DIY IPSC Steel gong torso target
I've been playing with this idea for some time now. I had all the steel cut and delivered last year and finally had the time to construct during the lockdown. I would like to hear what you guys think.
Details:
I contacted a reputable steel supplier asking if they could cut 10mm armor plate in the same dimensions as a IPSC torso target. They replied saying apparently (I did not do much research into the validity of the statement) proper armor plating is not that easy to come by, and that it's fairly regulated in terms of who it is sold to. However they offered me another 10mm Brinell 500 hardened steel.
They cut the steel into the requested sections for me and delivered along with the square tubing to build the frame. I constructed the frame so that it can be easily assembled and taken down by one person. And each section of the target hangs on it's own chains which are hanged from hooks at the back of the frame.
I would like to add that I did not build this target for close range pistol shooting, I'm a little bit concerned with ricochet. I built this target for long range rifle gong shooting. Although in retrospect I think I should have gone a bit thicker than 10mm, I'm afraid my .338 LM will chew through these plates.
The whole lot set me back about R3000 IIRC, excluding consumables to construct it.
And this is the end result...
Attachment 31829
Re: DIY IPSC Steel gong torso target
Looks interesting. I once took a piece of vrn500 plate to the range and told everybody there to try to break it. Nobody was successful from 50m till 300m. I left better marks (n little bit of a smudge/dent but nothing bad) with my mini14 with military ball than they did. When you get gatvol of replacing chains, try webbing or old car safety belts they can take multiple hits.
Re: DIY IPSC Steel gong torso target
Thank you for the advice on the chains. Now that you mention it, it makes sense why about every ready made gong you can buy comes with nylon straps.
How thick was the plate you were shooting at?
Re: DIY IPSC Steel gong torso target
Quote:
Originally Posted by
SFSniper
Thank you for the advice on the chains. Now that you mention it, it makes sense why about every ready made gong you can buy comes with nylon straps.
How thick was the plate you were shooting at?
10mm, I once had a interesting conversation with a guy working at Macsteel about plates and he said a good VRN500 plate of 8mm will be able to take several non-AP hits without any damage. Btw it is the projectile speed that cause the most plate damage.
