Pyramid target stand

[GunnyGene]

For y'all shootin' steel, check this out.

Details here: https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/12/28/tfb-review-pyramid-gong-jumping-targets/

 

[Pat-inCO]

REALLY like the idea!

As the author said, a ten inch gong is more than just a bit large.
Second point I do not care for is the $99!

Make it with a six inch gong and sell it for fifty or sixty dollars
and I want several!

Update:
Called them and with a six inch gong they want $85.

 

[GunnyGene]

REALLY like the idea!

As the author said, a ten inch gong is more than just a bit large.
Second point I do not care for is the $99!

Make it with a six inch gong and sell it for fifty or sixty dollars
and I want several!

Update:
Called them and with a six inch gong they want $85.

You could probably get gongs made cheaper locally and no shipping cost. The trick part is the hanger you put the 2x4 in, but you might be able to redneck that also.

 

[Pat-inCO]

You could probably get gongs made cheaper locally and no shipping cost.
The trick part is the hanger you put the 2x4 in, but you might be able to
redneck that also.

I was thinking much the same. I've got several gongs that I have yet to
fabricate a mount for. None are a "T" type like the initial post is about.

 

[contender]

I own a range, and I have a fair amount of different steel.
I have built hangers for some,, and I've also seen many others & ideas.
From what I see above,, here are a few thoughts.

The wood can & will be damaged & have to be replaced occasionally. Either bullet splatter or misses will cause this.
That target is a whole design in itself,, making you have to buy their system. Not adaptable to other types of targets.
The portion of the frame that holds the wood,, it can & will be hit sooner or later,, and can it be fixed, replaced or whatever? Judging by what I see,, not easily. If a bullet hits the edge of a wood brace,, it will warp & you may not be able to get the wood out,, or fix it easily.


I make metal frames,, and hang steel from heavy chains,, with screw links,, and I keep spare links to replace the ones that get damaged. I also have solid metal frames that hold a target at an angle, allowing the bullets to either pass most of the frame, or when they hit the target,, splatter towards the ground.

If you are considering steel for your practice,, look at the FACT it will get hit in places other than the plate. Can it withstand many impacts from whatever you are using?
Heavy chains,, quick links, heavy angle iron are all good materials to use to build frames. I have a plate rack I built,, and I used an old motor grader scrape blade as a bullet deflector to protect the frame where the plates sit. The harder the steel,, the better it withstands abuse.

 

[Bobberfishin]

I wouldn't have placed the leg directly behind the gong

 

[contender]

Actually, that leg behind will get hit by those high, near hits,, but even the side legs get hit. Look at the left one,, and you can see a hole in it near the ground.
Even if you never, ever shot high & hit the metal base for this,, you'd still need replacement wood more than you realize.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Since this morning's price for 2x4 (96") at Home Depot is $2.71, I'm
thinking 2x4 cost would not be prohibitive.

 

[Mike J]

If someone had some scrap angle around I believe it would be pretty easy to set something like this up. Of course if someone has enough angle around they could probably build something that would work better. I have not shot steel. How far away does one need to be to avoid issues with lead splatter coming back. I might rig something up.

 

[contender]

Good question Mike J.
In USPSA competition,, where falling steel is used, 23 ft is the minimum distance from where a steel is shot from to be safe. But,, if you have a competitor moving, and a "fault line" the steel must be 26 ft away minimum. Just in case the competitor accidentally passes the fault line while firing a shot.
These are minimum distances for falling "popper" targets & steel plates that fall over.
If shooting static steel, for safety, it MUST be built where bullet strikes are deflected,, (usually downward,) or the chances of lead bounce back is highly possible. I have a plate, mounted where it is angled, where the top of the target is a few inches closer to the shooter than the bottom is. Bullets strike it, and deflect to the ground.
Swingers,, like the one shown above, and most others on a single pivot point swing backwards when hit, and the bullet generally goes downwards.
Swingers on chains, generally do the same, but can have a bit of side to side splatter.

In building stages at my range for competition,, I take into account where steel is, in relation to paper targets nearby. Lead splatter WILL deflect into the paper targets.

But back to the original question, 23 ft & 26 ft is the recommended in USPSA. I prefer at least 30 ft or more to give us a bit more of a safety distance.

For my own PERSONAL pleasures,, I rarely shoot at steel much under 25 YARDS to practice.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Side splatter is a very real situation. Two Summers back I went to the
range in CO and someone had put balloons along the top rail of the target
carriers to the side of the plate rack. The furthest was something near 40
feet directly to the side of the plate rack. By the time we had run three or
four sets on the plate rack, the only balloon not broken was the furthest
away. All from side splatter. :shock:

 

[Mike J]

Thanks for the information Contender & Pat.

 

[Mike J]

Thanks for the information Contender & Pat.

 

[mishtub]

Setup:
Place the target away from buildings and other objects you wish to keep free from debris. The target will deflect lead and copper at roughly a 20 degree angle. Keep this in mind when choosing a location to place a target. The target must have a proper backstop behind it to stop misplaced shots. Always consider what is beyond the target and place it in a safe direction.
AR500 Steel Targets
For pistol use place the target no closer than 10 yards, magnum calibers should be used at 25+ yards. For rifle use place the target no closer than 100 yards. When using rifles place the target further away as the muzzle velocity increases. The velocity of the bullet will deteriorate the target more than the weight. High velocity rounds (3000+FPS MV) or magnum calibers should only be used at longer ranges of 200 yards or more. Always check for damage when setting up for rifle, move the target back if damage occurs.

 

[Mobuck]

I don't want to "pirate" someone else's idea/design. I make my own frames from scrap/used machine parts/rebar and buy the target plates on ebay.
I understand that many can't DIY and this design has merit for the weekend shooter. Probably not something one would use as Contender does but as a "plinker" probably OK. Put it together, shoot a while, and put it all away discarding the damaged lumber.

 

[GunnyGene]

Probably not something one would use as Contender does but as a "plinker" probably OK. Put it together, shoot a while, and put it all away discarding the damaged lumber.

That's what it's intended for. Portability for back 40, or out in the boonies. Not a permanent range setup.

 

[contender]

True enough. But,, if someone does get one of these,, and damages things quickly with a few misses,, then it'll get thrown aside & not used.
I have seen a fair number of odd targets like that.

My steel does see more than it's fair share of action. But,, I also have to occasionally repair something,, and when I see a product that may not last very long,, from my experiences with such stuff,, I like to point out the things I see before someone spends their money & gets dis-satisfied.

And if you never miss,, or have plenty of wood to use,, why not try it?

 

[Pal Val]

A friend and I made one a lot simpler, a T shape of 2x2 with two metal discs hanging at the ends. We set it at about 30 yds and went for it. Lucky for us, the discs were at a slight angle. The dirt flew up few feet to our front from the ricochet, a real scare. So we took the rig up to 75 yds and it stayed there. Anyway, shooting at a 10" metal disc at 75 yds with a handgun is a lot of fun, and good practice too.