I love shooting steel, the instant feedback of movement and that audible “clang” when you connect really makes for good fun when shooting alone or with the kids. For years, my steel targetshave been suspended off a couple U-posts with two pieces of chain bolted to them and then to the target. Though this set up has worked, I mostly cobbled things together with some left-over light duty chain which I had on hand and whatever nuts and bolts I could find laying around the garage. This didn’t allow for a lot of flexibility in how I arrange the targets since they’re permanently fixed and more than a few times those light chains simply broke.
I had my eye on the T-post hanging kit from Target Hanging Solutions for several years, but the cheap skate in me kept saying “Forty bucks for a chunk of metal? That’ll buy me a pound of powder, or at least a couple primers!” However, after a final chain breakage and the sad condition of my shot-up posts, I broke free of my miserly ways and ordered the set-up and am glad I did!
When the box arrived after a very quick turn around on shipping, I was surprised to see just how large it was, and for good reason. This thing is a big heavy chunk of steel! I was pleasantly surprised by the sized and weight of the hanger. It is about ¼” thick, 26 ½” long and 2 ½” wide and comes with six square holes punched in it to facilitate mounting of targets via their rubber hanging strap kit, one of which was provided with the target along with an assortment of fasteners. These rubber straps do work well, but really dampen the “clang” on impact.For the perfectionists out there, I’ll admit, the powder coating isn’t perfect, but who cares. You’re shooting at it, right!? An assortment of fasteners was also included to affix your targets. This leads to a small gripe of mine. The square holes in the hanging bar are punched to accept the included 3/8” carriage bolts. This works fine, but my targets and most I’ve seen, come with square holes punched for ½” carriage bolts and I’d prefer a standard fastener size. A small gripe, but something that may be considered. Also, the only ½” hardware included in the kit was simple hex bolts not carriage bolts designed to fit in the square holes of the target. Again, a small gripe for an exceptionally satisfying product.
With more than enough holes on the bar to facilitate at least two targets, I improvised a second rubber hanging strap out of an old tailgate mat I had laying around and proceeded to pound in a T-post and get to shooting. The bar is easy to get on and off the post and makes height adjustments very simple. Simply lift up on the free end and slide it over the post. I can see this being especially useful for shooters on public land which has cattle fencing on it. You can easily keep this hanger in the back of the truck and put it up on any fence row in seconds making things very convenient.
If you’re in the market for a simple and effect way to hang your steel, I recommend you give these a look. Target Hanging Solutions is also an ongoing sponsor of the Handgun Hunters Competition held annually near New Castle, Wyoming and their products hold up well to all the abuse.