Other than the destruction of target backs and the boards that are destroyed, I really don't care either. But usually they shoot up the 2x4 frames and the 4x4 posts and they are expensive when you have to replace them. No one pays to shoot on the rifle or pistol ranges so the club foots the bill.
I hear you, Bill.
I'd be making some of those supports out of metal is probably what I'd do. That way people ain't trying to shoot them but avoiding it instead. If not I'd tell people they probably need to plan on bringing their own targets and ways to hang them.
Metal frames won't stop them from being shot at, just might last a bit longer.
We have National matches and it’s definitely embarrassing to have the uprights shot up like they are.
I’d like to stop the use of staple guns as well but that will never happen. I use large sized metal push pins. It becomes difficult to place targets with all the staples and chunks of targets left there. We use pine boards so it’s not hard to push pins in.
We have steel plates at 235yds if retards wanna blast ammo, but they’d rather shoot the uprights.
I’ve never personally seen anyone do it, but they were riddled within 2 weeks of the last board replacement
Our club relied upon volunteers to maintain the premises, including target frames and the members all had keys to the locked gate. I ran our club's highpower rifle competitions for 17 years and part of my responsibility was to organize work parties and/or keep target frames, etc. up for some 200 members. Shot up target frames was one of my biggest headaches.
We designed and built the range, with target pits for 10 targets, similar to military ranges. Target frames with all metal parts of the frames which retracted into the pits and locked, so they were never exposed to the firing lines. Never had any damage to those; the wooden target frames (the part exposed) were removed and kept in locked target house in the pit.
ETA: Only club members holding Marksman and above NRA HP rifle classifications are allowed to shoot greater distances than 200 yard line. (To insure they know the "comeups" on their rifle and can keep their impact on the backstop.) The range is a narrow strip of land, about 200' wide on which we pushed up a full width 35' high backstop and our terrain is very flat, making it imperative that all shots be directed at that backstop. We had 200 yard, 300 yard and 600 yard firing lines All members were required to attend a range safety session when they picked up their key at the annual meeting.
Most members were responsible and all were tasked with correcting and/or reporting any safety violations observed, but there are always a few "Rambo types" and they, along with a number of thoughtless shooters who persisted in pinning their targets directly in front of fixed target frames required hours of unnecessary repair to keep them serviceable.
We had fixed frames up @ 100 and 200 yards cosisting of 2x4 legs, 1x4 frames and faced with 1/2"x2'x8' "Southern Pine Asphalt Panels" from Home Depot. These are fairly inexpensive (4x8 sheet around $20) and soft enough to use push pins or staplers to fasten targets. We first used 4" PVC set in cement to hold the frames (so that the frames were easily removed on match day), but 2x4's were shot up both intentionally and by accident. (Some clods would even shoot at the roofing tacks used to hold the panel to the frame until I started painting he heads black!
) Others just weren't careful to place their targets so as to clear the frames. Finally, I had an additional piece of PVC set @ 10' and built the frames 10' wide which left a foot clearance on each end between panel & the 2x4 legs, reducing, but not stopping shots hitting the legs.
As far as letting members use their own targets, we could not rely on them placing frames so that bullets impacted the backstop. In fact one of my biggest headaches was pistol shooters settin tin cans, short target frames, etc. 25' on the ground in front of the 200 yard firing line resulting in ricochets that might, but most probably didn't impact the backstop.
Finally built a smallbore and pistol range in a pit from which we took a lot of dirt for the backstop to resolve that problem. Maintaining a range is akin to herding cats!
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