Full Metal Targets

[Walker Mountain]

Howdy folks, want to say thanks again for the rules and scoring for hawk & knife was a big hit at are annual barbecue. It was good to see some of the older trappers dust off their hawks with some trick shots; we all had a lot of fun. So now I’m asking for some good ideas on metal targets that hang for the trail walk that would be fun to shoot. Too many of are target don’t swing and too many of us old hoot’s can’t hear them ring anymore. We do have a few cylinders that “gong” pretty good but I like to see them dance a little bit, many thanks. 
Free Trapper

[yip]

 howdy pard;  at powder patch and ball we have a few knock downs,we have a ground hog at 40 yds, and a turkeys head at 30yds if ya hit em they fall down good. we also have a few ole gas cylinders (empty of course) that been cut in half, with a a gong on the inside, if ya hit one o them gongggggg!i thank my friend fran fer dem. we thinkin of a new target we, have a piece o' 4inch pipe with a longggg sweeping 90 on, that you shoot thur and ring a bell on the other side, this is still on the experinent side. i wish ya luck, keep on shooting!

[Roger Fisher]

Can't beat the steel swingers hung from 2 chains (one ea corner so they come on back 'flat') Squares, rounds, animals whatever scraps are at the salvage yd or farm sheds.....You can bang them forever, no dirt no clean up and nothing for the tree huggers to squeal and screech about!

I would add that free is good and most areas have pine cones on the ground (and they even have a little handle to twist the wire on to...

If you are fortunate enough to have friend in the ceramic tile business you can lay your hands on those 4x4" and smaller drill a corner hang from wires or cords (if you want them tougher in the wind)  You then have the clean up however!    Just no end to the primative target ideas.  $#*! even beer bottle caps glued to a board - whatever!

[Ky-Flinter]

What Roger said. 

My club also has targets mounted on a stand with a pivot in the middle so they spin when hit.  A length of heavy chain hanging straight down is an interesting target.  We also have a length of rebar bent in a zig-zag to resemble a snake.  Hangs from 1 end only.  It's a tough one.

We paint the target area white and the "off-limits" areas orange, cuts down on breaking welds.

-Ron

[Daryl]

We have cylinders, round and square as well as odd shaped plates, tiny buffalo, sheep, pig, gophers and squirrel cuttouts in steel, as well as a fox at 92 yards, turkey at about 95yards, bunny rabbits at 100. We also have heavy steel cylinders at 65 yards and farther - to 109yards.  The smaller gong targets are hung at closer ranges, from about 25 yards and more.  We also use heavy equipment parts - gear from a cat, link from a set of skidder chains - anything that will stand up to ball hits.  Note that 1/4" mild steel gets perforated after a while from the small bores, and the larger ones warp and bend them with single hits.

[J.D.]

As mentioned in other posts, swingers made of 3/8" thick material, for larger, longer targets, to 1" thick material for smaller, closer targets, work well. All that is needed is scrap steel and some way to cut it...or not.

I have found that targets suspended by 1/4" or 3/8" chain attached to metal fence posts or convenient trees are easy to move and repair. 3/8" dia bolts work great for attaching chain to targets. Bolts allow for changing targets, reversing targets to shoot out and bends or concavity, and quick repair, in the event that a chain is broken. IMHO, the best part is no welds to break during a match, and quick repair by simply replacing a bolt.

The only problem I have encountered in using chain to suspend targets is when using small targets relatively close to the firing line. Small targets will wrap themselves up in the chain, unless they are sufficiently heavy to resist that "wrapping".

God bless

[doug]

     We have evolved to using swingers hanging on tripod stands plus some spinners.  Both methods allow the targets to be down low for easy bullet containment and both methods allow a lot of flexibility on where we put our targets.  Before this we hung our targets from fallen trees or various wooden target frames.  The fallen logs did not always fall where we wanted a target and the wooden frames were not easy to move and would rot over time.
    Since taking the photos, we now put a post on one side of the top of the tripod so that swingers do not walk off sideways and tape a empty shotgun shell on the opposite side for the same reason

cheers Doug

[Daryl]

They look good Doug - Hefley had a swinger that had 2 stands, one on each end, with the gong hanging in the middle.  The .69 made it go arond the pivot bar 6 or 7 times.  Cool, to watch.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

We've been hanging steel targets on our trail for about 30 years.  We've found that anything welded is temporary...it'll be broken and need replacing in no time.  We have a lot of smoothbore shooters pounding targets steadily with 300+ grain balls, and welded targets just can't take it.  So we drill 'em and hang 'em from chains.  The bush supplies the supports, and they need replacing about every five years or so, from rot, and from bullet splatter tearing them up.  Also, targets on the ground are in three feet or four of snow all winter, so we don't do that either.
We are building a new range with at least four different sets of targets, designated for the various kinds of guns that we use...ie:  pistol, rifle, smoothbore, squirrel rifle .40 and under.  The trick is to stop people from shooting targets that can't take the punishment of the big lead.

