can't find a photo that explains the layout a little better.

2-2 1/2 MOA, hadn't though of going that big but it is an idea.

Usually its only my brother and I shooting over 700 and I know that we're plenty capable. Some days that 14"er at 1000 felt small.

Thanks

 

[J E Custom]

I may keep one of the large ones for a 1200+ portable but the rest will be permanent distances.



This is true, my thinking was with the carriage bolt I could periodically turn them around as apposed to stake pockets. I really don't care how they ring, the whack from the 300 & 240 SMK's is sufficient enough.

I like the ideas and I'll see if I can't find a photo that explains the layout a little better.

2-2 1/2 MOA, hadn't though of going that big but it is an idea.

Usually its only my brother and I shooting over 700 and I know that we're plenty capable. Some days that 14"er at 1000 felt small.

Thanks

Remember that at 500yrds it would only be 10 to 12" And looking through your scope
everything would be proportional.

Thats not very big and the reason to go with 2 or 2.5 MOA size targets is that most rifles
will shoot 1 MOA or less at 100yrds but at 500+ that is not allways the case.

And if you miss it tells you nothing.

J E CUSTOM

 

[GUNNER 1]

gun)after reading some of your posts i see , the problems some of youhave finding a safe place to shoot, and a range thats long enough , sorry i hadent, thought of that, we are very isolated here, and dont shoot no where else,the 1200 yrd range we build is on an old ranch airport , what we did was put H posts acrossed the runway at every 100yrd mrk,by digging a hole and putting in 2 pipes level with the ground so we set our steel plates up from 100yrds to 1200 yrds so 1 guy can shoot at 1 distnce and next guy another distance, and another guy, at another, at the same time,dont know if im explaining this right , hope you all get what im tal king about , but it works real good ,a nd is easy to change ranges with ta.rget and a 4-wheelerwe dont know a hell of lot about long range shooting, and have never even seen a long range set up but we have fun and we hit something every once and awhile, theres nothing like pulling the trigger and hearing the bang & then a ding!!!!!!!!!!!!