DrThunder88
03-01-2016, 05:01 PM
Rosco and I went out shooting again last weekend and ran some of my new steel plates through their paces. Being a cheapskate and knowing I had to haul everything in from an Ohio and a half away, I opted for the cheapest, most compact system I could find. That ended up being a few 4.5 foot T-posts from Home Depot and these hangers (http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/t-post-hanger?a=1864893). Assembly was simple, though I still managed to screw it up a bit:
http://i.imgur.com/YqccERk.png (http://i.imgur.com/TKKq5Us.jpg)
Drive the post into the ground, which is easy when it's 70 degrees and sunny in Kentucky. This photo was not taken in Kentucky.
http://i.imgur.com/yvxeSfr.png (http://i.imgur.com/5rueL8Y.jpg)
Put the hanger on top of the post.
http://i.imgur.com/V9McZJb.png (http://i.imgur.com/WkGD1GP.jpg)
Here's a mini IPSC plate with a centered mounting hole.
http://i.imgur.com/WUrKtXF.png (http://i.imgur.com/6LUiYjV.jpg)
There's nothing saying I couldn't have used one of the off-center holes. It would have just been a "leaning" IPSC target.
http://i.imgur.com/e0v5gqG.png (http://i.imgur.com/dC8cClf.jpg)
Side view, showing my error.
Despite having the hanger hooks on backwards the entire time we were shooting at the plates, the only times they fell were when our impacts ventured too close to the hook and hole. In one instance, the hook took a very near hit without being damaged by spall or splatter, even though the T-post behind the plate got badly chewed up.
It's not a bad little investment for a traveling steel rig. I can keep the hooks in a plastic tub with my plates and the spray paint. I got some 6 foot T-posts as well, but they wouldn't have fit in my car even if I had remembered to bring them along! The 4.5 foot posts are about as long as I can fit diagonally across my Buick's trunk.
http://i.imgur.com/YqccERk.png (http://i.imgur.com/TKKq5Us.jpg)
Drive the post into the ground, which is easy when it's 70 degrees and sunny in Kentucky. This photo was not taken in Kentucky.
http://i.imgur.com/yvxeSfr.png (http://i.imgur.com/5rueL8Y.jpg)
Put the hanger on top of the post.
http://i.imgur.com/V9McZJb.png (http://i.imgur.com/WkGD1GP.jpg)
Here's a mini IPSC plate with a centered mounting hole.
http://i.imgur.com/WUrKtXF.png (http://i.imgur.com/6LUiYjV.jpg)
There's nothing saying I couldn't have used one of the off-center holes. It would have just been a "leaning" IPSC target.
http://i.imgur.com/e0v5gqG.png (http://i.imgur.com/dC8cClf.jpg)
Side view, showing my error.
Despite having the hanger hooks on backwards the entire time we were shooting at the plates, the only times they fell were when our impacts ventured too close to the hook and hole. In one instance, the hook took a very near hit without being damaged by spall or splatter, even though the T-post behind the plate got badly chewed up.
It's not a bad little investment for a traveling steel rig. I can keep the hooks in a plastic tub with my plates and the spray paint. I got some 6 foot T-posts as well, but they wouldn't have fit in my car even if I had remembered to bring them along! The 4.5 foot posts are about as long as I can fit diagonally across my Buick's trunk.