Homemade Target Stand

[ryr8828]

I built this last weekend after golf. I got the plates for $60 each from wideners. The lumber was left over from some repairs I made on my deck.

http://i836.photobucket.com/albums/zz284/ryr8828/hostagetarget003.jpg

Finally got to shoot at my homemade steel target today. I took it out to the fence, that's as far as I can go without cutting stuff down, it turned out to be exactly 140 yds.
Shot my daniel defense m4 V1 first, I have a 2 moa aimpoint red dot on it. Beat the hell out of the plate with it, hardly any misses and I was really surprised. Shot with the foregrip on a sandbag.

Then I got out my rfb .308 bullpup. It has a leatherwood cmr 1-4x circle dot scope on it. No joy, not a single hit.
Then the fs2000, I have a vortex strikefire on it. No joy there either. I did find a hole in the header of the target stand directly above the target that was .223 though, so it's obviously shooting high.
Both of these bullpups have to be sighted in again before I try the plate with them. I have an eotech xps 2-2 coming for the fs2000 so I'll wait until it gets here to sight it in. I don't know that I can blame either rifle, I shift optics around and it's been cold so I don't really remember what I've sighted in and what I haven't sometimes.

Then I got out the dpms ap4 .308. Beat the hell out of the plate with it, almost all hits. It has a leatherwood cmr 1-4x scope on it also. I shot it off of the grip pod with no sand bag.
I know that both the ddm4v1 and the dpms ap4 have been sighted in because one was a recent build and the other was a recent purchase and I can remember back that far.

I checked the plate after I shot each rifle. No real damage from either .223 or .308. I had 2 edge nicks where the bullet grazed the target's side and that is all. I've got 2 plates left so I'm going to build 2 more of these and sit one at 100 yards and one will go farther out after I clear some brush.

I never dreamed that this could be so much fun. I knew it would be fun just didn't know it would be this much fun.

[markm]

Keep it at 100 or more and there won't be any pocking. 40-50 yards with M193 will chew the gong up a little.

[ryr8828]

Keep it at 100 or more and there won't be any pocking. 40-50 yards with M193 will chew the gong up a little.

Any experience at 100 yds. with m855 or 5.45x39 russian surplus?

I don't plan on shooting steel at less than 100 yds. with a rifle but I have a ton of both of those calibers and I know I'll shoot them at the steel sooner or later.

[Shiz]

I had 2 edge nicks where the bullet grazed the target's side and that is all.

You will get edge nicks because the metal is softer there, because of the high temp cutting.

[Hmac]

You will get edge nicks because the metal is softer there, because of the high temp cutting.

Yup. The edges are softer.

This target AR500 1/2 inch has had a lot of rounds, most between 40-50 yards.


http://SSEquine.net/gong1.jpg

[Terlingueno]

I just got the 4 pack of 3/8" targets(7.5"X13", 500 Brinell) for $150 deal from Wideners. All I have is M855 and Yugo M67 so I am going to set the targets at variable ranges from 100 to 250 yards. We'll see how they hold up.

[SteveL]

Very cool. Every time I see something like this I kick myself for buying a house in a subdivision.

[danish]

I have been contemplating the purchase of these targets from Wideners and will be picking some up now. Great job on the target stand with a definite edge towards overkill. I think I'll make mine from rebar and some bungies to hold the target....

[SpaceWrangler]

Yup, shooting steel is great fun. Very satisfying to see and hear what you're hitting, even at a few hundred yards. I have a 12" round gong cut from 5/8" AR500.

Bing! Bing! Bing! :cool:

[markm]

Any experience at 100 yds. with m855 or 5.45x39 russian surplus?


I know nothing about 5.45. But M855 is easier on the gongs than M193... by far.

I did a test on AR450 a few years back, and M193 with MORE velocity pocked the steel noticeably more than M855.

M855 will give you a nice sparks show in lower light.

[ucrt]

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If you weld a bracket on the back of a plate, does the location of the weld make for "weak spot" on the plate?

.

[Runnerman]

You will get edge nicks because the metal is softer there, because of the high temp cutting.

Not necessarily true. If the steel is made by cold rolling, then it's true. The molecular structure of cold rolled steel is compressed during the rolling process, and the steel is stronger. Heating it to cut it anneals the structure and makes it softer, so the edges would be softer. If, however, the steel was made by hot rolling, then the steel was in it's annealed condition prior to cutting, and returns to annealed condition after cutting. No change in hardness.

If the steel is higher in carbon, then the edges can get stronger after flame or laser cutting. Now if the plate is water jet cut, then none of this applies.

Where I work we typically buy cold rolled plate up to 1/4" in thickness and anything thicker is hot rolled.

By the way, as one of those who live in a subdivision, I'm jealous.

[scottryan]

.

If you weld a bracket on the back of a plate, does the location of the weld make for "weak spot" on the plate?

.


Yes it will.

[uwe1]

Very cool. Every time I see something like this I kick myself for buying a house in a subdivision.

Me too! But living on acreage, well outside of city limits, in order to shoot legally on one's own property presents challenges as well...