I shoot steel.
I shoot steel probably about 98% of the time. I like it because it allows me to use the same target over, and over, and over again without having to walk down range to switch it out. All I need to do is hit it with some spray paint whenever I want to freshen it up. When I do shoot paper, it's either at a competition or it's part of my training leading up to a competition.
I've got a big 1/8" plate that sits out at 100 yards. It bends, over time, due to the amount of abuse I give it. So, I'll either turn it around or beat the hell out of it with a hammer to get it straight again. It had holes drilled in it when I got it. These turned out to make nice points of aim! The other stuff is from scraps of soft steel I've picked up through the years, here and there. Some of it I found at the local recycling center in the metal dumpster. Most of it is 3/16 thick which holds up just fine for airguns. I generally don't cut them to a specific size, except for a few. I've got some 6" squares that I recently made for fast target acquisition practice. I have some 3.6" squares that I was using for mil dot exercises. I also hung up some scraps of steel tubing. I cut these to simulate the length and size of a 12ga shotgun shell. They make a fun challenge at 100 yards!
Some of them I welded together to make spinners out of.
My favorite free targets, by far, are these "washers" I found on one of those huge wooden wire spools used by electric companies. They were used with some threaded rod to keep the sides attached to the center. I drilled a small hole in them so they could be mounted with a wood screw. The spool must have been a very old one because I've been looking for more and I haven't spotted any on any of the spools I've seen since.
You'll notice they have holes in the middle. Obviously, this was because they were used as giant washers. I've grown to REALLY like this. But, that's a story for another day.
Recently, I was reminded of why I got into airguns. They were initially meant to be a supplement for my firearm shooting addiction. I wanted a way to shoot safety, preferably at my house, without all the noise, expense, and time lost driving to the range. Long story short - It didn't take very long until my firearms were no longer being shot and my airgun collection was growing. Not long at all, in fact!
With this recent reminder, I started breaking out by PB's and working with them again. I know... bad time to do this due to the ammo crunch! I'm able to shoot PB's on my property as long as the bullets don't leave the property. With the way my property is shaped, I have some nice sloping hills or dirt mounds that absorb the bullets. But, there's always the chance that the bullet will hit a rock and go zinging off. I don't have any close neighbors but, I'd rather avoid the situation. There's nothing like a nice heavy piece of hanging steel to absorb a bullet hit. So, I started looking into some PB rated steel targets. I was also interested in getting some NRL .22 targets for honing my skills on.
I shopped around, for a week or two, looking at different sites trying to find the best value on targets, that looked good, were weather proof, and rated for what I might have the potential to shoot it with. If I could find something that could serve dual purposes, even better! My first focus was on small KYL style targets.
I found a nice set at Shootingtargets7.com. These were used at official NRL .22 Championship so, I can be pretty darn sure I'm using the right sizes! lol! They're capable of taking up to a .17WSM round, so they'll be plenty strong for airgun use. At $180, they're not cheap but they're on sale right now for $150. When I ordered, I continued to shop around after putting them in my card and an ad popped up asking me if I'd like to save $10. Sure! lol!
The system comes with electrical conduit for the legs and support beam. The targets are 1/4" thick AR500 steel and decrease in size from 2" to 1/4", at 1/4" intervals. Plastic tubes are used to space out the targets while allowing them to spin freely. Collars on either end allow you to adjust the tension, if needed. The targets come already installed on the support beam so, all you really have to do is assemble the pre drilled legs and get to shooting! One downside is that the 1/4" target is more of a post rather than a defined circle. What I may end up doing is spray painting all the posts so that I can tell if the hit was a legitimate hit or, if I hit high.
Overall, I'm very happy with it!
My next focus was for a large KYL that I could also use for my PB's. Again, I ended up shopping at Shootingtargets7. This is where I went a little "outside the box" in order to save money, get what I was after, and have more than one use. ST7 sells a large KYL system with 3/8" thick AR500 zinc plated steel for $300 ($240 for 3/16 AR400 steel). It comes with 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 inch targets (7 total). I like the design they use to lock the targets onto the hangers. Overall, it's a nice system, but I didn't want to spend $300 and I really wanted a larger 12" target for when I stretch the legs on any high power PB rifles I might use. So, I went the DIY route!
