So I have some extra time on my hands, I decided tomorrow would be a good day for some range time. There are plenty of places to shoot around here, I just need something to hold my targets.

This was built entirely from metal in my scrap pile, along with the shooting plate.

I went into the garage and fired up the welder and cutoff wheel. A couple pieces of angle iron welded together added a couple pieces of rebar to hold the uprights. Cut the uprights to fit, and made a top connector out of the same tubing and some smaller diameter square that fits inside.

The arduous task of cutting whatever kind of steel this is that I have. 5.56 green tip doesn’t make marks in it at 25 yards. I don’t know if it’s AR500 or just hardened steel, maybe an up armored hummer hatch? Either way, it’s heavy AF, and it took four cutoff wheels to get through it. The plate is 9x18 and 3/8 thick. It started life as 26x18. I just have an extra piece in the garage that’s really heavy.

I added a couple bolts and wing nuts to secure some cardboard. I ended up adding a piece of pipe to the back as the plate is so heavy it would topple the stand. I need to find a 45 lb. weight plate at a yard sale, and modify it to hold the weight and ditch the pipe. The upside is that it disassembles in a few seconds and assembles in less than a minute. It all fits in the back of the RAV4.

I need to paint the plate white in the morning, so I can see my hits from afar.

I like the steel so I can hear if I’m hitting it when I put it out at long distances. It’s also at the right height for closer handgun shooting.

Best part is that it kept me and my mind busy for a couple hours. Now I can’t wait to break it in!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Beancooker,

Nice homebrew

Hmmm... a couple of wheels at the bottom would let you roll it around!

I’m fortunate enough that where I go shooting, I’m the only one there, and I drive up, unload the targets, drive to where I want to shoot and set up a table and chair.

Is the top plate angled down? Or loose?
If it is solid and perpendicular to the incoming bullet you can get a richochet back at you.

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
Is the top plate angled down? Or loose?
If it is solid and perpendicular to the incoming bullet you can get a richochet back at you.

Slightly loose with about a 5° downward angle. I may need to increase the downward angle.

Rain has cancelled the morning shooting session.

quote:

Rain has cancelled the morning shooting session.

You're in Cottonwood, AZ? Monsoon season?

Yup on the Monsoon storms, started late but came in with a vengeance this year. Seem to be stronger than usual lately, lots of high winds, in these parts anyway.

Don’t you feel you owe it to the rest of us to lay down in a mud hole and fight the monsoon for a few hours, test your stand and report back to us?

Either way let us know.

Yes, I’m in Rottenwood. I guess its monsoons, but they have been hammering us in the middle of the night. Last two nights it’s been a deluge for half an hour. Usually the monsoon showers hit this valley around 3pm.

quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
Don’t you feel you owe it to the rest of us to lay down in a mud hole and fight the monsoon for a few hours, test your stand and report back to us?

Either way let us know.

Oh God, no. Where I go it’s mostly limestone, but when wet it’s like Texas clay. A few minutes of walking and you’re looking like Gene Simmons on platforms. I haven’t been shooting in a while. When I go out, I want it to be a very nice day. I’ll wait for it.

How far back away from the target will you be? It may good to consider lowering the steel plate so that you're not shooting upward to hit it? Hard to tell from the pic but it looks about head height (6'?).

Also, maybe consider some ground support forward of the frame so that it doesn't tip over toward you.

Height is about 5’8”.

I added a spacer so the plate is tipped at an angle and it has some movement now.

I don’t want to add more support arms. I just need a 45 lb weightlifting plate. That’ll eliminate the post on the rear and make it more compact and easy to transport.
I just need to go to some yard sales.