What size steel targets?

[RemHutch50]

Ento, what do you mean by quarter circles?
Do you have any pics of what this looks like setup?

I've heard fire hose is a good choice if you have it available. Another option, which I mentioned earlier, is the sidewalls of old tires (my tire place gave me as many as I wanted for free). If you stay out of the steel belt, they are easy to cut with a "hunting" sized knife. It helps to have someone pull the tire apart as you cut.

Cut the wall out, cut it in quarter circles, drill for bolts, ready to rock. It will take millions of shots, and it's stiff, so it keeps the plates from swinging wildly when hit.

 

[entoptics]

Ento, what do you mean by quarter circles?
Do you have any pics of what this looks like setup?

My targets are trapped out where I shoot, due to a foot of melting slushy snow, so no pics.

I found this video that describes pretty much my exact setup though. Only things I noticed that are different is he put the upper bolts on the back side of the wood. I'd put them on the front so there's less shrapnel in the cross beam. I also put some screw in eyelets at the bottom of the legs, so I can put a tent stake through them. The targets tend to lift a little with a good impact, which sometimes causes them to fold, and subsequently collapse. The stakes will cure that, as well as make them more stable when setup on uneven ground.

 

[RemHutch50]

Thanks. I've got some pieces of fire hose that I'm gonna try. Much easier than cutting those tires if they will work.
They are obviously not near as thick, so will have to wait and see.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

https://hangfasttargets.com/products/standard-hanger-raw-uncoated

These hangers with these targets

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/181753908927

Or for the longer ranges these

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/311991188843

I'm not advocating for any of these vendors on eBay I just like those size IDPA targets with those Hangfast target hangers nothing exposed they take ridiculous amount of abuse. I've tried chains and firehouse with other target styles these are better.

 

[Kansaswoodguy]

I noticed that link for the 18x30 IDPA didn't have a center hole drilled to be able to use that Hangfast target hanger, a masonry carbide drill bit on a drill press will drill AR500 steel but it's a one hole per bit proposition for the most part.

 

[Azrael]

The bigger the better. You can always aim at a smaller paint mark, but a clean miss doesn't teach you much. I use AR500 and a few AR525 IPSC targets a lot because it was cheaper than cutting squares and the dealer offered free shipping. There's also round gongs from 4" to 12" that mostly came from ebay sources. Someday I'll hang small gongs in front of the big ones. A reactive hostage taker target is a lot of fun.

I've been lucky with industrial salvage that I've found or shooting friends have brought over. Among my favorites are a pile of 18 x 30 x 1" plates from something called a pulse hearth which is some sort of incinerator. Bucket liners from a 992 loader provided some big AR plates. In one instance I welded 4 18" square plates back into one 3 footer. Can't help feeling like one of us wasted their time there.

Target hangers have done sort of an evolutionary process. Where I'm at now for smaller gongs is 3/4" sucker rod that was cut up into fence posts. I got a whole pallet of those for $1.50 apiece and as near as I can tell they are bullet-proof. Black iron plumbing T's and 10m rebar complete the cross-bar. I've tried various straps and such but nothing has topped 3/8" Transport 70 chain and 1/2" and 5/8" Grade 8 bolts. Haven't broke one yet, or even marred one. Bigger targets are hung from 4 x 4 pressure treated posts. They stand up rather well.

An odd-ball target is set up at 650 yards for now, but is getting moved to 1/2 mile when I find 3 men and a gorilla to help me. Its an life sized buffalo target that we only use for black powder. Its hanging on a portable 4 x 4 stand that bears a resemblance to a swing set because it used to be one.