Quick and Cheap Target Frames

[BirdShooter]

On Saturday my sweet wife said "Let's go out to the range on Sunday, I want to try your 44 Mag revolver."

Now that's a request that you have to pay attention to!

In preparing for this momentous event I decided we needed some target frames for 24"x36" LE style targets since GCC pistol ranges are pretty bleak.

The design I decided on requires 3 - 8' long 1"x2" furring strips and some 1/4" plywood scraps, plus some 1" woodscrews and some "dumpster-dive" cardboard for 1 complete frame. Two of the 8' strips have a 21" piece cut off and become the verticals. The 21" pieces become the horizontals placed 36" apart (outside to outside). Since the 1x2 actual width is 1.5", 21" + 1.5" + 1.5" makes the width 24" total. The 3rd 8' strip is cut in the center on a 45 degree angle to become the 2 support braces. The whole thing is assembled with 1/4" plywood gussets made by ripping a 5" strip, cutting the strip into 5" squares, then cutting the squares on their diagonal.

The cost for 6 fames was a less than $20 at HD. The 18 furring strips were $.75 each and the 2'x4' luan plywood was about $5.

I also cut a bunch of small stakes to drive into the ground to keep the frames from blowing over.

Here are the pics:

[lenny7]

They look nice! I could have used something like this just this past weekend.

If you screw in some eye screws to the bottom of the legs you could then use tent pegs to stake them down. The wood stakes you made might be tough to drive into the ground depending on soil conditions.

[BirdShooter]

Thanks. Using screw eyes sounds like a good idea. I had thought of drilling a hole on the bottom of the leg from the top about 1/4" and using a spike, but I haven't tried that yet.

[mnglocker]

These target frames are desrcibed like my favorite exes.

[plblark]

but they're much less expensive

[MsT]

Here's another one from Box O Truth - PVC frame - cost about $10.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu24.htm

Very portable if you don't glue it ALL together. Leave the bottom of the "U" a separate piece and they transport very well. I mount my target to cardboard (staples or tape) and use plastic clips to hold the cardboard to the 1 x 2s.

[SkyRock]

Here's another one from Box O Truth - PVC frame - cost about $10.

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu24.htm

Very portable if you don't glue it ALL together. Leave the bottom of the "U" a separate piece and they transport very well. I mount my target to cardboard (staples or tape) and use plastic clips to hold the cardboard to the 1 x 2s.

If you drop a 1ft piece of lathe down the upright tubes (edge fore/aft), you can set a 4ft lathe on it to give you a 5ft height. Lathe can be purchased in bundles, and is cheaper than 1x2s. We used these in Burnsville for a couple of years before they "acquired" too many holes!

[LarryFlew]

Why not all PVC? You can put a LOT of rounds through it before there are any problems. I built one of those ladder games with golf balls out of 1 1/4 PVC (SEE ABS NOTE BELOW) with only part of it glued and the rest screwed so you can take it apart to take it to the lake or wherever. We also used them for targets several times. The bullet holes almost heal up until you get a LOT in the same spot.

[SkyRock]

Why not all PVC? You can put a LOT of rounds through it before there are any problems. I built one of those ladder games with golf balls out of 1 1/4 PVC with only part of it glued and the rest screwed so you can take it apart to take it to the lake or wherever. We also used them for targets several times. The bullet holes almost heal up until you get a LOT in the same spot.

Fair question, Larry. Because they shattered when they were hit. It was a surprise to us! One round was enough to shatter the part that was hit.

I like the concept, but it didn't work for us. If you've got any ideas as to the cause, I'd really be interested!

[LarryFlew]

Now that you mention it ours are black so more likely ABS than PVC.

No problems up to 38 spc so far but most where 22 and 9mm

[SkyRock]

Now that you mention it ours are black so more likely ABS than PVC.

No problems up to 38 spc so far but most where 22 and 9mm

That could be it. We used them in IPSC-style matches, so nothing smaller than 9mm was used. If I had the time, I'd compare them, side by side.