thanks jon

Here is the response from Ryan at bigdogsteel.com about a group buy. We would have to have 6 buyers for a discount and the savings would only be $5.00 per person. The skull targets alone for 12"x12"x1/2 are $95.00 with group discount and the complete kit with 12"x12"x1/2" skull target, folding stand, and mounting hardware would be $160.00 with group discount.

 

Richard,

 

Wow, that is pretty cool. Ty is good people, I'll have to drop him an email.

 

We do offer discounts for group buys. Right now I have about a half dozen 1/2" thick AR500, 12" skulls. The prices I gave you are about the same prices I listed on the first group buy we did over on snipershide for the skulls. If you got enough interest to clean me out of the rest of the 1/2" thick skulls I have in stock, I could give you a price break and give you a special price of $160 shipped for the package skull and stand deals.

 

I will make an effort to check out the vendor section and poke around the forums.

 

Thanks!

 

-Ryan

Check this out. They seem like a better stand and linkage version of the Widener's one I use. I am like JonF, and use a section of rebarb. I use wire cables that get shot to hell. I will have to try his eye-bolt method.

 

http://www.arntzentargets.com/

Whatever you decide on for your target stand, keep in mind that the Range 14 official rules stipulate that the steel must be allowed to freely swing away in some fashion. I've had a few of the range masters there inquire about my steel swingers. Especially the red-haired manager, James, who gives me a hard time if he's there and i don't show him the same target and get his approval every time i set it up.

how did you bend the eye bolts

 

So far I've tried:

 

2x4's with eye hooks and chain bolted to targets

First Use

-Small targets blown off on first shot

- Eye hooks bent out of shape dropping target

- Target stand shot clean through breaking screws

- Bullet Fragments Tore large pieces out of wood, pepered everything with small holes

Second use (Re-fitted with more screws on 2x4's and heavy duty eye hooks with shackles)

- Shot chain clean through

Large sections of wood gone, no longer supports anything

 

Re-designed Black Pipe fittings to make "Brackets" which slide into rebar as legs and cross piece. Nylon Towing Straps doubled up reinforced with bolts, and used to hang targets..

- Tow straps shredded from fragments dropping main target (although it stands up well to clear through shots)

- Shot rebar breaking support structure and entire stand breaking down.

 

Resorted to stationary steel ATM. :-(

-

how did you bend the eye bolts

 

I am ready to try a vice and a big a** hammer.

how did you bend the eye bolts

 

So far I've tried:

 

2x4's with eye hooks and chain bolted to targets

First Use

-Small targets blown off on first shot

- Eye hooks bent out of shape dropping target

- Target stand shot clean through breaking screws

- Bullet Fragments Tore large pieces out of wood, pepered everything with small holes

Second use (Re-fitted with more screws on 2x4's and heavy duty eye hooks with shackles)

- Shot chain clean through

Large sections of wood gone, no longer supports anything

 

Re-designed Black Pipe fittings to make "Brackets" which slide into rebar as legs and cross piece. Nylon Towing Straps doubled up reinforced with bolts, and used to hang targets..

- Tow straps shredded from fragments dropping main target (although it stands up well to clear through shots)

- Shot rebar breaking support structure and entire stand breaking down.

 

Resorted to stationary steel ATM. :-(

-

While i havent tried it myself, i've been told that industrial Conveyor belt material works very well, and holds up to bot direct fire as well as frags

Ed, i put them in a vice and torched them until cherry red then grabbed them with a big wrench and folded them over 90 degrees. The downside is that bending the bolts is time consuming since you have to do it yourself and keep a few extra on hand in case you damage one. So far they are taking frags with no sign of adverse wear, however, i did manage to get a direct hit on the end of the eye-loop which completely unraveled it--talk about a one-in-a-million shot!

 

In the future i have an idea to mount it slightly differently which eliminates the need for bent-bolts. I have a piece of that perforated 90 degree angle-steel that i will attach directly to the plate creating a bracket to hang the eye bolts directly from. This way if the plate bolts get fragged, they are just ordinary bolts and then i can use the eye-bolts without bending them ever again.

 

One issue that i did notice with the nuts on the front of the plate is that while they withstand the destructive force of the bullet splatter, the splatter tends to loosen them slightly with each shot. Not sure if its the vibration or just the physical contact of the shrapnel unwinding them but even locktite didn't help so i ended up staking them on the threads which seems to be holding quite well.

While i havent tried it myself, i've been told that industrial Conveyor belt material works very well, and holds up to bot direct fire as well as frags

 

That's what i heard too, we must have read the same thread. but dont know where to get one (group buy?)

 

I'm guessing that the guys using tow straps are shooting at more than 100 yards, so less frags?

Ed, i put them in a vice and torched them until cherry red then grabbed them with a big wrench and folded them over 90 degrees. The downside is that bending the bolts is time consuming since you have to do it yourself and keep a few extra on hand in case you damage one. So far they are taking frags with no sign of adverse wear, however, i did manage to get a direct hit on the end of the eye-loop which completely unraveled it--talk about a one-in-a-million shot!

 

In the future i have an idea to mount it slightly differently which eliminates the need for bent-bolts. I have a piece of that perforated 90 degree angle-steel that i will attach directly to the plate creating a bracket to hang the eye bolts directly from. This way if the plate bolts get fragged, they are just ordinary bolts and then i can use the eye-bolts without bending them ever again.

 

One issue that i did notice with the nuts on the front of the plate is that while they withstand the destructive force of the bullet splatter, the splatter tends to loosen them slightly with each shot. Not sure if its the vibration or just the physical contact of the shrapnel unwinding them but even locktite didn't help so i ended up staking them on the threads which seems to be holding quite well.

 

Ahh.. I used two nuts and just locked them together really tight.. but mine where on the back..

Tell you what, Ed, i got some spare hardware over here and you're welcome to it. Come on by and we'll set your target up right and then we can take them both to your club and have at it as i've been itchin to check out OB. yeah?

I have been thinking about buying the Antzen target stand. The problem is that my target has holes drilled on the shoulders, not the center. Where would I go to have a hold drilled in 500 Brinell steel?

IS the center a smart place for the anchor? I mean, i'm always aiming at the center (whether i hit it is a different story) but if thats where i'm aiming, its probably not where i want the stuff thats holding it together in the off chance that i get lucky and POA=POI.

rich im in for one of those skull targets.....

I made a target stand out of one of those saw horse kits from Home Depot. Just use 2 8 foot 2x4s for the legs and it stands 4 feet off the ground. Another 5 footer for the cross piece and you have plenty of room to hang a bunch of stuff.

I made a target stand out of one of those saw horse kits from Home Depot. Just use 2 8 foot 2x4s for the legs and it stands 4 feet off the ground. Another 5 footer for the cross piece and you have plenty of room to hang a bunch of stuff.

 

I would think 308, 30 '06, 7.62x54R would all tear the hell out of 2X4s at 200-300 yards.

I would think 308, 30 '06, 7.62x54R would all tear the hell out of 2X4s at 200-300 yards.

But the POINT is to hit the steel..not the stand.

But the POINT is to hit the steel..not the stand.

 

That is always true.

At least for me though, at 200-300 yards with iron sights...

I am not as good a shot as I hope to be some day. My current rebar stand has a few nice dings in it. I'm thankful none were direct hits, otherwise it would be toast too.

I'm in for a skull target.