If you were starting a new USPSA program what portable wall/target systems would you choose?

[dogtired]

I have shot a number of different clubs and see varying designs.  I have a few ideas but looking for pics of other designs to consider.  What works well in your experience?

[Sarge]

I built new walls last year and decided to go with 6’ walls instead of 8’. So much easier to carry, set up, store, etc. I ripped 2X4’s instead of using 2X2’s that are typically crooked junk. I sprung for more expensive mesh with 1/2” openings. Takes major abuse without tearing and looks ten times better than cheap snow fence.

I use metal wall stands to put the legs in. I also use metal target stands that take up a fraction of the space of wooden ones.

[Nathanb]

Sarge how do you deal with classifiers that require 8 foot walls 

[Cuz]

3 hours ago, Sarge said:

I built new walls last year and decided to go with 6’ walls instead of 8’. So much easier to carry, set up, store, etc. I ripped 2X4’s instead of using 2X2’s that are typically crooked junk. I sprung for more expensive mesh with 1/2” openings. Takes major abuse without tearing and looks ten times better than cheap snow fence.

I use metal wall stands to put the legs in. I also use metal target stands that take up a fraction of the space of wooden ones.

How about a few pics next time you have to go set them up?

[Sarge]

21 minutes ago, Cuz said:

How about a few pics next time you have to go set them up?

[Sarge]

48 minutes ago, Nathanb said:

Sarge how do you deal with classifiers that require 8 foot walls 

I kept enough on hand for classifiers but when they fall apart I’ll probably just overlap 6’ walls to get 8’

[ColoradoNick]

We plan on building walls this fall using 1" tube steel. Not sure of the gauge but they're heavy enough to withstand the wind while still not being too heavy to carry. 8' width and a half a dozen 4'ers. Vertical braces spaced enough distance apart that you can make any wall a port. The feet will be slightly larger square stock that the feet can fit into, and there will be 3 wall "attachments" per wall foot. Another club down here has something very similar. They are amazingly wind resistant (40-50mph gusts last weekend, enough to rip cardboard targets off sticks) and the walls didn't flinch). They also stack tightly enough we can store 30-40 inside a conex box. 

[shred]

6 hours ago, ColoradoNick said:

We plan on building walls this fall using 1" tube steel. Not sure of the gauge but they're heavy enough to withstand the wind while still not being too heavy to carry. 8' width and a half a dozen 4'ers. Vertical braces spaced enough distance apart that you can make any wall a port. The feet will be slightly larger square stock that the feet can fit into, and there will be 3 wall "attachments" per wall foot. Another club down here has something very similar. They are amazingly wind resistant (40-50mph gusts last weekend, enough to rip cardboard targets off sticks) and the walls didn't flinch). They also stack tightly enough we can store 30-40 inside a conex box. 

For 1" tube walls (they work well)--

 

Weld them so the uprights are clear through from ground to sky.  Saves a lot of measuring and cutting different top and bottom horizontals, plus you can then make a few wall feet with 3 pieces of smaller (5/8"?) round bar sticking up that fit inside the tube and can be used as wall feet for upside-down walls-- low walls, cooper-tunnel sides, etc.

 

Make some or all of the wall feet using round tubes (1-1/2" Schedule 40 pipe fits 1" square tube nicely and is cheap) and you don't have to have 90-degree angle wall joints.  

 

Unless you need them extremely strong, use the thinnest reasonable tube-gauge.  They'll get shot and bent whatever you use and light ones are easier to carry.

 

Grab some 1/2" or so rebar and make 6" long U-shaped hairpins.  Drop these one leg each down the top verticals where two walls connect to hold them together and it saves a lot of zip-ties.

 

When you get flush (or rebuild some shot up walls), make a few 6-footers and a door that fits the same system.  You'll probably find 4 footers are always in high demand.

 

 

 

[ColoradoNick]

1 hour ago, shred said:

For 1" tube walls (they work well)--

 

Weld them so the uprights are clear through from ground to sky.  Saves a lot of measuring and cutting different top and bottom horizontals, plus you can then make a few wall feet with 3 pieces of smaller (5/8"?) round bar sticking up that fit inside the tube and can be used as wall feet for upside-down walls-- low walls, cooper-tunnel sides, etc.

 

Make some or all of the wall feet from round tube (1-1/2" Schedule 40 pipe fits 1" square tube nicely and is cheap) and you can angle the wall corners however you want.  

 

Unless you need them extremely strong, use the thinnest reasonable tube-gauge.  They'll get shot and bent whatever you use and light ones are easier to carry.

 

Grab some 1/2" or so rebar and make 6" long U-shaped hairpins.  Drop these one leg each down the top verticals where two walls connect to hold them together and it saves a lot of zip-ties.

 

When you get flush (or rebuild some shot up walls), make a few 6-footers and a door that fits the same system.  You'll probably find 4 footers are always in high demand.

 

 

 

This is great info thank you!!!

[RJH]

Yes, definitely use round tubing on the feet and not square. 14 gauge 1 in square will be fine for the walls. You can get it in 24 ft sticks so it's really easy to make a 6x6 wall, or an 8x6 wall. And it's not very heavy