The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The North Corral > Lock and Load: Live Fire Exercises

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old February 14, 2008, 11:42 AM   #1
davlandrum
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2006
Location: Lane County Oregon
Posts: 2,547
Steel target help

I am in the final stages of purchasing a new SW 460 revolver (8 3/4 barrel) for hunting.

I am looking for suggestions on making some steel targets that are portable enough I can haul them out to the woods and shoot.

Any good ideas for 1) cheap source of scrap steel (I know "cheap" and "steel" don't go together anymore) and also some ideas for target configuration - i.e. should I make stands, weld the target to a stake, put some loops on it so I can chain it from a limb?

This gun will supposedly shoot point-on out to 200+ yards, but I am not sure I can, so am looking for something portable enough to go set it up in "hunting situations" (paying very close attention to backstops and safety) and practicing.

Also and recomendations on thickness requried for this hand cannon would be appreaciated.

Thanks,

Dave
__________________
U.S Army, Retired

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. -Potter Stewart
davlandrum is offline  
Old February 14, 2008, 06:09 PM   #2
JDG
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 28, 2005
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 673
I build all my steel targets out of scrap dump truck frame. Since I build the trucks, the steel is free, but a place that installs dump boxes would have some. Usually the truck frames are too long and you have to cut them. The frame steel is hard, and is 3/8" thick, and can take most handgun loads. I double it up for rifle rounds. I just make shillouttes, 10" X 14" not including the head, and weld some 3/4" rerod on it for legs.
JDG is offline  
Old February 14, 2008, 06:24 PM   #3
davlandrum
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2006
Location: Lane County Oregon
Posts: 2,547
JDG - thanks for the info. I know a couple of places based on that where I might be able to pick some up.
__________________
U.S Army, Retired

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. -Potter Stewart
davlandrum is offline  
Old February 14, 2008, 06:33 PM   #4
zxcvbob
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 20, 2007
Location: S.E. Minnesota
Posts: 4,720
What about using railroad tie-plates for targets? (not sure which side you'd want facing forward to minimize ricochets)
zxcvbob is offline  
Old February 15, 2008, 01:24 PM   #5
EHCRain10
Member
 
Join Date: October 24, 2007
Posts: 57
check out handgunsports.com
ive used there targets before and they are relatively low priced and high quality, you would prolly need the rifle style plates due to the power of the 460 though
EHCRain10 is offline  
Old March 2, 2008, 09:45 PM   #6
Doc_DAK
Member
 
Join Date: March 1, 2008
Posts: 21
Even though they might seem to have thousands of 'em, railroads can get cranky about somebody pinching tie plates. They're rather sensitive about anybody being on their property, since a few people around here were taking things (like tie plates, for one) to sell for "scrap metal." I don't know if any plates that really were "scrap" would hold up to high-power loads.

Something around that size, though, would be a little easier to lug around, and the smaller size could help simulate a longer shot distance.

"Happy huntin'."
Doc_DAK is offline  
Old March 2, 2008, 10:20 PM   #7
Hawg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,177
Quote:
since a few people around here were taking things (like tie plates, for one) to sell for "scrap metal."
Scrap yards won't buy RR iron from anybody but the RR.
Hawg is offline  
Old March 3, 2008, 12:20 AM   #8
Doc_DAK
Member
 
Join Date: March 1, 2008
Posts: 21
Some states (like mine) don't yet have a law requiring a scrap dealer to even identify someone who brings in a quantity of any kind of metal, although some will get vehicle information (or more) if they're suspicious of somebody. A guy in a nearby county got busted for stealing aluminum light poles, even though he took the pieces (and they were just that) to a dealer in another area. The dealer accepted the stuff, but wrote down his plate number. Tie plates aren't as easy to cut up into unrecognizable chunks as copper cable or aluminum poles are, but we've had people stealing quantities of all three materials from rail yards in this area.

Then again, if a company recently upgraded a line, had a bunch of old plates that were too small for the new rail, and didn't want to haul all of it to the scrapper, they might have some left over to give to Dave.

I used to know where there were a couple of them left laying around, not on RR property. Shipping 'em from here to Oregon might not be all that cost-effective, though.
Doc_DAK is offline  
Old March 6, 2008, 03:32 PM   #9
davlandrum
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 27, 2006
Location: Lane County Oregon
Posts: 2,547
Thanks for the knowledge
__________________
U.S Army, Retired

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. -Potter Stewart
davlandrum is offline  
Old March 19, 2008, 09:02 PM   #10
RandyStacyE
Junior member
 
Join Date: February 29, 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 83
The best portable target I've ever made was a simple 'tripod'.

I used galvanized steel 'strap' like what is used on the top of chain link fence. I have no idea what the proper terminology is for this type of strap.

Anyways, I bent 2 pieces like shown below, used one straight piece, drilled a hole through the 3 pieces, and used a nut & bolt to hole them together.

I then welded a steel plate to the 2 bent pieces. Now this will create a tripod. The center leg is allowed to pivot backwards when you want to set up your target.





This made for an amazingly stable target! It stores easily too.

I made the mistake of shooting it with a SLUG! Gotta build a new one
RandyStacyE is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:30 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06896 seconds with 10 queries