An Inexpensive Target Stand That You Can Build In A Few Minutes

Shawn Dodson

Firearms Tactical Institute

(Due to problems in the photos edition we recommed to access the photo icon at the bottom of this article. Thank you.)

How many times have you visited an outdoor shooting range and been forced to shoot at 25-yards because that's were the range supplied target hangers are located? However if shooting range rules allow, you can build your own wooden target stands that will permit you to place targets as close as contact distance to your shooting position.

The cost to build a wooden target stand is less than $10, and can take less than 15 minutes to assemble (depending on your skill). The materials and equipment that you'll need are:

One (1) 2x4 stud, 8-feet long (approximately $3)
Two (2) 1x2 boards, 8-feet long (approximately $1 each)
Eight (8) 3¼-inch 12d galvanized box nails (less than $1 total if purchased from the bulk nail bin)
Four (4) 2-inch 6d galvanized box nails (optional if brace is installed) (less than $1 total if purchased from the bulk nail bin)
Claw hammer
Measuring tape or yard stick
Masking or duct tape
If you want to make your job easier, many hardware stores/lumber yards will cut the 2x4 stud into 2-ft long sections if you ask. Some stores will perform this service for free, others will charge you a fee. The advantage of using this service is that the cuts will be square because the hardware store will probably make them with a radial arm saw.

You can also ask the hardware store/lumber yard to trim your 1x2s to 5½-ft long. You can then have one of the 30-inch residue boards trimmed to 27-inches long if you want to install a brace. (Hint: Save the short 3-inch piece of 1x2 to use as a spacer. See figure 2 for more information). By having the store cut your boards to length, all you'll have to do is nail the pieces together when you get home. (Plus you don't have to figure out a method for transporting 8-ft long boards in your car from the lumber yard to your home).

It's said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The photos and captions below should provide sufficient guidance for assembling your own target stand. Happy shooting!

Figures 1 through 4. Click on thumbnail for greater detail.

Figure 1.
Unassembled target stand components. If you have your 8-ft. long 2x4 stud cut into four 2-ft. long sections by the hardware store, all you'll need to assemble your target stand assembly is eight 3¼-inch 12d (twelve penny) galvanized box nails, a measuring tape and a claw hammer. If you want to build a sturdier target stand, an optional 27-inch 1x2 brace can be added to the basic assembly with four 2-inch 6d box nails.
Assembly hint: Measure all 2x4s and use the two that are closest to the same length for the cross beams.

Figure 2.
Assembled basic target stand. To ensure you obtain the proper ¾-inch gap between the two cross beams, sandwich small pieces of 1x2 board between the ends of the cross beams and secure them in place by wrapping tape around the beams. Nail the stabilizer legs to the cross beams with the eight 12d box nails. Before you nail the second cross beam in place, make sure you press the cross beams tightly against the 1x2 spacer while you hammer.

Figure 3.
Target stand with optional 27-inch 1x2 brace installed on one end. The brace is nailed to the top of the 2x4s using four 6d box nails.

Figure 4.
It works! Homemade target stand shown in use with a standard IPSC cardboard target. The IPSC target is stapled to two 5½-ft long 1x2 boards, which are then inserted into the ¾-inch gap between the two cross beams. If the target wiggles, you can shim the 1x2's by wrapping masking tape around their ends until they fit snugly between the cross beams. On breezy days, you can better stabilize the target by filling a couple of 1-gallon zip-lock plastic freezer bags full of dirt or sand and place them on the target stand for ballast. If the stand is used on uneven ground, rocks can be used as shims to stabilize and level it.
Total cost of this target stand, including the two 5½-ft long 1x2 boards, is approximately $6.00. Total time to assemble was less than 15 minutes.

IPSC cardboard targets can be ordered from Law Enforcement Targets at a cost .54¢ each, plus shipping & handling.