When it comes to shooting our favorite rifles, shotguns, pistols, or our entire gun safe it can get boring only shooting paper. That is why many of us have transitioned to or mix up our range days with some more interactive and fun shooting at steel targets. Aside from the visual swing of a successful hit and the little bit of sprayed dirt, it is really hard to beat the satisfaction of that iconic “Ping!” every time you connect with a successful shot. It used to be up to the shooter to rig up some hanging metal abomination to shoot at. In the past 10 years though, steel targets have become so popular in recreation and competition we can now buy them from reputable companies like Jumping Targets.

In this TFB Review, we had the opportunity to test out their Pyramid Gong and Stand. We will share with you the simple product, its construction, our time at the range, and our final thoughts. To begin, let’s dive in and take a look at the specs for the Jumping Targets Pyramid Gong and Stand.

Jumping Targets pyramid gong & stand – specifications

For this dual product from Jumping Targets, it is extremely simple for the specs and finer details. I appreciated the simplicity in the product, actually, because no steel target should require instructions or an owner’s manual, in my opinion. With that being said, here are the details as provided by Jumping Targets:

• 1- Ar500 Pyramid Bracket
• 1 -10″ Diameter (3/8″ Thick) Ar500 T-Lock Target Plate
• 100% Ar500 Steel

It is important to note that 2×4 lumber is not included if you purchase this product directly from Jumping Targets. I honestly think that is fine because I dug around my garage for some scrap wood and found some cruddy 2x4s that worked perfectly.

The nifty thing about this product is that it does not require any type of bolts, nuts, chains, or other metal hardware that could be potentially shot off (if you are shooting off hardware, we might need to discuss marksmanship, but that is a separate can of worms). Jumping Targets provides an overview of their product on their website that further describes their Pyramid Gong & Stand:

NO BOLTS! NO CHAINS! NO TOOLS!  The entire Steel Target Hanging system is held together using friction and gravity. This means no more broken chains or bolts and no more unpredictable ricochets from retaining hardware impact. And the entire target system can be set up and taken down in less than 60 seconds.

100% Ar500 Steel! No expense was spared when selecting the high quality formable Ar500 steel used in the top bracket. This exceptional material allows the Ar500 steel plate to be bent with out compromising it’s structural integrity or bullet proof properties and ensures that every inch of your target can stand up to impacts from both pistols and rifles.

All Terrain capable! This stand allows for each 2×4 leg to be independently adjusted to a different height before being locked into place and thus allows this Steel Target Stand to deploy on uneven ground and hillsides. You may also adjust the height of the 2×4’s being used to elevate the target plate to any height you wish. If you are shooting long range and need to get the target up out of the bushes and in view simply use long 2×4’s. The beautiful thing thing about this design is that the longer the 2×4 the more stable the target becomes so you will have no problem with high caliber rifles at distance.

Safer than chain/strap hung steel plates! When impacted the target plate will pivot rearward and then swing forward. It cannot twist side to side nor can the top of the target plate tip backwards.  By using our Patented 3TLOCK hanging system the target plate is controlled during impact this in turn creates more control over splatter patterns the end result is that more bullet fragments end up in the ground creating less risk of getting “fragged “ compared to a traditional chain or strap hung Steel Target Plates.

Jumping Targets pyramid gong & stand – construction & range time

To set this up at your own home range or local club (if they allow for it) is very simple. I used a scrap 2×4 that was 10′ long from some unknown, long forgotten project. Being as I needed 3 legs to get this show on the road, I simple cut down my board to three 3′ 4″ pieces so they would be even. Through sheer luck I thought that was a pretty appropriate height. I would probably recommend the legs be 2′ 6″ or taller so the gong is a decent height above the ground you are shooting.

Next, you simply insert all 3 boards into their open slots. Spread the legs out to create your “gong teepee.” Finally, lean into it in the middle or give it an extra solid push to crunch or lock the legs into place. Pretty straight-forward setup which I liked a lot.

The next thing to do is to make that gong sing like an opera and to not be the 1st one of your buddies to miss! I gladly shot this gong up with my father and he had a hoot nailing this thing repeatedly with his Springfield Armory TRP and so did I with my tacti-cool Glock 17.

Throughout shooting the gong, we had no issues with the stand, gong, or the 2x4s holding it up. Everything worked perfectly as designed. Most all of the “spray” from our bullets was impacting directly downward. We shot as close as 5 yards and out to 20 yards and at no time felt splash-back from the target.

The types of ammunition we shot varied from leadcast to FMJ (full-metal jacket) to various HPs (hollow-points). There was some splatter of jackets and bullet remnants hitting the legs, but it was not compromising the target. I believe you would need to shooting thousands of rounds for that type of splatter to be an issue. Even still, simply switch out a junk 2×4 you have and keep shooting.

And while all of our shooting did drive the gong setup back a little bit (we are talking a few inches), the gong and stand never became unstable, wobbly, or out of alignment. If anything, it drove itself into a more solid position where it was likely to not move or slide anymore.

jumping targets pyramid gong & stand – final thoughts

Overall, I was impressed by the Pyramid Gong & Stand from Jumping Targets. The setup is simple and intuitive. You do not have any funny hardware to monkey around with. There is a very low chance of shooting a 2×4 unless your shooting ability needs a lot of practice. The gong swung well in place and deflected all of the bullets safely away from the shooter.

If I have to nit-pick some negative points about the product, I would say to possibly ship this setup with a smaller gong. When shooting handguns, and especially rifles, a 10″ gong is huge. I am not proclaiming I am a stellar marksman, but it is almost too easy to hit a 10″ gong. Possibly an 8″ or 6″ gong would be more challenging for shooters and keep them out at the range longer. The only other thing they could do to improve the product is to potentially ship it to the consumer with some 2x4s, but I genuinely do not believe that is necessary. Personally, I have a junk wood pile that I could build a small cabin with. I would tend to believe a lot of shooters who have the space to shoot on their own property would have ample wood as well.

At a price-point of $99, I believe this truly is a good gong setup and would have no reservations recommending one if someone were in the market for a steel target. I enjoyed shooting the Jumping Targets Pyramid Gong & Stand… my father did as well… and I would tend to believe you, our readers, would, too!

After this TFB Review, what do all of you think? Is this a product you would be willing to give a shot? Do you already play around with a lot of steel targets? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.