Introduction: How to Make a "walking Target" for Airsoft/BB Guns/slingshot

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In this Instructable, I'm going to show you how I made a very cool walking target that jumps to a new position each time its hit. It's a great way to challenge your skills by changing the conditions for each shot. The distance and angle of the target may change each time you hit it.

I made this at TechShop.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

For this project, you'll need the following:

  • 22 gauge sheet metal - Available in the hardware section of your local home improvement store
  • 3/16" steel rod
  • Spray paint - I used black but something that stood out like red or yellow would also be cool

Step 2: Prepare the Frame

Start by cutting 4x 4" pieces of steel rod. This will serves as the structural frame for our target.

Then, using a bench grinder, add a 30 degree chamfer on 1 end of each rod. This will allow the rods to fit snug against each other when we weld them together.

Step 3: Cut Out Some Discs

Now, we'll cut out some small discs that will be used for the actual targets.

I was trying to think of the best way to cut these out and then I saw the metal punch against the wall. I turned it to its biggest setting and punched a series of holes in the sheet metal. Then, I collected the scraps that would normally be discarded and used those.

The punch puts a small indentation in the center of each of them so I just used a hammer against an anvil to flatten them out.

Step 4: Weld the Pieces Together

Now that you have all the pieces you need, you can weld them together.

Take 2 of your rods and weld them together in a "V". Repeat for the other 2.

Weld the bottom of each of those pieces together so that they make a 75 degree angle. With this, no matter which side is flat on the ground, the point at the top is always directly above the center.

Then, weld the discs to each of the points.

Step 5: Finishing

With your finished product, all that's left to do is paint it! I took it into the spray booth and put 2 coats of Rustoleum black spray paint on it. After a couple of hours of drying, it's ready to go!