Every once in a while I come across a product that makes life so much easier, I can’t imagine not owning it. Over the past few years, I’ve been shooting a lot more AR-500 steel. I love the instant visual and audio feedback steel offers, and although the upfront costs are somewhat high, in the long run it’s cheaper to shoot steel than paper.
There’s a downside to steel, though: if you don’t own rangeland, lugging the steel back and forth to the range can be a PITA. For me, Rogue Shooting Target, LLC’s new T-Post hanger is making that chore much less difficult.
This product is intended to allow a shooter to hang AR-500 steel targets off of heavy duty T-Posts that can be found at virtually any hardware or home improvement store.
At the end of the day, this little contraption is pretty simple. The main tube and shim are made from A-36 steel tubing and the hook is made from 3/8 inch bar steel. Shawn Hoy, the owner of Rogue Shooting Targets LLC, sells these in two packs for $37.50, which includes shipping. I bought 4 sets, and I could not be more pleased. By using T-Posts as target stands, it really lessens the amount of crap I have to haul back and forth to the range.
Here’s how it looks when it’s set up:
Pretty simple, eh? A 7-foot heavy duty steel fence T-Post costs around $5.50 a piece. You’ll also need a T-Post driver ($27). Truth be told, you could probably get away with using a sledge hammer, but I went ahead and bought the driver because it makes it easier for one person to drive the T-Posts without help. In any event, I’ve pounded in a few of these T-Posts at all of my favorite shooting locations, so now I don’t need to lug any bulky target stands or 2x4s when I visit these ranges.
So far, we have used these with 3/8 inch thick AR 500 weighing up to 30 lbs with no issues. When hit, the steel target bangs up against the T-Post, giving great audio and visual feedback.
If you want to use a heavier target (or if you want even more visual feedback), you can set up target the in a dual post configuration, as follows:
And yes, I’m assuming the T-Posts will eventually get shot up. As shown below, I managed to put a 5.56 x 45 round through one at 300 yards. Hey, at least my windage was good. Seriously though, I think these T-Posts will take a large number of hits before they need to be replaced.
Overall, this product works well for me because it offers a compact solution and it allows me to use flat pieces of AR-500 steel, which are easily transportable. By taking up less room in the back of my truck, it leaves room for other stuff. If you find yourself needing to save space when traveling to the range, consider picking up a few sets of these hangers.
Ratings (out of five stars):
Fit, Finish, Build Quality, Ease of Use * * * * *
T-Posts aren’t cut with precision, so any device that’s designed to interface with one will necessarily need to be designed with somewhat loose tolerances. I’m happy to report that the Rogue Shooting Targets T-Post Hangers worked with every T-post I tried. Only thing to go wrong is to pound the T-Post in backwards (which, of course, I did). Even then, I was able to dig out the post in a few minutes.
Value * * *
If you have a shop and some tools, you could probably make something that replicates these hangers. Nonetheless, I was happy to shell out $37.50 for a pair to get something that works so well and provides an easy way to transport steel back and forth from the range without lugging heavy/bulky target stands.
Overall * * * * *
I’m gonna buy more.