So after seeing another member here with a nice steel inventory, I thought I would share what I have created with just a few tools and cheap steel. I am not a fan of the range and do most of my shooting in the desert. I decided I need something that was reliable, had easy to replace parts, and could be loaded and unloaded by one person. This would enable me to go out to the desert by myself for quick range sessions without having to police call trash for an hour while also providing a quality target.

So background on myself, I am a poor college student living on the G.I. Bill with only a single car garage to store my tools, supplies, etc. I am equipped with a Miller 180 and a Harbor Freight bandsaw. I taught myself to weld and having the Miller make its own adjustments does help tremendously.

Here are the tools




I believe the target base to be the most important part of any target stand. You don't want your target blowing over or leaning because there is no level ground. My solution was to fill 2" square tubing with sand for the weight and making adjustable feet with 4" of travel to compensate for any terrain issues. The sand is only in the horizontal sections and it is sealed shut.






The upper section had many challenges. How can I make it completely modular while also retaining rigidity? I came across some galvanized square tubing to use for the legs. It fit very well over the base pieces but being 4' long left a little play. It turned out this was good, it allowed for me to easily put it on/off by myself. I decided to add this little guy and it was the best of both worlds. A quick turn and it locks tight as can be.





To connect both legs, I used a 1" piece of round tubing with the thickest wall I could. I welded a nut to the inside and bolted them together. The green collar prevents side to side motion. (I had glued caps on for aesthetics but they still popped off)





After a little reading on the web and some practical experimentation, I knew I had to put a little angle into these target. This helps direct the bullet to the ground and maybe extends the steel life a little. By simply welding a 1" square tub to the round tubing, I achieve a small by effective target angle. The round stock goes through the square tubing and is welded at both ends to ensure integrity. As you can also see, I added angle iron to the round stock as a deflector.





The slight 'lean'




The last step was the actual target face. I love going down to the local steel shop and checking out their scrap piles. It was there I found a 6' piece of 1/2" thick steel. I was able to pick it up for 30 cents on the .lb and headed home. It was only then I realized it did not fit into my band saw. So I broke out the reciprocating saw and went to work. and work. and work. It took a while and a few blades but I cut out the squares. Maintaining the principle of modular design, I welded some square tubing on the back and welded three nuts to that. That way I could easily remove the targets if they were too damaged without having to re-fab a whole new swinging assembly.




TA DA!




So how has it worked? I have found that the slight angle of the plates and their absolute mass do an excellent job. I have not had a single ricochet of any kind using .22, 9mm, .40, .45, .357, and .38. As you can see by the base, the rounds go directly to the deck and after a range session there is a giant pile of lead at the base. I shoot from 5 ft to 25 yards away as well. The steel only shows minor dimpling, no worries. The welds on the back of the plate have not cracked at all either.

Here are the dimples



and the face




Here it is in the storage position, keeps the wife happy






After a range session, I repaint the faces and fix any damage some noob might have caused.

I hope you guys enjoy this and it inspires you to create your own stuff. It is simple to do and has saved me alot of money

nice!