Got my silhouette targets ordered this morning and I am now ready to figure out what to use for stands for my home range. I have about 130 yards to work with across my back yard with nothing past my property but a cotton field. So... thinking about railroad ties for stands...? Don't want to get to elaborate but do want something decent and servicable to work with.

and... Meters or yards....?

Ideas/suggestions welcomed.... :

Thanks...!

I use swingers and paper targets but have them set up off into the woods where they are in line and can shoot from in the garage. Can set up a bench, have a fan for the summer and shade (very important in Texas....)

I setup a range at my house using loose cast animals on rails for awhile and while I enjoy shooting them the most just having swingers to shoot at is all I use these days. I also have some SB resetables but I hardly ever put them out either. As for a setup for the loose animals I used some 4-5" Channel iron. The width is just right to slide inside the hollow part of a cinder block allowing you to put one rail right over the other and you can adjust the overall height with more cinder blocks if you want to raise it some. Four to five foot lengths work with everything except the Rams where you might need a little longer channel iron. For my rams I used a 10' long 8" I-Beam because I didn't have enough channel iron. You could probably get by with 3" wide channel to save some money. Then when you shoot low you know it due to the distinct sound of the rail being hit. This setup allows for super fast setup and take down if you don't want to leave a permanent rail setup outside.

The main upside to loose animals and resetables compared to swingers is you move down the line of targets like a real match and don't just plinky off the same swinger. Once you get your feet set for a single point of aim it is easier to hit consistently than when you have to move to the right a little bit with each shot thus affecting your position, feet etc. Plus you get the added stress of knowing that last one is #10 or #5 in a row.

Here is a pic of my cinder block setup. Works great.




Dee

If you are going to set your animals on wood, drill holes in the wood and set the animals up on valve stems. 1 stem for each bird and pig and 2 for the sheep. If you don't raise the animals up, you will destroy your stands.

Merlin wrote:Got my silhouette targets ordered this morning and I am now ready to figure out what to use for stands for my home range. I have about 130 yards to work with across my back yard with nothing past my property but a cotton field. So... thinking about railroad ties for stands...? Don't want to get to elaborate but do want something decent and servicable to work with.

and... Meters or yards....?

Ideas/suggestions welcomed.... :

Thanks...!

Meters

I just measured out of my garage and I have 104 yards to work with.. I may have a partial range out of the garage to use on days that are particularly nasty or hot… or when I just feel wimpy….

I really like the set up Dee is showing… Looks like it would be fairly inexpensive to build, easy to move and you get to rows of animals in a condensed space….

I can’t get the mental picture of what you are telling me, Jerry G. Sounds interesting but my mind’s eye is not getting the picture… Could you post a photo?

And… Thanks, Bob. I thought that I should go with meters but have seen “some” range that stated they used yards in their setups.

It's all becoming clearer....

Merlin wrote:..............And… Thanks, Bob. I thought that I should go with meters but have seen “some” range that stated they used yards in their setups.

It's all becoming clearer....

Yes, some ranges are set up in yards because they didn't have the room for the ram line in the space they had, or for personal reasons at the club. But the majority are in Meters and will be what you encounter at most matches.

Here are some more ideas. You can have one firing line and a backstop for each animal at the appropriate distance. I have done this and used RR ties cut in thirds and stacked about 4 or 5 high. Then a couple finishing nails to hold the paper targets. If you are going to use the metal targets you will need the complete RR tie for the width.
Another option is one backstop with all four animals and have various firing lines for each distance and walk back and forth. Shooting paper will help you see if your groups are wandering left or right or up or down. You can shoot the targets off of the ground, 2x4's wired on metal fence posts, valve stems pushed In the ground, channel iron or whatever. One place had 1/2 pvc pipe in the ground with a rod stuck in them and on top of the rod was welded flat bar stock the size of the animals foot. bee creative and try different things and have fun.

I think a picture has been posted with the "high speed" SB targets being knocked off a couple months ago. Best I can do is show you a rough sketch.

I believe this is the video Jerry is refering to,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAiovnZ4BGo

It's the valves from engine heads.

OK.. NOW I get it. I had tire valve stems pictured in my little mind... Engine valves....

Thanks, Guys......

Hahaha.. You're quite the artist, Jerry. That could be right up there on the fridge with my 7-year-old's drawings. Since when are there rhinoceros targets?

Jason wrote:Hahaha.. You're quite the artist, Jerry. That could be right up there on the fridge with my 7-year-old's drawings. Since when are there rhinoceros targets?

Off topic..But..

As a kid I spent many great hours in the woods and gullies of SE OK with my Daisy and a package or two of little plastic dinosaurs, cowboys and indians and military figures. We would set the figures up in all kinds of configurations up and down the creeks and woods and them take turns with our BB guns. Shoot till you hit then shoot till you miss. Kind of like silhouette in a way...?

Didn't you know what that 60 meter animal was Jason? I'm glad I could clear that up for you.

Merlin... Lowe's has what they call "lawn timbers" or some such... Round on two sides and flat on two sides... $3 each. You need 5 of them... one each for chickens, pigs, and turkeys and 2 for the rams. Yeah, they get shot up (mostly the chicken stand) but you can turn 'em four times and then move them back and move some of the less shot-up ones forward. $15 goes a long way. If you just have to have the railroad ties, you can find 'em at Zarsky's on Port Ave. but you'll pay $10-$12 each for them USED... meaning splitting, cracked, etc. PM me if you need any local help.

CWS