[JCF]

Am looking for a heavy duty (capable of handling heavy pistol loads), yet somewhat portable gong, that I can bring to and from the range in my pickup. I was thinking of enlisting a steel shop to weld something together for me. Anyone have any experience, plans, suggestions, etc? Does anyone have any experience with any of the gongs on the market?

[normbal]

many ranges won't allow gongs; ricochet is often bad for P.R. and the folks over on the shotgun range...

Why a gong? There are a LOT of makers of steel targets, poppers, etc., out there.

I was shooting yesterday at a farm where a friend sets up 3/8" steel targets out to 1200 yards to shoot LRT. He and some friends pitched in, bought an 8x8 (IIRC) sheet of 3/8steel and had it cut out into 12" circles, 18x24 torsos and other shapes at a local shop, had two chain links welded on each (a 10 and 2) and he suspends them from 2x4s w/ cheap 2x4 legs.

When you hit one of these from 600 yds, they go dink very clearly.

Up close, at my local pistol range, we whack these things all day w/ sub-magnum calibers,and they give plenty of aural feedback and motion to be a satisfactory reactive target.

Just some thoughts.

But you might consider something like a buddhist temple or garden supplier for steel gongs.

-Norm

[ocabj]

http://www.lvsteeltargets.com

My only problem with bringing a gong to the range is idiots shooting at it because it's there.

[sscoyote]

Couple years ago my shooting partners and i put on a long-range handgun shoot at a local ranch out here in Pueblo, and we came up with the most portable system i could think up.

If u have a local scrapyard u might be just as lucky as i was, and u can get steel there real cheap. If u can find it, old cinder block molds are cheap, excellent heat-treated steel that will take a hit and not even dent it from most SSP calibers/bullets. But the frame itself is the toughest hurdle. Here's what we came up with. Check the scrapyard for rebar or some kinda steel stakes, maybe 3 ft. long 3/frame. Get a couple copper or galvanized plumbing T pipes. Pound 2 of the stakes into the ground, and set the T's on top, then raise them slightly to slide the 3rd stake thru parallel to the ground, and u will be surprised just how much steel u can hang from that setup. I hauled out 30 of these tgts 20+ miles to a local ranch in my little Toyota SR5, and no problemo.


Here's another idea for big long-range paper tgts.--

Get 2 more stakes, and a couple 5ft lengths of 3/4 or 1" electrical conduit. Buy a pack of big zip straps, and get some cardboard for tgts., as big as u want. Attach the cardboard to the conduit all along the edges with the zip straps, and u can slide it over the stakes pounded into the ground again. This is a great system that'll hold up even in a good wind. When i test loads at long-range i'll carry maybe 5 each of these in my little pickup bed, and set them up all at once at different lasered ydgs., to save time.

1 last hint is to make up a stencil with different size tgts. cut out of it, and get some of that el cheapo Wal-Mart paint $1/can. Thats' great stuff for painting tgts. on the cardboard and steel, quick and easy.

If there's a more portable system, i'd love to hear about it, but this is the best i could come up with.