Gongs and Steel Targets

[Ted Kramer]

I have lots of steel targets made from 3/8” mild steel that I got from a local steel supplier. It was in plates that had been cut incorrectly for some project so it was put in the scrap pile and sold cheap. So check around and you might find a good buy.

Those critter targets have been pounded with everything from small bore m/l guns to .45-110 Sharps for the past 20+ years. Some of the buffalo in our herd of 50 are bowed a bit, even at 375 yds from the 500 gr bullets, but I just turn them around and eventually they get pounded back. The close up targets, 25-100 yds, get used for all caliber m/l & lever guns and will get a bend here and there but a big hammer takes care of it. Other than that, once in awhile a foot or base gets knocked off but can quickly be welded back on.
Ted K

[Ezra]

A late friend of mine shot a moose with that load in .45 cal. perfect shot through the heart for an instant kill.  He gave me the ball which I carry in my medicine bag around my neck at rendezvous.

How very cool to have such a memento.

Ez

[snapper]

After going to MN and shooting at Ted's buffaloes. I thought I had to have a herd as well.  So, after a trip to the scrap yard I got 50 in my own herd as well.

Fleener

[Ted Kramer]

Way to go Art. How big did you make them? I wonder where all the ones  from the Ackley shoot went.

[snapper]

Mine are the little ones for those we can’t speak about.  Ackleys went to milian IL.   I have been to that range shooting ML but the buffalos they don’t do them justice with matches IMO

Fleener

[Hungry Horse]

 Ted, the 3/8” mild steel in your neck of the woods must be a lot tougher than it is here. At a tradegun shoot at our range just after Christmas a few years ago we were shooting at a life size target of Santa Claus ( for cleaning out all our checking accounts). We shot at it a lot, and actually hit it a few times out there at 200 yards, and boy did he go down hard. At the end of the shoot I took a wack at him with my old trapdoor carbine because I couldn’t seem to hit it with my trade gun, at the crack of the rifle old Santa just slowly toppled over. I was very disappointed because I expected results similar to the tradegun. When I got to the target I found the target had a nice clean hole bored through it that barely transferred enough energy to knock it over.

 Hungry Horse

[Ted Kramer]

Hmmm. I have yet to have a cast lead ball or bullet go clean through any of ours but they get lots of pock marks. Poor Santa!
Ted K

[Craig Wilcox]

Taylor, that is a serious memento for your medicine bag.  Hoping one day to get one from an elk that I have taken by myself.
Would love to have a range that I could use metal targets on.  Long, long ago, I shot the 1,000 range at Camp Perry with one of those WWII unmentionables, and would love to shoot at 300 and 500 with the .62 cal Jaeger I am building.  Just need to find a friendly farmer with a good backstop.
Have to put my hearing aids in to hear the "clang" at anything more than 100 yards!

[Bob McBride]

Recently renoed a bit and added some logs and a few more squirrel targets at 25 - 35 yards and got a 36" gong hung.


View of the pistol and squirrel rifle range.

[snapper]

Bob

What is that wooden frame on the right side of the picture for?

Something to consider for a cheap and hard target to hit is a log chain.   I have I think 4 different pieces of chain hanging at various yardages.   You simply cant break them and they are cheap and easy to hang.

Fleener

[MuskratMike]

Bob 'ol buddy when it comes to ranges on ones own property there is no doubt yours is the best in the land. If anyone has a better one lets see it.
Someday when all this $#@* has passed I am coming to shoot on your range.

[Bob McBride]

Bob

What is that wooden frame on the right side of the picture for?

Something to consider for a cheap and hard target to hit is a log chain.   I have I think 4 different pieces of chain hanging at various yardages.   You simply cant break them and they are cheap and easy to hang.

Fleener

Hey Art, my short range shown there is in a holler. 50 yards behind me as i took the pic, and 10 feet higher is my short rifle bench and I shoot at the targets up the hill in the background of the pic over the pistol range which is at the same elevation as my short bench. If I'm working on midrange stuff I lay that movable target down and put my paper on the top section of the frame for a level shot. I use the bottom section for small caliber paper work.

I've thought about the logging chains, as it's a great idea. I need to get to an auction and pic another up (we have half a dozen heavy ones) but a logging chain is worth it weight in gold on a half wooded holler farm.

[Bob McBride]

Bob 'ol buddy when it comes to ranges on ones own property there is no doubt yours is the best in the land. If anyone has a better one lets see it.
Someday when all this $#@* has passed I am coming to shoot on your range.

