Falling Plate Targets?

[bearintex]

Anyone built any? Looking for ideas.

[big_smith]

I have never personally built them, but I have some experience with them. The key is the steel. If you don't start with ballistic steel, you are going to have problems. The ballistic steel is treated to withstand different calibers. Most won't handle rifle rounds. Regular plate steel will work for a little while, but will start to crater over time and it gets a little dangerous.

[bearintex]

It will be pistol only for IPSC and IDPA practice. Lead and plated bullets from 380, 9 and 45 ACP. I've got some 3/8 plate that I have shot at with the 45 and there was no visible marking to it. I've got 7 or 8 2' square pieces.

[Big_gun]

gander has several on display for reference...

[kmitchl]

Check out the website at this link. Ken does a good job of documenting his props.

http://www.parmarng.org/freeidaho/AlSkDjFhG/index.html

Also check out the Brian Enos Forum at the link below

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=65

If you are building this for personal use mild steel plate is probably adequate. If you are building something that will be used in club matches I would suggest AR400 steel for pistol calibers and AR500 for rifles. The mild steel will eventually get pretty well pock marked with a lot of use.

There is someone here in Texas that cuts AR400 and AR500 in standard target shapes. Not cheap but they will last. PM me if you want the info.

[ajavelina]

Iv built several hangin and knockdown. They arnt the best but work well. I just used thick plate and the only problem I've had is someone shooting armor piercing rounds that didn't quit get all the way through but barely. I'll try and get some pictures

[Coach W]

I have alot of experience with this... we have our own personal range set up...

My experience:

Knock down are a PIA... you shoot em, you walk down range, you set them up repeat... I have done round, square, rectangle, etc... with bases you set on a table (4x6 screwed onto two 2x4s that are burried in the ground with a piece of right angle to deflect misses away from the 4x6). Any where from 1/4 inch thick to 6 inches thick to see if the 50 cal will go though... (armour piercing and it will).

I have some with a hinge that sets atop 4 foot piece of rebar that you drive into the ground like a stake. Ive even tried my hand at the auto set up where you shoot all the targets left to right and the last one on the right makes them all stand back up... KISS is the method I now use... you are shooting a gun at a piece of steel... things get messed up! So Keep it simple.

Swinging or hang down are the way to go. Get a short length of chain, plate, and some tubing to make a stand... You still get the Plink sound... the target moves, but is ready for a follow up shot... then it becomes real fun seeing if you can hit it while it swings... also fun ones are the ones that swing when you hit them. A simple base (t post, or round pipe) with a "T" on top (Round pipe with mickey mouse ears on each side of the "T") that when you hit either side of the "T" its swings around... Or the ones that swing up and down instead of left and right...

Be careful though Steel targets have a tendency to ricochet and can come back and hit you even out to 100 yards with a .223 (just my personal experience)

Next time Im out at the range I will take some pics of some of our targets... Its a CRP field that caught on fire this year with the wide spread fires.. but the steel targets made it through.