I'm looking to build a silhouette range in the North East but I'm having a hard time finding train rail for making stands. Does anyone have any info on where to find it. None of the rail lines will sell the used stuff.

If railroad rail is too hard to obtain there are other options out there. Some of the more common versions I've used and/or seen:

- common angle iron used to build multi-level stands with integrated backstops.
- individual stands of rebar/pipe with a plate welded on top.

I'm sure others will pipe up with things they've used and/or seen.

Good luck building your range.

Tomorrow I'll post the name of a used rail supplier we use. In the past we used 'grader blades'. Thet were used for both the stem and the plate cut to size of course. Anything less than hardened steel just doesn't last with high power or lever gun rounds. If possible look for siding as opposed to main line rail. Main line weighs 120lbs or more per yard.....siding rail is about 90 lbs. And its sold by the pound , starting at 10 cents per and up!!! And then shipping!

Currently the club is using plow blades but we need a more sturdy stand. Train rail seems to be the preferred method.

I'll second the rail. The rail is held up with regular pipe/steel and it's shot to hell, the rail is fine...

High Power, Smallbore or both?

Our rails use pieces of rails welded on for the supports and then set in concrete. The rails are upside down with the flange up They take a lot of pounding from high power, BPCR, and cowboy lever. Smaller hardened steel pads the size of the target feet are welded to the rail . For small bore mild steel is used....but that's on a dedicated smallbore range lest the boneheads take their high powers to them........yes boneheads ...they're everywhere. BTW...rail is hard stuff and requires preheating to get a good weld

I'm setting up for HP.

Another Dang 9 wrote:I'm setting up for HP.

Nice!!!

Rail for highpower with the rail head down.

When you make stands out of angle iron or plate, make sure they are solid enough so they don't vibrate and knock the other animals off. We made 3 level stands so we could shoot 40 0r 60 shot matched using the same firing points at TRC. Our stands were made out of material that was too light so we had to make another bullet deflector in front of the stands to take the initial shock of a bullet strike.

I also made a falling plate stand out of 2 pieces of 1/4 x 2 flat bar and welded the 2 together to form a V and not an L. The top is level and the leg going down deflects the low shots back into the berm behind the stand. It seems to cut down on the vibrations and the plates only fall when they are hit, not vibrate off. I made it for 22 rifle but it works for 9mm pistol as well.

A&K Railroad Materials.......they are on the web. Look at crane rail 104 lb etc. and we made a local contact through the Kansas city office.......

Where? In Mass? I might have to arrange a trip.

If the Attorney General of the Comiewealth has not banned me also.

Hotrodrockets wrote:Where? In Mass? I might have to arrange a trip.

If the Attorney General of the Comiewealth has not banned me also.

MASS? Really.....KC is in Missouri

Snake wrote:

Hotrodrockets wrote:Where? In Mass? I might have to arrange a trip.

If the Attorney General of the Comiewealth has not banned me also.

MASS? Really.....KC is in Missouri

The OP is in Mass so I think Horodrockets may have been referring to Another Dang 9.

yes OP's info says MA.

No such thing as High power Silhouette up there. It would be a breakthrough. Wether it is Ma, Nh, Me or VT. it will be a novel thing up there.
Otherwise you have to drive to Rigway.

I still get there back there from time to time. Makes me like Tn. even more every time.