PVC target stand

unrealtrip · Jul 13, 2007

I just finished making it. Cost about $10 to make, 1 cut up cardboard box provides four backings. Velco cable wraps secures the backing to the stand and I'll just tape my targets to it. Tall mode for standing and shooting pistol or I can take out the lower legs and make it short for longer range stuff.

Also, it is actually suprisingly stable, although I'll use some canopy stakes or sandbags to weight it down when it is far away.

There's other stuff out there like this I know, just thought I put it up in case anyone is doing searches for design ideas.

Axman · Jul 13, 2007

Fill the base pipe with concrete or just plain ole sand to give it some added weight at the bottom.

hso · Jul 14, 2007

Nice idea on the velcro "ties".

Rebar in the feet works well also.

glockman19 · Jul 14, 2007

We use the same @ Angeles Shooting range. Staple targets to the cardboard it's better than tape.

Bentley8 · Jul 14, 2007

I drilled holes in the legs on mine and used large nails through them to spike it to the ground. Very stable.

NeoSpud · Jul 14, 2007

ditto Bentley8.

My local Home Depot sells foot long nails for about a buck fifty each. Four of em does the job really well.

.cheese. · Jul 14, 2007

only problem I can think of is that polyvinyl chloride AKA PVC has a tendency to fragment into sharp pieces due to it being brittle.

This is the same reason that pyro crews don't use it for aerial shell mortars as an accidental condition can cause sharp pieces to fly fast in the air. Unfortunately, as far as pipe goes, a better choice brings the price tag up substantially (HDPE), and is probably overkill for the application.

I'd say just fill it with something so that it's not hollow and it will probably be fine so long as nobody is behind or to the sides of it while you're shooting (which would violate range safety rules anyways)

.cheese. · Jul 14, 2007

better idea. Just wrap the whole thing with duct tape so that if hit it will break but not shatter into essentially shrapnel.

DMK · Jul 14, 2007

I made something very similar to that except I used wood 1x2s and stapled chicken wire to it. The targets get clipped on with clothespins. I attached the 'feet' with wing nuts so I can remove them and lay it flat in my truck since I drag it back and forth to the local range.

It was meant to be temporary, but I've used it about two years now and it's got a whole bunch of holes in it. One time a side split in two. I used some Gorilla Glue and duct tape to mend that.

MD_Willington · Jul 14, 2007

2x4 from a construction skip, you know the big metal box they throw trash into... plenty of good stuff, just make sure you have permission to root through the bin...

One thing I was thinking of around my area, college kids toss out those metal futon all the time, plenty of cheap steel tubing, my friends have welders... might start a little side business...

CNYCacher · Jul 14, 2007

.cheese.,
Alternatively, you could just not stand behind the target stands when people are shooting at them.

GTSteve03 · Jul 14, 2007

Looks great! And cheap too, I built a light-box for taking pictures with just about the same stuff.

I wonder if you could convert the dimensions slightly and instead of holding targets turn it into a brass catcher with some kind of bag attached? That would be much easier than crawling around on the ground trying to collect your empties.

Axman · Jul 14, 2007

Wood from shipping pallets would also be a no-cost alternative. The warehouse I work in throws several of them into a dumpster every day and i have taken several of the longer and heavier boards home. I will eventually fashion them into a target stand.

aquapong · Jul 14, 2007

I built this one:

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

Regolith · Jul 14, 2007

That wouldn't work well for me. Knowing my aim, I'd end up taking out the PVC piping a little too often.

no_problem · Jul 14, 2007

<<Regolith That wouldn't work well for me. Knowing my aim, I'd end up taking out the PVC piping a little too often.>>

I hear ya!

When I go shooting, barn doors don't even worry

Cannonball888 · Jul 14, 2007

I built this one:

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

+1. That's what I built.
Superior design. No PVC in target area. Wood cheap and easy to replace.

PAshooter · Jul 14, 2007

That wouldn't work well for me. Knowing my aim, I'd end up taking out the PVC piping a little too often.

Been there, done that. The good news is that PVC pipe is relatively cheap.

I built essentially the same stand, and had one of my mil surps at the range one day. It was shooting a mite high, so I started tweaking my rear sight to zero it. Of course, that was the day I forgot to bring my spotting scope, so I really couldn't see what I was doing. Tweaked, fired... tweaked, fired... repeated. But I was tweaking the wrong way, and managed to walk my shots straight up the target until I blew the top cross member of the stand clean in half

A little pipe, a little glue... good as new.

unrealtrip · Jul 14, 2007

Lot's of other good ideas in here guys

As far as hitting the frame, PVC is ultra cheap and having a few precut spare parts or duct tape on hand is no problem. I didn't like the one featured on the box o' truth site (orig from Guns and Ammo mag I think?) because of the way the wood frame connects. As far as people standing near the target getting hit with flying pieces if I miss and hit the frame... well that should not ever happen because no one should ever be on that side of the firing line during fire, ever.

I also don't want to have to carry around 5ft pieces of wood in my Jeep, no space. The full PVC frame completely breaks down or I can leave the top have in tact, making the max length ~30" and easy to pack.

I like the long nail and/or rebar ideas for securing it, I think I'll be heading back to Home Depot today to generate some other ideas.

Oh btw, leaving for Ron Paul rally in 2hrs

Pitmaster · Jul 14, 2007

I've been using the cheap metal fence posts and pounding them in to the ground. I'm thinking about anchoring them into large coffee cans and fill with cement. I have a piece of steel rod that goes across the top and use office binder clips to hold cardboard targets. Should I be I be concerned about using the metal posts?

NeoSpud · Jul 14, 2007

Another tip: if you're worried about fraggin the stand, use ABS. It tends to split or just get a hole punched in it rather than fragment. Plus, its naturally black, so you don't have to paint it (if you don't like the whiteness of PVC)

Vern Humphrey · Jul 14, 2007

I use rebar and scrap 2X4s. Drill the edge of the 2x4s about half way through to take the rebar. Drive the rebar into the ground and put the 2X4 on top. Attach cardboard with tape, or hang a dangle plate from hooks or screws in the 2X4.

Noxx · Jul 14, 2007

My local outdoor range uses the same PVC design on their target stands, you pay em a deposit, and if you shoot it up you get x% of your $10 back. Lately I've been pushing my pistol practice back to 25 yards (yeah, I'm new to the whole concept of marksmanship outside of 10yards) and consequently shooting the heck out of their stands. I need to get off my behind and bring my own.

Cannonball888 · Jul 14, 2007

The good news is that PVC pipe is relatively cheap... A little pipe, a little glue... good as new.]

Don't forget to add a little more measuring, a little more cutting, a little more fitting...
All that PVC work instead of just inserting two cheap replaceable pre-cut 2x2" sticks into the PVC stand?

ArmedBear · Jul 14, 2007

Construction fencing works great. Metal stakes, plastic netting, plastic clothespins from Lowe's. Cheap.

You can hang a lot of targets on it, as well as a lot of clay pigeons. You generally get a pack of 5 stakes and a bigger roll of the plastic fencing than you can use, for cheap.

The whole thing rolls up and tosses in the trunk, in very little space. The metal stakes can take a good number of hits from large caliber pistols and high power rifles, before they're spent. Mine are banged up, but they all still work fine.

That's what I do, and I've since seen this used at factory demos, as well.

PVC target stand

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