You've threatened to do it, and I'm all in. I've got two fellers coming in from KY to spend the day Friday. Should be some good videos come out of that...

I think Hickok45 might have me beat though you only see a bit more than half my AR steel.

[Mike from OK]

I've got a 12" gong, 1 /2" thick. Think I paid about $70 for it... But it will probably last me the rest of my life. I haven't been able to dent it yet.

And when I hung it on the stand i didn't angle it down a lot... But at 300 meters I'm not too worried.

Mike

[JohnnyFM]

I had access to some old steel diamond plate that I torched up into rectangular shapes and hung through 2 holes topside with chain. Smooth side as the target face.  .As it’s struck it swings back putting that downward angle on the plate.  No problem with ricochet at Longrifles ranges From my experience and besides round ball is pure soft lead.

Be careful when shooting steel up close and personal at typical defensive handgun ranges with lead alloy cause I ain’t gonna guarantee it won’t spit back at ya.
Don’t ask me how I know that but I figure it just adds to the realism of ccqb and makes ya know you’re alive!

I’ve also “recycled” defunct computer hard drives.  It’s kinda fun to see how long they last before they fly apart.  Good way to take out frustrations for those of us that must still own a “real” job.

AR500 is my favorite though and does give a satisfying ring when struck especially at Timothy Murphy distances.

[B.Barker]

Don't know how ar500 steel targets are. However I have some 1/2" thick scrap steel that I have made targets from and worked fine with handgun bullets and even my 45-60 and 44 mag rifle with lead bullets. I let my son-in-law and his buddy go shooting on my range and they had AR15's and some green tip ammo. They shot holes through most of my steel targets. I wasn't real happy about it but can't turn back time. So don't let AR shooters on your muzzleloader rifle range is my advice.

[bob in the woods]

I have a ram set up across my beaver pond . It's 2 feet from nose to tail , welded up from 3/8 in mild steel.  It has survived many thousands of hits from lead balls, and bullets . Distance is approx 2 hundred yards.  One target that is a lot of fun is a steel triangle made of 1 in round bar steel. Set up at 50 yards, it rings loud and clear when struck with any round ball, .32 and up.  It's light enough that I've taken it with me to various shoots as a novelty target.

[JohnnyFM]

Hey that steel triangle sounds like a clever challenge.  Can’t be called to supper until ye ring the dinner bell!
Thumbs up!

[horsetrader]

If you want to weld AR500 plate you need a DC welding machine and 8018 0r 9018 welding rod. It will weld just like mild steel with 7018 low hydrogen welding rod.

[Mike from OK]

I shoot on 1" AR500 plates all the time. We've shot them with everything you can think of, including .50BMG and not even so much as a divot. I bet the 100-300 yd targets have at least 10k impacts each by now and all we do is slap another coat of white paint on them.

Pretty much the same for me. I shelled out about $75 for a 12" diameter gong 1 /2" thick.

I was somewhat skeptical but it has held up to my unmentionable guns (starts with 3, ends with magnum) very well. Once it has enough splashes I just buff it with the flapper wheel and throw another coat of white on it.

On the other hand my home welded support stand has taken a beating from fliers. LOL

Mike

[snapper]

Mike

Why do you buff it?   I just use the cheapest spray paint I can find, and give them a good spraying.

Fleener

[Darkhorse]

I have one on my range. It's a 4 inch diameter round target. I cut the center out of an old pallet and it hangs from chains at the top corner. I've only shot it with my .40 and .54 and a couple of pistols I own. That thing is a lot harder to hit than I thought it would be from 25 yards on back.
With a bull you still have the paper to help visualize where bullseye is, but that little  4" circle is mostly covered up with the sights and bore. I think it's a good target for improving your shooting.

[hanshi]

It's been many years ago but I was - for some reason or other - strolling in the vicinity of an old railroad track.  The rails, instead of resting directly on the cross ties, were on thick steel around 6"x 8"x 1/2", or thereabout.  Some were scattered off to the side in ditches & weeds.  I collected a few and a friend welded bases on them so they could be set upright as targets.  They were definitely fun to shoot, easy to knock over and held up just fine.  Wish I still had them but time and memory make their (disposal?) impossible to recall.

[Bob McBride]

All my steel targets, over 100 now, just get a fresh coat after I shoot them. Some of them have been on the range for years without being removed with almost no rust.

[snapper]

Bob

Are you that indecisive that you need that many targets?      Heck, I thought I was doing well with 25 or so.   But if you count my buffalo heard, that puts it closer to 75 metal targets.   Buffalos dont eat much.

Fleener