Steel targets

[coach]

Looking for some steel to shoot. Quite a variety of shapes available. Any recommendations where to start. Hanging gong, fixed target, pepper poppers to knock down or on springs or spinners. For handguns, rimfire closer in and maybe 223 at 100 yards. Shootsteel.com has some nice looking stuff at decent prices. Never had a chance to shoot steel except with air guns. Any suggestions?

 

[contender]

I own a range, and I have different steel targets for use.
Poppers are excellent for matches or speed competition between shooters. Remember, as you knock them down, they have to be reset.
Most of my personal pleasure shooting is done on 2 types. Hanging gong types, and a static angled round plate. I can shoot as much as I wish & not have to reset.
I bought some plates from our own member here; 1gunsnotenough & have been VERY pleased with them.

 

[steelshooterco]

+2 on the hanging gongs, get them in different diameters.

Based on distance and caliber, just make certain you get adequate thickness and appropriate armor plate material.

Use them on a silhouette range for 200 yd hand gun and high power rifle out to 500 yds, and they are the way to go.

 

[pleadthe2nd]

Another for the hanging gongs, these are great at any distance, we made our own, part of the benifits of being in the steel manufacturing business, we went with 1/2" plate steel and range in size from 3 1/2" to 8" circles with chains welded to them with haging frames made from tee posts so they can be moved any where desired, some hang in 3s vertically and also horizontally, great for improving speed and accuracy. A whole lotta fun ....

 

[Mobuck]

My long range plates are hung from chains suspended between T-posts. I made my "pistol" plates with a solid hanger that pivots on the steel rod frame. None of mine are "hard" plate but they have lasted through several years of recreational use.
Careful design and welding help deflect bullets downward making shooting steel safer.

 

[coach]

I was actually thinking that the hanging plates would be a good place to start. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[Mus408]

Tune into Hickok45 on youtube and you can get some great ideas there!

I myself like the hanging AR 500 steel gongs big and little and the Action Target Dueling Tree is really great for fun handgun plinking.

I make my own hangers out of beefed up Sheperd's hooks.

Here are a few of my setups.
https://youtu.be/q88fbx2szyM

 

[Mus408]

Here is the pendulum swinging target idea I designed.

You have to hit the steel target plate on the lower left side which releases the swinging pendulum target.
Great fun!
https://youtu.be/eESB5KADZ7s

Note that great Ruger Commander 1911 makes it easy work! :mrgreen:

 

[Ozark rkg]

I've bought targets from these people: http://www.salutetargets.com

Always pleased with the products.

 

[Coop]

Here's mine. Two 16"X16"x3/8" mild steel plates hung from steel "horses":



I also have several "horses" with 3 each 8" diamX3/8" mild steel plates.

I use them only for cast lead bullet ammunition (no jacked bullets) from 7 yards out to 50 yards. I shoot them with pistols, revolvers, lever action rifles, and coach shotguns at recommended CAS/SASS target distances.

HTH

 

[Pat-inCO]

One recommendation, no matter which you choose. Suspend them from
eye bolts. About three to five inches long. That way you can angle the
plate so the majority of the splatter goes down.

 

[Rancher Will]

On our North Ranch I have a shooting range in one of our horse pastures out to 400 yards. At the 400 yard mark I have a round, Steel Disk blade hanging from two Number nine wires. Many years ago I got the disk blade off of a junked Disk-Harrow in a Junk yard.

The round disk has a hole in the enter that originally had a bolt through it when attached on the Harrow. That hole is used for the two wired to go through to hang it. It is always useful when shooting. At the shot, if there is no gong sound, I can always say that the bullet went thught the hole.

 

[coach]

^^^^^^
Of course it did.

 

[Pat-inCO]

At the shot, if there is no gong sound,
I can always say that the bullet went through the hole.

I guess I'm a better shot than I thought. :roll:
Mine never rings more than half the time. . :roll: .