Before my last farm trip, I wanted to buy a target frame to hang my 1 foot gong, so I could have a crack at hitting it from over a kilometre. I wanted this to be based around star picket legs, as this was a more portable solution. I already had the gong following an impulse buy with a gift voucher.
There was a guy in Perth that I've bought from previously, but after some internet stalking, I discovered he'd moved over east and closed down his business.
STS Targets was my next option. They, at the time sold a star picket topper, but it was out of stock and at a recent glance, no longer sold.
I turned my mind to a DIY option and opened the Bunnings website to see what I could do.
The design intent was something similar to the STS topper. The key ingredient was a pair of ‘Whites Stake Drivers’. When I removed the rubber handle there was a welded rod handle.
By inserting the handle in to each end of a metal tube, I was able to drill a 7mm hole through each and secure with shaft lock pins. The chain is hung off the rod with U-Bolts and the gong is attached to the chain with cup head bolts.
Here is a finished product, minus the star pickets. The hit was my only one at 1.4km. Took me a few to get on as I didn’t know the exact distance and started short. My calculation was based on 1km.
The beauty is the Stake Driver is designed to hammer in star pickets, so you can position the star pickets underneath each Stake Driver and hammer them in to the ground.
Here are the parts I used, in case anyone wants to make one. I'm going on memory for some parts, as I'm not positing this from home.
Gong
Buy from gun store. Mine is made by Champion.
Whites Stake Driver (2)
https://www.bunnings.com.au/whites-stake-driver_p3040807
Shaft lock pin
https://www.bunnings.com.au/goliath-6mm-locking-pin_p4230122
Metal tube
https://www.bunnings.com.au/metal-mate-19-x-1-2-1m-galvanised-steel-round-tube_p1130447
(Thicker wall is better. Spot the bullet hole above. Easily replaceable if that happens)
U bolt (2)
https://www.bunnings.com.au/zenith-20mm-galvanised-u-bolt_p2310506
Cup Head bolts (2)
https://www.bunnings.com.au/zenith-m12-x-65mm-stainless-steel-cup-head-bolt-and-nut_p2310420
(The square insert needs to fit through the gong mounting hole)
Washer (2)
https://www.bunnings.com.au/zenith-m12-stainless-steel-round-flat-washer_p2430054
Chain (1m)
https://www.bunnings.com.au/pinnacle-8mm-5-16-galvanised-chain-per-metre_p4310901
(Make sure your bolt fits through the chain link. I didn’t for v1 and used carbiners, but they come apart with repeated impacts. Bunnings can cut in to 2 x 0.5m lengths)