How would you set up a long range shooting range?

[Umpqua Hunter]

I am beginning to brainstorm putting in a long range shooting range on some farm land my family has. My kids and especially my daughter, love to shoot. There is a spot where we could shoot at least 800 yards and potentially 1000 yards.

I think it would be cool to have metal plates to shoot at so we can hear the hits. One of my biggest questions is what would a reasonable size target be (2 MOA, 3 MOA, 4 MOA possibly??). At 800 yards:

2 MOA = 16 inches (about)
3 MOA = 24 inches (about)
4 MOA = 32 inches (about)

What material plates should be used at various ranges. I understand AR500 is best, but at what range can I get away with cheaper material like mild steel. What are some good ideas for targets at lower cost?

Are there any other targets that would be cool to shoot at at long range?

What would be good range increments. I am thinking something like targets at 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and maybe 1000. I am at the very early phases of thinking this through and thought you guys might have some great ideas. Do you have any videos or pictures of good set-ups that you have seen.

 

[Umpqua Hunter]

I thought this tractor disc blade idea was kind of a cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN3--JT8R7U

 

[Tim McCoy]

The targets my club uses at 600 for matches are about 34" square, almost 6moa, NRA standard ones for 300/600 if I recall correctly. They are plenty large for 600, larger than needed so new shooters can be "walked" into the X area I suspect. If you can find big disc blades, seems a great way to go. Even multiple smaller ones forming a larger target could work too I suspect.

 

[troybackman]

Go with 3/8" AR 400 or 500. You will hardly even put a dent in it. Mild steel is just way too soft and gets pretty beat up or shot out. Buy once, cry once. I have a fab shop and plasma table if you want me to get you a quote on any plates of any shape, size, or deisign you desire.

 

[Micah S]

Get some old oxygen tanks cut the bottom of the tank off drive a fence post in the ground and just set them on the post. The oxygen tank hold up to long range 500+ yards they get holes in them if you shoot them from to close.

 

[packer58]

Get some old oxygen tanks cut the bottom of the tank off drive a fence post in the ground and just set them on the post. The oxygen tank hold up to long range 500+ yards they get holes in them if you shoot them from to close.

Oxygen bottles do work well and sound like the liberty bell when hit. We used this setup for our LONG GONG targets when i used to shoot traditional black powder rendezvous. You can get two gongs out of one bottle if you cut them in half and drill/cut a hole in the bottom and weld in a heavy I-bolt for hanging.........Hanging the bottle is the way to go to get the best sound when hit.

 

[Hilltop]

I like gong targets at long range but to me the best practice before a hunt is to use life size animal targets. I use large sheets of cardboard from a box company and free hand animals. I use measurements to try to create life size animals. After I free hand an outline, I use spray paint to create a good outline of the animal and a few main features like the front shoulder. They don't have to be drawn perfectly to look pretty good at 400+ yards. I have a fairly heavy wood stand that I attach the targets to at the range. It is a little more labor but it is a huge confidence boost before a hunt - the kids love it. It also allows you to see exactly how far off you are when you miss. I use brown circle stickers to cover previous bullet holes so one target can be used for a lot of shots.

 

[Retterath]

AR 400 and 500 series steal is the way to go. It last along time. At 300 yards I would do a 6x6 then 600 10x10 then 800 a 14x14 and then 1000 a 20x20. That is just what I have done. When shooting longerange always have a spotter if possible can it can get very frusterating when you cant spot your misses. Its a lot of fun and can help a lot with well placed shots on animals. Have fun good luck

 

[DRUSS]

I have a few ar500 plates to shoot but most are mild steel that I get from work as throw away materials. So my sizes very but most are 10"-15" squares or circles my big target used at 800+ is a torso shaped target which is nice to see impacts and get more precise adjustments. I found if not using bonded bullets the mild steel does ok at 500 yds and up but closer they take a pounding.

 

[lostriverproductions]

Bigger targets at long range is better IMO. It will help you identify your misses then just hitting the birm. You will have confirmation if you were 1MOA off or 2. not I think you hit blah blah to the left. I like shooting milk jugs at distance. Fill up with water and hit it with a cold boar shot. That should tell you how far you are capable of killing a deer sized animal. Stay with AR 500 steel. Will last you a very long time.

 

[mcseal2]

I have a round metal gong of AR500 steel that measures 10" across hanging from a pipe frame with chains and baling wire. I shoot it out to 800yds with one rifle, out to 600 with several others. Occasionally we hit one of the 2 chains suspending it from the baling wire and have to re-weld them. I have an oak seed pallet next to it held up by a couple metal T posts driven in the ground for shooting paper. Pretty simple.

The gong has been hit with a lot of Accubonds in 130-180gr over the years and is still going strong. Lots of other bullets too, but those are probably the toughest ones.

I would like to have a larger gong or rectangle metal target to make misses easier to see. That is where I tend to use the paper targets on the pallet. The pipe frame the gong hangs from has a couple metal coffee cans attached to it that will hold cans of spray paint. I can coat the gong with paint quickly to see fresh hits that way.

Our grass is to tall in the pasture to shoot prone much. We do a lot of shooting standing with sandbags on the hood of the truck. I can get steadier prone than I can from the truck hood, and find shots I can consistently make that way I can make even more consistently prone over the pack. We also do a lot of closer shooting using bipods, packs, shooting sticks. I practice prone regularly from the sidewalk in my yard on small targets at 100yds, I keep that mowed.

The milk jugs are a great target too, one I'm using more now that I have a milk guzzling kid around. Nothing better for getting a kid confident than exploding a milk jug at the longest distance they will be shooting from a field position.

 

[LaHunter]

If it were me, I would go with 12" diameter, or larger, for 500+ yards and increase the target size as distance increases. When the wind is howling, you will be glad you have the larger diameter. At 700+ yards on a windy day a 16" plate can get really small.
Also, mild steel will pit and crater real fast with larger / fast bullets, I would go with AR500 plates.
Good Luck with your range.

 

[packmule]

My suggestion is to put everything on skids...targets & bench.

 

[tim]

I have some mild steel plates. one of them, you can center punch and nothing happens. to many hits to it. you can see thru it now. looks like a block of swiss cheese. get the good stuff. the mild steels where cheap though.

 

[tim]

Steel plates hit at 300 yards with 270wsm, 338 win mag at 300. Small divits, 223 at 100 yards.
I have had the steels for about a decade. cost close to a $100 for a welder to make for me.

 

[Scotch]

I would use ar500 at 300 and 400yrds but who cares if the 600 and 800yrd targets get a few pits in it. Go big with the targets and tape on a small balloon, sized to your choosing, when you want a challenge.

 

[M.Bird]

if you want to have fun with the steel:
100 to 500yrd AR500 IPSC 63% Size 3/8 good sound and holds up to magnum calibers, also play with "Mini Mo", "Pop quiz" and "rounds"
500 to 1000yrds I use 16 inch rounds with 5 inch center painted bulls eyes
1000 to 2000yrds IPSC Full Size Metric Steel Target (yes they are heavy but move them with my quad) you could use AR400
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCID4ywnpLTMPxs2lQz89ROg
once you start shooting the steel targets it is hard to go back
V/R
Mike