I noticed they had gong sets which included 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 3" gongs. These come in different thicknesses so, if you're looking to do the same thing, make sure you get what you need. ST7 has a chart here to help you get what's right for your needs. For my purposes, I was after the 3/8" thick stuff. The gong set was missing the smaller targets and I would want those too. As you might imagine, the larger the target, the higher the price. With the large KYL system, mentioned above, I would need to add a 12", 10", and 1" which would add up to an additional ~$84 ($384). The GONG set already included the higher priced large targets so, I would only have to add in the lower priced 2 and 1 inch ~$15 ($146). But, I would also have to make my own stand and hangers. Of course, ST7 also has strap kit available and a few different stand options for either conduit or 2x4's. Here's a very nice kit that they sell with the gongs, straps, "F24" stands, and magnetic patterns that might be a great way for someone to save a little $ one the large KYL setup.
Ever the penny pincher, I decided to make my own straps from pieces of old fire hose and I decided on their F24 folding stand system. If you guys watched my tac barriers video, you saw how I obtain FREE, or nearly free, lumber from Home Depot/Lowes. The F24 system would add $40 bringing me to $186. That's almost $200 less than the KYL and I'll have 8 targets instead of 7! I decided to add in another F24 system to my order. I wasn't sure what I'd use it for but, I could easily mount all kinds of targets onto a 2x4 so, why not?
That's an 18g JSB sitting on top of the 2" gong. THICK!!!
The F24 stand system is really easy to put together. I cut down some of the free "stickers" I got from HD down to 3' lengths. I left the support 2x4 at whatever length it happened to be. I think it was 45", IIRC. I drilled a few holes in the right locations, smacked in the fender bolts, and tightened everything down. Before I knew it, I had a target stand. Is it worth $40? IMO, yup!
Next up, I started making the straps from the old firehose. I figured 1.5" think x 12" long should do the trick. I laid out my marks and had everything ready to go with the utility knife when I thought, "why not try it on the bandsaw?" It worked like a charm! Bonus - with every pass, I was cutting both the top and bottom pieces. Kinda like a "2 for 1" deal!
When it came time to put holes in the straps I stacked them all up and sandwiched them tight between 2 pieces of scrap wood (from an old target stand, oddly enough) using some wood screws. Then, I just drilled through the whole stack at once. It worked out pretty good. Some of the holes weren't perfectly centered and, I realized that I would be better off if I up-sized my drill bit for a slightly oversized hole. I planned on using 1/4" hardware.
And PRESTO!! I've got some gongs hanging! It was at this point that I was really glad I made the decision to get the second F24 stand kit. These suckers are big and heavy! They take up a lot of room and would have made for a very wide target, if I had mounted all the gongs to one 2x4. Not to mention, it would have weighed a lot, which would make it a pain to move. These two targets alone weigh more than all the rest of the gongs combined!
To finish off my large DIY KYL setup, I had to mount all the smaller gongs. This would prove to be a bit more challenging. I scratched my head for a while then, I decided to lay them all out on a scrap piece of 2x12 exactly how I wanted them, and in line with the top and bottom edges of the 2x12. Once it was all laid out, I could slip the 2x4 along the top edge and start marking all my measurements for holes and straps. Some gongs use 2 straps, some use 1. I wanted the target centers to be lined up. So, each gong had a slightly different hole requirement and strap length. I knew that if I got things close, I could take up any mis-measurements or "off" holes with the 1/4" hardware. The gongs have 1/2" holes drilled in them so, I had room to make adjustments afterwards.
One additional benefit of using the 2x4's is that I can easily drill holes in the tops and mount spinner targets or whatever else I want. When I have company over, I can set one up on either side for some head to head competition!
The full set! 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2's, 1-3/4, 1-1/2, 1-1/4, 1's, 3/4, 1/2, and the wee 1/4." 16 targets, overall, ready for a beating! And, I plan on dishing that beating out to all of them!
More to come on this topic. Including some stuff I got from Qualitytargetsinc.com
I'm working on getting a discount code for you all for shootingtargets7. I'm hoping to hear something next week.
I just noticed AGN's newest sponsor "Target Forge" has a KYL set for significantly less $$ (just over half the price!) that will also hold up to .22lr. One difference that may or may not be important to you is that their smallest target is 3/8" not, 1/4". The design isn't quite as "clean" of a look but, the price point can't be ignored!
Till next time, I hope you enjoyed my post and Happy Shooting!
