Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 The plinking range at our club has a hard gravel surface impervious to spikes. There are times, like yesterday, that I’d like to shoot a cardboard target at eye level instead of just tin cans. What portable target stands have folks used? I’m thinking of a wide steel base that will hold a 2x4 or two 1x2s to which cardboard can be stapled. The price and apparent quality runs the gambit as shown below. https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1021158851?pid=606439&utm_medium=shopping&utm_source=connexity&utm_campaign=Shooting+-+Targets&utm_content=606439&cnxclid=16248768709749189400710090302008005 https://ctstargets.com/collections/stands-hangers/products/2x4-x-ground-base I appreciate any insight the Saloon can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Here are directions for making one out of PVC. https://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/how-to-build-a-pvc-target-stand/ I don't know if he mentions it, because I didn't read the whole article, but taking along a sand bag or two to weight down the base is a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 This is the one I purchased from Midway. It uses 2 x 4's or 1 x 2's. I've never spiked it down and it stands well on level ground. If the ground is not level or the wood is struck by a bullet, it would probably fall over if not sand bagged. It is well made and has some weight to it. The wood to stick in it costs almost as much as the stand these days though. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1019367312?pid=693318 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 The gun club at work has stands like these. 16" outside to outside measurement. We also have a couple that are fully adjustable. The fully adjustable ones seldom get used as setting them up is a PITA. 16" is a good width. 1X2s are cheap, light weight, and stand up to a surprising amount of abuse before having to be replaced. We were using a fiber board for backer material but it cannot get wet. Started experimenting with closed cell rigid poly foam to see how it stands up. Sandbags are a must as a light wind will knock over any design that is light weight and portable. I am intrigued by the PVC one Alpo posted. I would skip weighting the interior and just have 4 sand bags available to hold it down. We make our sand bags from old lead shot bags that are filled and sealed with pea gravel. Then sewn into an outer sleeve cut from the legs of old blue jeans. The pea gravel doesn't leak out like sand seems to do and the outer sleeve greatly prolongs the life span. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Alpo said: Here are directions for making one out of PVC. https://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/how-to-build-a-pvc-target-stand/ I don't know if he mentions it, because I didn't read the whole article, but taking along a sand bag or two to weight down the base is a good idea. Yep! Sandbags needed if their is even just a breeze. Other than that this is a good, cheap, light way to go. Be advised that new shooters have a knack for being “PVC Accurate”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 6 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said: Be advised that new shooters have a knack for being “PVC Accurate”. Yeah baby. I made one out of three quarter inch. It was 4 foot tall, with a T {have a} AT THE halfway point. Made it so you can take it down. Fit in the car trunk better. Zip tied big binder clips to the top and bottom and uprights. Use the binder clips to hold the cardboard backing. New shooter. Never held a gun in his hand before in his life. Had eight binder clips on that thing, and he managed to hit all eight of them. Shot the uprights three or four times. We was scrounging branches and duct taping them to the uprights to hold it together. He had fun, and I guess that was the point of it, but he sure-hell shot that target stand to pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Hi Charlie, Get the one from Midway. I have two similar stands that accept 2 x 2s and work a treat. Staple Pizza Boxes to the 2 x 2s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 59 minutes ago, Alpo said: Yeah baby. I made one out of three quarter inch. It was 4 foot tall, with a T {have a} AT THE halfway point. Made it so you can take it down. Fit in the car trunk better. Zip tied big binder clips to the top and bottom and uprights. Use the binder clips to hold the cardboard backing. New shooter. Never held a gun in his hand before in his life. Had eight binder clips on that thing, and he managed to hit all eight of them. Shot the uprights three or four times. We was scrounging branches and duct taping them to the uprights to hold it together. He had fun, and I guess that was the point of it, but he sure-hell shot that target stand to pieces. I had nearly the exact same experience. Then there was the kid with his Daddy’s pump shotgun. I wanted to choke him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joke 'um Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Two 2" pvc type pipes buried vertically in the ground. Just leave a little sticking up so you can find them. Two 1x2's and a piece of cardboard make the removable, target portion. Nearly wind proof. Easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Here is what we use around here: Square Circle Wranglers; Ruff's Regulators and the Wild Turkey Posse. Square steel tubing, welded, with eye bolts to suspend targets using transmission belting bolted to the targets. Uprights with top bar slide/fit into larger tube uprights welded to base. Wood shielding bolted to frame uprights, (Ontario Chief Firearms requirement to prevent splatter (Don't ask. We tried) The wood shielding has more transmission belting attached to the wood to capture/stop lead splatter from chewing up the wood. The painter is Rooster Corrigan, Territorial Governor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack, SASS #20451 Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 I have about 20 "stick holder " stands for paper targets. I get them from ACTION TARGET Use 1X2 for uprights. They are the heaviest ones I have seen. Work GREAT. I only need some weight on them in winds over 15mph. Been using the for 20+ years for IDPA and IPSC and also for training on paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Gator SASS #29736 Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 I've made them out of 1 1/2 onch pvc. Make a base with 2 uprights that 1x2s fit into. I make it with end caps and fill the base with sand to weight them down. But now I have steel stands that have 1x2 uprights for cardboard targets and in the center a base for a 2x4 upright to hang steel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 Every two years you can collect a BUNCH of these for free, right after election day. They work well, they're disposable, you can tape or staple paper targets to 'em, and if you reeeeally want, you can paint over the original "message" if you want to avoid offending anyone. If the ground's too hard to poke the spikes in, just drill a couple of holes in a board and flop it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mongo, SASS #61450 Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Charlie, I have one very similar to the Midway one you listed. It works well, and most importantly, it's very easy to transport. It's also easy to setup and take down. I haven't had any problems with it blowing over. It's probably the best and most convenient stand I've found so far. Another bonus is the fact that this is the best price I've ever seen on this design of target stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted June 29, 2021 Share Posted June 29, 2021 Howdy, Those for sale sign stands are cheap and light. If ground is too hard just get a 3 pound coffee can or two or four and fill with sand or dirt and use as base for sign frame. Those paper clip things will hold targets or a cardboard backing with targets tacked on. Beginners will hit all your clips and think its great fun. Either just put up with it or ask em for ten bucks before they shoot. Deduct the price of clips damaged and give em the balance back.... Or just never invite them after. I had a law officer mangle half a dozen nice clips. He thought it was cool Right. Best CR That plastic tubing looks mighty nice too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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