How to Make a Portable Target Stand
Portable target stands increase the distance options for shooters during a trip to the range, which frequently possesses permanently mounted, fixed-distance targets. They also can create a convenient temporary shooting range. Building a simple target stand requires few tools and can be built by most do-it-yourselfers.
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Things You'll Need
- 1 8-foot long 2-by-4
- 1 8-foot long 1-by-2
- 1 piece of cardboard, 18 by 24 inches
- 8 deck screws, 3 inches long
- Staple gun
Instructions
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1
Measure and cut the lumber to the lengths needed: two 24-inch pieces of the two-by-four for the outside feet and two 20-inch pieces of the two-by-four for the base's cross members. Cut the 1-by-2 board in half, creating two 48-inch pieces that form the uprights.
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2
Lay the two cross members parallel on a flat surface with the 2-inch sides forming the top and bottom face. The spacing between the cross members should be equivalent to the width of a 1- by 2-inch board or about 1 1/2 inches.
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3
Attach the outside feet, also placed with a 2-inch side face down on the work surface, on each end of the cross members. The space between the cross members should intersect the outside feet pieces at their midpoint. Fasten the outside legs to the cross members using two 3-inch deck screws through each outside leg into each cross member. Once the four boards are attached, it produces an H-shape base.
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4
Fasten an 18- by 24-inch piece of cardboard to the two uprights, spaced 16 inches apart. Use 1/2-inch staples to hold the cardboard in place. The cardboard is a disposable item in the portable target stand and is replaced when torn up by bullet holes.
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5
Assemble the two parts of the portable target stand in the field. Slip the bottom end of the uprights (the end without the cardboard target) into the spacing between the cross members. The uprights are removed from the base for easy transport.
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6
Add sandbags or other weights over the legs of the portable target stand to provide additional stability in windy conditions. Tape the targets to the cardboard surface.
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Tips & Warnings
Errant shots may damage the uprights from time to time. Shooters might want to make an extra upright assembly, the two 1- by 2-inch uprights and cardboard, and take it with them to the range.