Tom
I shoot steel probably about 98% of the time. I like it because it allows me to use the same target over, and over, and over again without having to walk down range to switch it out. All I need to do is hit it with some spray paint whenever I want to freshen it up. When I do shoot paper, it's either at a competition or it's part of my training leading up to a competition.
I've got a big 1/8" plate that sits out at 100 yards. It bends, over time, due to the amount of abuse I give it. So, I'll either turn it around or beat the hell out of it with a hammer to get it straight again. It had holes drilled in it when I got it. These turned out to make nice points of aim! The other stuff is from scraps of soft steel I've picked up through the years, here and there. Some of it I found at the local recycling center in the metal dumpster. Most of it is 3/16 thick which holds up just fine for airguns. I generally don't cut them to a specific size, except for a few. I've got some 6" squares that I recently made for fast target acquisition practice. I have some 3.6" squares that I was using for mil dot exercises. I also hung up some scraps of steel tubing. I cut these to simulate the length and size of a 12ga shotgun shell. They make a fun challenge at 100 yards!
Some of them I welded together to make spinners out of.
My favorite free targets, by far, are these "washers" I found on one of those huge wooden wire spools used by electric companies. They were used with some threaded rod to keep the sides attached to the center. I drilled a small hole in them so they could be mounted with a wood screw. The spool must have been a very old one because I've been looking for more and I haven't spotted any on any of the spools I've seen since.
You'll notice they have holes in the middle. Obviously, this was because they were used as giant washers. I've grown to REALLY like this. But, that's a story for another day.
Recently, I was reminded of why I got into airguns. They were initially meant to be a supplement for my firearm shooting addiction. I wanted a way to shoot safety, preferably at my house, without all the noise, expense, and time lost driving to the range. Long story short - It didn't take very long until my firearms were no longer being shot and my airgun collection was growing. Not long at all, in fact!
With this recent reminder, I started breaking out by PB's and working with them again. I know... bad time to do this due to the ammo crunch! I'm able to shoot PB's on my property as long as the bullets don't leave the property. With the way my property is shaped, I have some nice sloping hills or dirt mounds that absorb the bullets. But, there's always the chance that the bullet will hit a rock and go zinging off. I don't have any close neighbors but, I'd rather avoid the situation. There's nothing like a nice heavy piece of hanging steel to absorb a bullet hit. So, I started looking into some PB rated steel targets. I was also interested in getting some NRL .22 targets for honing my skills on.
I shopped around, for a week or two, looking at different sites trying to find the best value on targets, that looked good, were weather proof, and rated for what I might have the potential to shoot it with. If I could find something that could serve dual purposes, even better! My first focus was on small KYL style targets.
I found a nice set at Shootingtargets7.com. These were used at official NRL .22 Championship so, I can be pretty darn sure I'm using the right sizes! lol! They're capable of taking up to a .17WSM round, so they'll be plenty strong for airgun use. At $180, they're not cheap but they're on sale right now for $150. When I ordered, I continued to shop around after putting them in my card and an ad popped up asking me if I'd like to save $10. Sure! lol!
The system comes with electrical conduit for the legs and support beam. The targets are 1/4" thick AR500 steel and decrease in size from 2" to 1/4", at 1/4" intervals. Plastic tubes are used to space out the targets while allowing them to spin freely. Collars on either end allow you to adjust the tension, if needed. The targets come already installed on the support beam so, all you really have to do is assemble the pre drilled legs and get to shooting! One downside is that the 1/4" target is more of a post rather than a defined circle. What I may end up doing is spray painting all the posts so that I can tell if the hit was a legitimate hit or, if I hit high.
Overall, I'm very happy with it!
My next focus was for a large KYL that I could also use for my PB's. Again, I ended up shopping at Shootingtargets7. This is where I went a little "outside the box" in order to save money, get what I was after, and have more than one use. ST7 sells a large KYL system with 3/8" thick AR500 zinc plated steel for $300 ($240 for 3/16 AR400 steel). It comes with 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 inch targets (7 total). I like the design they use to lock the targets onto the hangers. Overall, it's a nice system, but I didn't want to spend $300 and I really wanted a larger 12" target for when I stretch the legs on any high power PB rifles I might use. So, I went the DIY route!