[Canute Rex]

I have shot at a hanging auto coil spring at a shoot - skill plus luck. Likewise a piece of 1/2" rod coiled into a frying pan shape. As much air as metal.

It's also interesting to have a narrow vertical bar followed by a narrow horizontal bar. You have to change your aiming priorities.

One I'd like to make: A vertical steel stake with a "T" top and an axe blade welded to the front. A steel half circle would hang off the T either side. Hit the blade, split your ball, and swing both gongs.

Off topic, but... A non-metal fun one I did once was the tater teeter totter. It was a horizontal piece of wood that rotated on a pin stuck through a vertical stake. There was a block of wood below it to keep it from tipping more than about 30 degrees either way. There were three pieces of string tied about a foot apart on either side, each with a drywall screw tied to the end. There was a potato screwed on to each string so the bar balanced. (Sometimes the guy running the shooting station had to adjust the distance of a string from the center to make it balance) The competitor had a few minutes (I forget exactly) to shoot at the potatoes on alternating sides. The competitor got a point for each time the horizontal bar tipped one way or the other. It was at about a 50 foot range. A satisfying way to make instant mashed potatoes.

[Roger Fisher]

This is a darn good thread here and should continue with good/simple/proven ideas for silohuette and other primative target for other folks to use at their clubs...

[RonT]

I posted this elsewhere and took heat from the resident blissninny because the angle wasn't "preeecisely" 15* or whatever...  but, for a self-centering swinger:
 


the outer tube is cut on a 45* angle and pivots aroud the center tube. 
R

[Daryl]

That's a good idea for a "Duel".  The one we had had a single bungie cord as the return spring, which worked quite well.  I don't know about a hit from a small calibre ball, but a .50 would turn it full 90 degrees back, removing the target from the other shooters line of fire. It was easy to see who won.
 

[Walker Mountain]

Wow! This is a darn good thread the self-centering swinger look’s really cool and having duels could be fun. Question Ron is 15 degrees (round plate) is that for lift when struck? I did stop at the local steel scrap-yard today came home with some ½ & 5/16 plate. Taylor I hear ya on the welding will drill and bolt when possible, think I have a lot of good ideas now can’t wait to get started, many thanks.
Free Trapper

[RonT]

Wallker Mountain, The suggested 15* was by the resident pontifical "blissninnie" on another board.  This is not an exact science.  I sorta' guestimated the down angle for deflection.
Lift is derived from the angle of the tube join and most likely would be more if hit square on.  I stole the idea from self centering safty gates at the company where I worked prior to retirement.
A lead .45 ACP will rock these about 1/8 turn, enough to indicate a solid hit.  The range shown has a "no jacketed bullets on metal target" rule.  BTW, note the spray on the tire rim.
R

[Roger Fisher]

Would add one safety item..... beware the heavier steel swingers that are top mounted (bottom swings away)  and a rocky or hard ground surface under the swinger up close to the firing line.  Richocets (sp) do happen.  Either move the targets back or get soft ground spread underneath them  That's the fix!   Do the same thing under your jug hanging on the string at a buck a shot to cut the string, saves a lot of wine and bawling.!

[doug]

     I like the self centering idea; will have to try making one.   Re welded targets, I have to replace 4 or 5 each year from shattering.  The whole target seems to become brittle.  Still the method seems preferable to some of the hassles with targets on chains; I particularly like the spinners for small targets.   Pistol targets seem to last a long time using the welded method.
     Our biggest problem is coming to some sort of balance in target weight/strength on the rifle trail with people shooting anywhere from .40 cal up to brown bess.  Targets that respond to the small calibers do not stand up to the large ones and ones strong enough for the large calibers barely wiggle for the smallest calibers.
      One trail in particular, that I shoot (not Prince George :>)  ) I find frustrating because even with a .50 cal, it is often hard to see some of the targets move. 
       Also have found that cylinders make mediocre targets because glancing shots along the side and particularly on the top of a scuba tank for example, do not move it.  We had a 65 yrd shot at a scuba tank with the bottom sawn off and very few people seemed to hit it, at least to the unassisted eye.  When it came time to repaint it, there were a lot of bullet scuffs on the top and a fair number just scratching the side

cheers Doug

[Daryl]

We have similar problems, Doug.  Most of the time, I have a pair of binocs with me to spot the small calibre strikes.  I use the .32 quite often (love shooting it), and it's hard to see on large targets with it's little 42gr. balls - especially the ones out at 75 to 100 yards on gongs that are heavy.

