Home Made Shooting Gongs

Curt

Curt

CGN frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
32   0   0
Location
Kamloops, BC
Who has 'em and what material did you use?
I want to shoot mine with modern high intensity cartridges from 50-500+ meters. .375Ruger, .338WM, .300WM, .30-06, .30-30, 280AI, 6.5x55AI, .243, .223.
I will make it a 9" circle. I will hang it from a stand of some sorts, bent rebar or some flat bar I have, allow it to swing a bit. Some one said 1/2" mild steel is sufficient, but I would think that it would ventilate easily.....??!!??
 
For a short term gong I use old teflon frying pans.My wife gave me two and said get rid of these would you.So up they went they swing a bit but don't slow a bullet much.
 
If you want the longest lasting gong, you need a steel with a low Carbon content and high percentages of Manganese and Nickel, Manganese is used as an alloy to increase impact resistance. It will also work harden, so the more you shoot it the better it will perform. Manganese will also give you that beautiful ring we all love to hear. While Nickel will increase the toughness of steel, this is particulary benificial when shooting A gong in extremely cold weather. This steel is commonly used as wear plates on the inside of rock hauling and crushing equipment, Buy it used, you can find it at most heavy Equipment and Mining service companies. Look for 1/2" as a minimum for pistols and rimfire, 3/4" Minimum for Centerfire.
 
Cheap gongs!!

Here's an idea for some cheap gongs, I presently have 30 different sizes made up for my long range shoots. The local rail yard has all these worn plates that hold the rail to the tie. I asked if I could have some in 2008 from the 4 foot high pile 10 feet in diameter. They said sure. I went back and asked if I could have more they said NO!! We sell it for scrap.
For the larger calibers I use a 2.5 inch thick 16 inch diameter flange, nothing marks it more than 1/8 inch deep.

The one on the left is a railroad plate, cheap and plentiful. Its at 600 yards
IM002124.jpg


This is a wear plate off a dozer blade. Good for any cal. At 200 yards.
IM002120.jpg


Oh ya I'm a retired welder!!
 
Last edited:
my boss just set up one at our local range, its the pully from a crane he bought at a industrial auction for $25, 2.5" thick steel, 40" diamater, and it rings for about 5minutes when you shoot it with a .308
 
I use a couple 1" thick mild steel plates ,one 12" dia. and one 18" dia. I would not shoot plates at 50m. I shoot mine 200yds or more,any closer and they get damaged too much.When I hit mine they make a pop sound.They hang on a hook.
 
I shot a 5 inch steel grinding ball hanging welded to a chain, with the 45/70 and 500 grain bullets, and the chain broke, the owner swore i had shot the chain, we had to weld everything back up and shot it again, and brake the chain again to prove the chain was not strong enough for the inertia of the heavy bullet. A 180 grain out of a 300 win mag wouldnot brake the chain, but the 500 gr at 180 fps would...
 
I use old John Deere disk blades work like a charm and cheap. I've also cut down rub bars from a combine to 24" tall and welded 6 together and that seems to work very well doesn't last as long as the disk blade though!
 
I've used mower blades from a big bush hog. They are only about 5 inches wide but tough as hell. Shot ate them with a 7.62-39 at about 25 yds and barely left a dent. At 200 yds they ring good also.
 
made a gong of cold roll 3/8 '' steel 18'' round and shot it at 300m with .338 win mag and needless to say punched clean hole after hole. Oh well its only time and money. The only thing I have seen stand up is oil field pipe caps that is about inch to inch and one half thick.

My one cent.
 
broncoguy72 said:
I've used mower blades from a big bush hog. They are only about 5 inches wide but tough as hell. Shot ate them with a 7.62-39 at about 25 yds and barely left a dent. At 200 yds they ring good also.
Click to expand...

Need to be careful shooting at steel plates at 25 yards. I speak from experience. Got hit by the jacket from a 7.62x51 FMJ. Didn't get hurt, but learned a cheap lesson!!:redface:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom