Building target frames - what to use?

[Keith Glasscock]

The title tells the story - I need to build target frames for my new F-class matches. We have the square root of nothing at this point and need to get into service in the matter of a few weeks.

I have paper targets figured out, but what is the best thing to mount them to? We have pits with carriers that take 6' square target frames, and typically, I've seen cardboard used as a backing material. Is there something better out there?

I've also seen several different pastes used for mounting targets. Which one works best?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[Steve Blair]

All the ranges where I shoot use cardboard on wood frames. The paste just looks like regular wallpaper paste. Be sure to have enough stands, paint rollers and brushes to repair targets after each match.

 

[Dans40X]

Build the 72"X72" frames from 1/2"T X 4"W X 72" L doug fir strips w/ 45deg mitered corners.
Square frame on 2 each 4'X8' table tops butt together.
Cut 8"X8" X 1/4" "fish plate" corner gussets attached on back side of 4" frame w/ #6 sheet rock screws.

Cover 72"X72" frame w/ ticking cloth or burlap material staple taunt to 1/2" frame thickness.

Apply flour/water paste of consistency slightly thinner than pancake batter to waterproof cloth.

Let Dry

Mix flour/water-paste to face targets.

A work crew of a half dozen to assembly line the process can assemble 40 frames/cover/face targets in 16-20hrs.

Next years target repair crew will be hard to come by!!!!

 

[effendude]

Our club in MN has gone from canvas covered wood frames to foam panels to poly corrogated cardboard over the last ten years. The poly cardboard is awesome and takes a ton of punishment, yet remains lightweight. We use 4'x6' targets for the shortrange games and 6'x6' for the 600 yard HP events. The poly cardboard is power stapled to wood frames made out of 1" plywood with reinforcing gusset plates on the corners. The polycardboard is primed with a oil based primer tinted Irish Cream 2 which matches the buff color of the targets. The primer allows the pastes and targets to adhere well for the first application. I will try to get some pics taken.
None of the clubs here in MN use canvas anymore, all have converted to the poly cardboard.
Scott

 

[Nomad47]

Poly cardboard must be what political signs are made from. They practically self seal. And its a lot of fun to shoot most political signs.

 

[3dogs]

Your "poly cardboard" is called coroplast and is available in several colors and 3,4,6,8 & 10 mm thickness, check your local plastics wholesalers

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I've tried corrogated plastic before. It was great when the weather was warm. It blew chunks out when it was cold.

I kind of like the idea of canvas. What are the down sides?

I was considering building them then painting. I figure that will make it waterproof enough and allow us to patch it when holes get torn through it. I figure that we could patch it just like aircraft fabric covering.

How does the canvas react to bullet holes? Does it tear, or chunk, or unravel? Do the bullets tend to slide through the weave or destroy it?

How well does wallpaper paste stick? Do the targets stay up? How well do bullet holes show for the pit crew?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[dansig]

I have been using woodtex as backing, it's easy to staple targets on woodtex and it can take a lot of beating before it stops supporting the targets.. in rainy areas spraying the woodex with water repellent, oil or something else that dries works well, the woodtex can stand the rain but becomes fragile while wet, but dries very quickly outside in the wind.

http://www.woodtex.co.nz/5052.html

I have also used another kind very similar to woodex but much smaller fibers and they are glued together with some kind of tar, completely waterproof and can take serious beating.

about 10-20.000 rounds on a 3'x6' before it needs to be replaced.

 

[Dans40X]

Busdriver,
Cloth faced targets & flour paste has stood the test of time-
Wall paper glue is messy,expensive & takes days to dry.
Painting anything other that number boards is a PITA.
Downside to muslin/bed ticking/burlap is bolts of cloth are 3' wide,so material needs to be precut & 2 each 3'X6' sections need to be sewn together.
In damp/humid weather, backing material/cloth will mold if targets are re-faced after a match & not allowed to air dry.
Cardboard,even waxed cardboard sucks in the rain as the core will get wet & deteriorate.

For reduced NRA OTC targets 2" closed cell foam,the variety used to insulate foundations of houses &/or centers for compound bow targets works awesome, only problem, it is expensive here in AK.

For OTC rapid score hangers,shower stall white board cut 6"wX36"L w/ X,10,9,8,7,6,5,M spray paint stenciled using dry erase markers works well compared to chalk & chalk boards in the rain.


BPCR's tear up targets & frames.
Interesting to hear that 500+gr subsonic slug slap the backer,incoming like a mortar!!!!

 

[Keith Glasscock]

I just ran a couple of tests with a couple of glues.

Flour/salt (for mold suppression)/water
Elmer's school glue cut with water (1:1)

The flour mixture worked, but is hard to get good even coverage. I also noticed a greater tendency to wrinkle the target and cardboard.

The Elmer's mixture laid the target down very well, went on smooth, and had good tack. At 70 degrees (inside the house) I have a pretty solid glue-down after 10 mins and darn near dry in 15. I noticed less of a tendency to wrinkle the targets.

Does anyone out there use Elmer's?

I'm going to try to peel the targets off tommorrow (to simulate refacing after a match). After that, I'm going to give them the out-in-the-rain for 8 hours test.

Is there anything I'm missing?

 

[memilanuk]

What backer material did you end up using - cardboard or Corroplast?

We've been using wallpaper paste, usually thinned a little, for years. Problem is, the dang stuff is getting harder and harder to find in any useful quantities. As a result, I'm interested in alternatives.

The two biggest problems w/ Corroplast in our experience has been getting the initial layer to stick - some adhesives do, and some don't. I was thinking about using some 3M Super 77 or 90, but it'd take several cans per target which adds up fast!

Are you working on 1000yd targets, or 500/600?

We will be building some new 500yd frames in the next month; juggling faces and centers between 500/600 has gotten to be enough of a PITA that I think it'll just be easier to have dedicated 500yd targets ready to swap in as needed.

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Hi Monte,

We found that the club had a stock of cardboard backers on hand. The price is too good to pass up. I'm building targets for 300 and 600 yards. Due to the obvious problems encountered with having to have the outer rings on the MR-1 target, I'm going to building 8 of each for now. I would like to increase that number, and if I can get board approval to fire from the 500 yard line (usage is currently restricted to certain military training only)I'll be building 8 more for that.

Ideally, in my wildest dreams, we could hold a full midrange course. The highpower guys are interested in doing this as well, so we're going to ask the BOD for permission. For now, we'll hold our matches at 3 and 6 firing simultaeously with the NMC highpower guys.

I'll have to come up and shoot with you at least once. I just did the Bellingham drive (6-8 hours) and got to shoot in a snow storm. It was a blast until I got so cold I couldn't tell when the rifle was going to fire.

Are you coming down to Douglas Ridge in May again?

 

[memilanuk]

Here's a silly question for ya, since you're doing 600yd targets also...

Have you actually found a MR-1 face anywhere?

I've checked Pistoleer.com, National Target, and American Target... I can find two or four piece MR target full-face targets - which used to be the old 500yd target, so the black only goes out to the 8-ring. As a result, I'd have to immediately glue on either an MR-1 or MR-1FC to make the black the right size. I was hoping that maybe I was over-looking some other option... in the past we'd used some old 'Target Rifle B' one-piece faces that we had left over from back when the dinos still roamed the earth Sadly, those are so old the paper just tears rather than cuts, even with a brandy-new sharp box-cutter.

My previous experience trying to glue on four-piece MR faces by myself was not a happy one I think the paper stretched a bit when originally still wet from printing, as it was not physically possible to match up all the lines. I was however able to match up (for the most part) the outer rings and then the new MR-1 center covered up the mess in the middle...

Are you coming down to Douglas Ridge in May again?

Planning on it. Might be the wife's first official outing with her new F/TR rig. I had to midget-ize it so much that I can't hardly shoot the dang thing - which makes load testing kind of tough. Guess she'll have to step up for that bit as well

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Nope, no MR-1 faces anywhere. In order to make an MR-1 F-class, I have to put up a 500 yard MR, add an MR-1C, then add an MR-1FC (because most MR-1FC's don't include the entire black). It is cheaper to do that with targets from American than to buy targets and shipping from National (the only ones I've found that have the entire black).

Don't get me wrong, I like National's targets, but right now, on our shoe-string budget, we can't afford to buy enough of them to get the reduced prices on targets and shipping. After our first year, I intend to reface the entire batch of them and do a nicer job with some centers from National.

I'm planning on coming out to DR for the Burden Memorial and probably for both August matches. I've even got the wife talked into letting me go to the F-class state champ at Rattlesnake. I'm hoping for a chance to shoot Rattlesnake at least once before a big match...

It all depends on how much time and money I have....

 

[Perk]

We use American Target out of Denver, Co. They pay shipping and the targets a very good We only have 100,200, and 300yds. I have recieved some targets that are very large looks like 6' by 6'. I will check and see what they are. Thanks Perk