Ideas for range set up

[audiophil2]

the nice thing about owning your own range is you can change things around whenever you want.

I added 10 more plates to my range last month and even more t-posts. I spray painted the t-posts orange so I can spot them better for when I want to move plates to different spots or when I have to return plates that needed repair. I have maybe 25 tposts scattered over the back 5 acres of land.

I don't bother stacking plates. My machine guns will rock those hang fast plates enough to get rounds behind them and cut down the t posts.

[vinconco]

Post Armor

T Posts are brittle and can get shot in half easily under intensive fire.

We have found an easy solution that works very well
Slip a 3' section of Schedule 40 Steel Pipe ( 1 1/2" to 2") over the T post and place the Hang Fast Hanger just above it. The pipe wall thickness is .145" to .154".
This is thick enough to get shot full of holes and still provide good support for the post and target. Works great on remote targets that are a PIA to repair and would probably give that machine gun of yours a workout.

[diver160651]

[LynnJr]

The bolts definitely take a beating and thanks for rotating the photo.
We put tabs on the back of the plates to avoid the bolt getting hit issue.

[deckhandmike]

Thanks for the ideas and pics!

[audiophil2]

2,000 rounds on a target can be done in a an hour or less where I shoot.

My son cut down this plate with only 500 rounds in 20 minutes. I just got some more fire hose this week to repair it.

[vinconco]

Fully Armored Dueling Tree

2,000 rounds on a target can be done in a an hour or less where I shoot.

My son cut down this plate with only 500 rounds in 20 minutes. I just got some more fire hose this week to repair it.

I'll bet you can't cut this target down with a MG. I designed it for EXTREME use including full auto. The center post is up to 1/2" AR500 and the plates (your choice) are available up to 1/2" AR500 in 3, 4, 6 and 8 inch diameters.
The base is armored and adjustable for hillsides and rough terrain.

[sigstroker]

That sounds like a challenge to me, Phil.

For your fire hose strap, wrap some of this around it maybe:

https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Aramid-Protective-Kevlar-Fabric/dp/B07TBW3QK4?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07TBW3QK4

[audiophil2]

That sounds like a challenge to me, Phil.

For your fire hose strap, wrap some of this around it maybe:
https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Aramid...SIN=B07TBW3QK4

I know I can destroy it but even if I do it is a losing proposition for me. The equipment is very expensive to deploy. The stuff I could hit it with would just knock it down or break the weakest part of the stand. If I braced it from behind so it cannot deflect then it would be destroyed. But I'm not burning up $100+/rnd ammo to prove a point. I'm sure that stand will last a long time with typical use.

If I just wanted to prove it won't hold up for my purpose I could just concentrate fire on the bolt heads with my MG42 or 1919. I blow those things off easy with x39. A few direct hits on one bolt head with my 6.5cm and then a hit on the swinger with 50ball would probably snap that bracket off. I won't even need to use expensive ammo or guns.

Here is the plate in the video. It has been pierced. I can;t remember what I ht it with. Maybe my 6.5cm. The hose helps it bleed off a lot of energy.

[deckhandmike]

I'll bet you can't cut this target down with a MG. I designed it for EXTREME use including full auto. The center post is up to 1/2" AR500 and the plates (your choice) are available up to 1/2" AR500 in 3, 4, 6 and 8 inch diameters.
The base is armored and adjustable for hillsides and rough terrain.

Maybe full auto safer with an angled plate over the bolt heads?

[deckhandmike]

Update: So my hunting buddy and I ask about setting up some long range targets. The answer we get is apparently there are some hidden steel ones already set up. It’s a smallish group that share the lease and I guess a few have been busy. I’ll post back with the setup I should find, lol. Might be two weeks though. Rain is in the forecast next week on my days off so it might be a bit before I can get out to the ranch.

[vinconco]

ALL TERRAIN DUELING TREE

Maybe full auto safer with an angled plate over the bolt heads?

Yeah.... the bolts are the weak link here. Even though they are Grade 8 a 30cal MG could eat through them up to about 200 yards. They are easy to replace though, much easier than the fire hose setup.

We have a local machine gun shoot here about twice a year with the next one in April. I'm going to donate one of our swingers to the shoot to see if they can destroy it while I film it.

[deckhandmike]

It’s cool, no charge for my great idea.. I appreciate your feedback in range setup.

[vinconco]

What kind of bolts are you using?
At the Hang Fast Range we have had 3 bolt failures in 5 years. 2 of those were me trying to hit the bolt with a precision rifle for a video.

So the other day I'm making a video for our new "Close Range Target" which uses a long bolt with our Standard Hanger to create target angle. I don't have any long GRADE 8 bolts so I'm using a regular non grade hardware store bolt and it lasts about 20 shots before it fails. I'm thinking a lucky close range shot drilled it..... but I was wrong. When watching the video frame by frame I realized the bolt didn't get hit with a bullet. The bolt head sheared off from stress. I went back to the target this morning and found the bolt head on the ground in pristine condition.

Since I've always used GRADE 8 bolts (until now) I've never had this problem. It would be very interesting to know what bolts you have been using to get that failure rate in your matches.