I noticed they had gong sets which included 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 3" gongs. These come in different thicknesses so, if you're looking to do the same thing, make sure you get what you need. ST7 has a chart here to help you get what's right for your needs. For my purposes, I was after the 3/8" thick stuff. The gong set was missing the smaller targets and I would want those too. As you might imagine, the larger the target, the higher the price. With the large KYL system, mentioned above, I would need to add a 12", 10", and 1" which would add up to an additional ~$84 ($384). The GONG set already included the higher priced large targets so, I would only have to add in the lower priced 2 and 1 inch ~$15 ($146). But, I would also have to make my own stand and hangers. Of course, ST7 also has strap kit available and a few different stand options for either conduit or 2x4's. Here's a very nice kit that they sell with the gongs, straps, "F24" stands, and magnetic patterns that might be a great way for someone to save a little $ one the large KYL setup.
Ever the penny pincher, I decided to make my own straps from pieces of old fire hose and I decided on their F24 folding stand system. If you guys watched my tac barriers video, you saw how I obtain FREE, or nearly free, lumber from Home Depot/Lowes. The F24 system would add $40 bringing me to $186. That's almost $200 less than the KYL and I'll have 8 targets instead of 7! I decided to add in another F24 system to my order. I wasn't sure what I'd use it for but, I could easily mount all kinds of targets onto a 2x4 so, why not?
That's an 18g JSB sitting on top of the 2" gong. THICK!!!
The F24 stand system is really easy to put together. I cut down some of the free "stickers" I got from HD down to 3' lengths. I left the support 2x4 at whatever length it happened to be. I think it was 45", IIRC. I drilled a few holes in the right locations, smacked in the fender bolts, and tightened everything down. Before I knew it, I had a target stand. Is it worth $40? IMO, yup!
Next up, I started making the straps from the old firehose. I figured 1.5" think x 12" long should do the trick. I laid out my marks and had everything ready to go with the utility knife when I thought, "why not try it on the bandsaw?" It worked like a charm! Bonus - with every pass, I was cutting both the top and bottom pieces. Kinda like a "2 for 1" deal!
When it came time to put holes in the straps I stacked them all up and sandwiched them tight between 2 pieces of scrap wood (from an old target stand, oddly enough) using some wood screws. Then, I just drilled through the whole stack at once. It worked out pretty good. Some of the holes weren't perfectly centered and, I realized that I would be better off if I up-sized my drill bit for a slightly oversized hole. I planned on using 1/4" hardware.
And PRESTO!! I've got some gongs hanging! It was at this point that I was really glad I made the decision to get the second F24 stand kit. These suckers are big and heavy! They take up a lot of room and would have made for a very wide target, if I had mounted all the gongs to one 2x4. Not to mention, it would have weighed a lot, which would make it a pain to move. These two targets alone weigh more than all the rest of the gongs combined!
To finish off my large DIY KYL setup, I had to mount all the smaller gongs. This would prove to be a bit more challenging. I scratched my head for a while then, I decided to lay them all out on a scrap piece of 2x12 exactly how I wanted them, and in line with the top and bottom edges of the 2x12. Once it was all laid out, I could slip the 2x4 along the top edge and start marking all my measurements for holes and straps. Some gongs use 2 straps, some use 1. I wanted the target centers to be lined up. So, each gong had a slightly different hole requirement and strap length. I knew that if I got things close, I could take up any mis-measurements or "off" holes with the 1/4" hardware. The gongs have 1/2" holes drilled in them so, I had room to make adjustments afterwards.
One additional benefit of using the 2x4's is that I can easily drill holes in the tops and mount spinner targets or whatever else I want. When I have company over, I can set one up on either side for some head to head competition!
The full set! 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2's, 1-3/4, 1-1/2, 1-1/4, 1's, 3/4, 1/2, and the wee 1/4." 16 targets, overall, ready for a beating! And, I plan on dishing that beating out to all of them!
More to come on this topic. Including some stuff I got from Qualitytargetsinc.com
I'm working on getting a discount code for you all for shootingtargets7. I'm hoping to hear something next week.
I just noticed AGN's newest sponsor "Target Forge" has a KYL set for significantly less $$ (just over half the price!) that will also hold up to .22lr. One difference that may or may not be important to you is that their smallest target is 3/8" not, 1/4". The design isn't quite as "clean" of a look but, the price point can't be ignored!
Till next time, I hope you enjoyed my post and Happy Shooting!
Tom
