Need ideas- inexpensive long range target set (home made)

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SigSavage

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Hey all-

I'm wanting to put together an inexpensive rack that I can shoot up to 1000m. My idea was to make a rack and hang AR500 3/8 gongs purchased from a dealer ranging in size from 2.5" to 10" along its length. Essentially to provide a 1MOA target I can leave in place as I move further away from it, rather than having to go up to it and change the gong each time I move.

I have looked at some of the racks that you can buy from the gong makers and they are quite pricey. So I'm wondering what people have cooked up as home-made targets. I've seen cross beams of 2x4's or steel rod/angle iron. Obviously if they get hit they need replacing, but at least it would be cheap to do. Would it be possible to have a full rack with a 2.5,4,6,8 and 10" gong all hanging off one cross bar or would it be too heavy? Also, what would you use to hang the gongs? Would regular chain shatter pretty easily? I see some people use seatbelt material, inner tube rubber, etc. Any preferences?

When using a hanging gong of 3/8 AR500, is there much movement when hit from 250m and out or do you need a spotter to tell you if you've hit? For moderate distances I would sometimes be on my own so I'm trying to figure out a way to tell if there was a hit. Some quick dry paint between sessions would be helpful prior to shooting, but without seeing the thing swing through the scope I wouldn't know if that shot had hit. I don't have a spotting scope. Is there a way around needing a spotter all the time? I realize I need to get a scope eventually, but I just can't afford it right now. I'm just trying to figure out how to do some shooting out beyond 100m on a budget. Right now all I have is clay pigeons, but they are only "useful" at one distance for MOA shooting. Any other ideas for "reactive" targets that can be used at various distances?

Thanks for any advice.
 
For cheap you can't beat used railway track plates. They are about 8x10 and already have 4 holes in them. I get them for free and paint them orange. Yes they get beat up but who cares they were free.
 
I shoot 223 thru 325 at AR500 3/8, and i can see the gong swing easily to 700yds (my max range) even with the 223.
I did the cheap steel plate, and IMHO just buy AR500. My plates have over a thousand rounds on them, and there isn't even a dent in the steel.
I use rubber bungies on a 2x4 frame, going on 4 years, still standing and would do again. Also have one i made out of Rebar, and it works fine too.
Easy to see hits if you paint before each trip - real easy to see hits
 
If you want cheap, use old leaf springs. For the smaller sizes all you will need is a cutting torch, for the larger sizes you will need a welder. I used a 5/8" thick leaf spring from a mack truck. At 50 yards a 200 grain from a 300 Win mag would polish the leaf spring, when I aimed for the weld, there would be a slight bit of erosion. This is all presuming you have access to a welder and can weld or knows some one who can.
 
Ask some farmers or scrap yards for worn out plow discs. Cheap or free, pretty hard and will last a while. They will probably eventually crack depending on range and caliber.
This disc is pretty big and with the hole in the middle I can always say I center punched it, when in reality I completely missed.



As for a frame look at black pipe from home depot or similar.
This stand is set up to be taken apart and carried, if you wanted it to be more stable, I would use pipe for the legs. I occasionally knock a frame over, but not that often.
It uses:
4x rebar
2x street elbows
2x T connectors
4x 3" ish sections of pipe
1x cross bar of any length you choose.

The rebar and short pieces of pipe could be replaced by a single piece of pipe if you decided to use pipe for the legs. They are cheap to make and require no tools or welders or anything.


I have a different chain set up now but you get the point.
 
I just hang 3/8 AR500 targets off 2x4 stands. The 2x4 gets beat up but it's pretty cheap to replace and lasts a while. I have used rope, wire, bungie cords, chain, and strips of rubber matts to hang the steel. Everything works and I rarely have one fail in the field.
 
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