Most of the building and building-out I’ve done on The Mountain has been (essentially) freehand — I get an idea of what I want and put it together without plans or sketches. The outdoor firewood rack is a good example.
I’m still not very good at carpentry — awful, actually — but I’ve made peace with that.
And I’m not too proud to scour the wwWeb for ideas. Even a few photos of what others have built can be a big help. Such was the case a few days ago when I Googled “simple target stand.”
I knew I’d be making use of what little leftover lumber I had on-hand — a few cast-off two-by-fours, warped and twisted and knotty and useless for much of anything else. The design I settled on included elements of numerous stands I’d found in my online searches.
Using the tailgate of the Silverado as my workbench, I began by cutting all the lengths I’d need. Then I assembled the base of the stand with deck screws.
For what it’s worth, the outside members of the “H” measure 30 inches; the double crossbars are 20 inches long. The spacer block in the center is a scrap.
Next, I put together the upright portion of the target stand.
Though most designs I found were 48 inches tall, I went 66 inches to better accommodate both my height and the terrain on the east slope. The cross-members are 20 inches.
The last step was dropping the upright into the base and securing it with six more deck screws.
Though I’d briefly considered hauling it out to Daybreak in two assemblies (base and upright) and joining them there, I decided it’d make more sense to put them together first. I’m glad I did it that way.
I unloaded the stand, carried it up to the short (handgun) lane and attached a plywood disk to the lower cross-member. Since I was placing it in a spot that’s anything but perfectly level, I gathered rocks to raise the downslope side of the base and bring the uprights to plumb.
Notice that I also piled several large rocks on top of the center of the base. That should make the stand fairly wind-resistant, though I doubt it’d prevent a determined deer or bear from toppling it.
This is what the finished target stand looks like from the firing line:
That’s exactly what I had in mind. It’s the very definition of “simple.”
I know I said that’d put a wrap on the new range, but it’s occurred to me that I need to find a way to stabilize the other two plywood target disks, both of which will sit on the ground. I could mount them to even simpler stands — just a few short pieces of lumber — but first I think I’ll try making easel props, two each.
We’ll see how that goes. For now, I’m pleased with the stand I built and deployed yesterday.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable