Gun Range Target Stand Construction

[22OnUp]

At our gun clubs’ outdoor pistol / rifle range, the target holders/stands (what ever you want to call the structure that the target is stapled to) continue to get quickly shot up, especially at 25 yds. It requires frequent maintenance to replace the cross members and plywood. It is understood that bullets will destroy things, but always wanting a better mouse trap, I am curious to find out what type of target holder construction PAFOA members like. Pics are always appreciated too. Thanks in advance.

[Guns4Fun]

Here is what my son and i built.


http://forum.pafoa.org/training-tact...get-stand.html

[Brick]

You could use angle iron in the shape of a square U, open at the top with the point of the angle aimed outward left & right. the bottom of the "U" would have the point aimed at the ground. That way the "channel" works as a sleeve into which can be slid a standard sized piece of cardboard to actually carry the target. Use a steel plate & another piece of angle (with point aimed at the shooter) for the base.

This way all the edges direct bullets away from the shooter, greatly reducing bounce-back. The shooter supplies his own disposable target carrier (cardboard) and the club only needs to build one target stand per shooting position and are relieved of the continuing maintenance and expense of wooden target carriers.

This system is used by Dutchess County Pistol Association (NY) for both their 50 yard and 25 yard lines. The 25 yard line is rigged as turning targets with rods connecting the target carriers. The 25 yard carriers are also hinged at the bottom so they can be lowerd out of the way when the 50 yard line is in use.

[normanvin]

I was watching a gun show earlier today. They had what looked like two poles with two pieces of rope strung across them. Clipped the targets on with spring clips.

[Chainsaw]

Not for the stand per se, but I'm a huge fan of corrugated plastic for the backers. You might be familiar with that as the stuff all of those big political signs are made of. It's nice and stiff, weather proof, and kind of seals itself around the bullet hole. Using thumb tacks to hold the target on makes them last even longer.


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[gnbrotz]

I was watching a gun show earlier today. They had what looked like two poles with two pieces of rope strung across them. Clipped the targets on with spring clips.

I've been thinking of something similar. My idea was a very light steel cable, so it could have significant tension applied, but it could probably done with a less expensive material.

A problem I see with clipping from top only is that a slight breeze will cause movement of the target. Also, in order to preserve whatever was drawn across the top/bottom, you'd want to have as much distance from the center of the target as possible, but targets come in all sizes. Perhaps a bottom line that could be adjusted to fit the target being used, assuming there were not multiple shooters with different targets using the same backer assembly.

At my range, the pistols positions have yokes, and shooters proved their own cardboard backers to slide in them, but the rifle ranges use a wide backer that serves multiple bench positions.

[27hand]

I've seen chicken wire used to span vertical legs and clothes pins to secure the targets.
Another range used pallets as backers. They drove rebar into the ground and placed the pallets over the rebar.

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