 The velocity is high enough that the 'strike' coincides with the echo or report of the rifle in the bush, which makes spotting the hit necessary.  Even the .40's are hard to discern sometimes, barely a wiggle, and high velcity again masks the strike.  That's why I like the .58's to .69 - their 275gr. to 480gr. balls moves everything, but they are hard on targets or the logs they are attached to.  Once the logs or branches get chewed up somewhat from ball spray, a solid hit on the plate with the .69 will sometimes break the log the gong is attached to.

[Leatherbelly]

  Does anyone like Fort Shoots?

[Daryl]

Absolutely - the team I was on, won the Fort George Fort Shoot. Team was called "3 guys, 4 Eyes"  I think the "Brown Eggs on sticks" as Indians beat a few of the teams.  That's where the long barreled Squirrel rifle came in.

[yip]

what the dickens is a fort shoot ? this sounds interest'n please discribe how this is done

[Daryl]

Fort shoot at hefley Creek Rondy.  There are steel targets out in front of the 'fort'.  The inhabitants shoot at these from small holes in the fort wall. With the trees, views are restricted to 'areas' of the field of fire. There are indians, animals packing dynamite, French/English Soldiers (which ever way one wants to see them0 and a heavy Field Commander which takes several ball impacts at the same time to knock over, which stops your 'time'.  Time and score are figured to give the 'best' score amonst the various teams competing.
In the bottom picture, the blue shirted fellow, one of the scorers, is pointing at a large blue balloon, which is released at some time during the fort shoot from way up the hill. By the time it gets to the fort, it's moving very fast, and when it strikes the fort's pickets, it dumps water on everyone.  If one of the fort defenders sees it in time and can hit it with his rifle, extra points are scored. If not, it might just douse your pan or fill a nipple with water.

[strawstalker NM]

When I lived in New Mexico I led up a group of club members that made new targets for our range. We made the targets out of 3/8" T-1 steel. The targets are all items used in the fur trade - beaver, knife, striker, snake, Indian head, beaver hat, trap, hawk, tipi (What a good ringer), canoe, arrowhead, pistol - etc - for a total of 22 targets. All targets were drilled with two holes on top and hung with 3/8" chain (placed on rear of target) with class "5" bolts with the heads facing the firing line. The targets all hang at a slight angle to direct hits down into the dirt. Each side of the chain is hung to opened eye bolt mounted to a tee post. We throw all of the steel in a wheelbarrow, drop off at each station, mount the steel, repaint and shoot. Total set up for a shoot takes four of us about one hour. We have used this steel for about 12 years and it is still looks like new. The "T-1" steel and class "5" bolts really hold up very well. The range is a series of lanes cut out of the woods. We have the tee post set a different distances so we can change up the target mix and not shoot the same targets at the same old distances. Good shooting.  The Strawstalker, CO Territory

[Walker Mountain]

T-1 plate steel would be nice to use but hard to fine at my local scrape-iron outlet, when they do have it (scrape) they want three times the price of A-36 scrape. T-1 plate new is over 3 dollars a pound. A-36 scrape is plenty full in all shape and thickness and goes for 50 cents a pound I can build 6 target for the same price as one T-1 Plate target. The club has a very limited funds but T-1 plate would be nice. The club targets (A-36) are older than 12 years but are in very sad shape but can’t justified the cost of T-1 plate. The local cowboys use T-1 but they’re shooting up real close with hard hitting lead. Daryl the water balloon look like fun, love the fort, I see your all loading from the pouch. This is something I been trying get everyone to do when we fort shoot. Been building the wife a chicken coop but plan on experimenting with RonT self centering spinner. If a 45 ACP rock just 1/8 turn might not be enough for a muzzleloader, the time the smoke clear it will be self center. Thinking about changing the 45 degree tube cut to maybe 20 degree to get a bigger swing also this design might improve Doug swingers (three targets) with three rounded notches to center targets, will post result.
Free Trapper

[RonT]

A .45 ACP rocks this target ~1/8 turn due to the weight/ ga. of the plate.  The arms and round target are .700, and the arms are `18" long.  A shallower angle is a possibility...and worth a try.  I simply copied the safety gate design from those at at the shop and went from there. 
Lighten 'em up and grease'n 'em up.
Cheers, 
R