NEED HELP ! INFO ON RESETABLE TARGET STANDS

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:15 pm

Need help in finding information on resetable target stands. Looking for a design that will hold up to range use. Thank you in advance.

Byron

TXCharlie · Post by **TXCharlie** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:41 am

http://webpages.charter.net/n2837t/target.html
Some info and pictures of the stands at Haltom City RPC. Rifle stands have been used since 2001.
C-Ya,
Charlie

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:03 pm

Now that is some kinda slick!

mordecai · Post by **mordecai** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:12 pm

I think this is the way to go with TSC. The welding is completely minor and any baffles could be bolted on to the single row-of-five animals per firing point.

dave imas · Post by **dave imas** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:39 pm

is this something the club is demanding for us to move forward? in my lonely and traditionalist opinion resettables diminish the game a bit. nothing like seeing those animals fly after you hit them.

edgerat · Post by **edgerat** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:07 pm

I sure got a kick out of watching the chickens shoot towards the backstop

mordecai · Post by **mordecai** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:42 pm

There's no doubt about it - free-standing targets are where the soul is in this wonderful sport...

But the wunderkinds are tied to a remarkably poor design for "deflection" which will result in the complete inability to retrieve the targets and reset them with any reasonable amount of time or effort.

So, a school of thought is to replace the rack of fifteen with a single rack of five reset-ables so they can attach whatever inane form of "deflection" they desire. This should speed the reset enough to keep a reasonable (if not shorter) relay time.

mordecai · Post by **mordecai** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:08 pm

Well, some additional contact with the wunderkinds has led me to believe that there is a tough choice ahead. We either put in the God-awful deflectors the way they envision them and deal with the nightmare of target retrieval (and put in sand pits for pistol shooting that no longer exists) or try the reset-able alternative and probably end up dragging this whole thing out three times as long.

TXCharlie · Post by **TXCharlie** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:54 pm

Dave,
The resetable targets have some advantages, yes we do miss chasing chickens hidden behind the berm, if you got a good hit.
1. Safety... We only go down range to paint in the middle of a match. Less movement in front of the firing line during the matches.
2. Speed of the match.. They reduce the amount of time to shoot the match substantially.
3. Spotter... It is much easier to see the target moving backwards on a single plane..After 5 shots you pull them up and DISCUSS where the call was vs the actual hit.
4. Easy setup/takedown..We have to get the steel off the range at the end of our matches, the casual shooters destroy any thing left out.

C-Ya,
Charlie

Dave.... I spent some time punching paper also..waiting to see where one finished is a strange process for competitors. Our reactive target game is much better for my personality, GREEN Flag to the CHECKERED Flag. Everyone knows who wins the motorcycle race at the end.

dave imas · Post by **dave imas** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:16 pm

Don't get me wrong Charlie, the advantages are pretty clear and compelling. I'm just already pining for the good old days... One of the reasons I so loved this game is because it is just a fancied up tin can shoot. When I shot International Air Rifle you showed up, geared up, shot your relay, went home, and received a letter two weeks later telling you how you did. Quiet, clean, and quick. Certainly shooting silhouette requires a time committment but it is one I've enjoyed. No question tho... better resettables than no settables.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:41 pm

Ugh.. you mean when I drop my forward arm instead of following through and hit the base of the animal it might not fall anymore? My scores are going to suck at Tacoma now.

Dee · Post by **Dee** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 8:20 am

I have to agree the free standing animals are more fun to shoot and the resetables are more easily setup and of course reset. But it would be hard to compare scores using one type setup versus the other IMO.

Just yesterday I was practicing at my house and on both the Chicks and Pigs my first shot turned each 90 degrees. Now had these been resets pivoting around a single axis I bet they would have fallen.

We use resetables for air rifle matches and I have just barely knicked the top of an animal and it fell over hardly leaving a mark of lead. The other thing I like about free standing is that they get fresh paint for each new shooter. Personally I don't like having to aim at sils with impact marks all over them. I know some people say they like to use them as aim points but unless its only one mark located where I like to try and break my shot its of no use to me.

Either is fun to shoot but IMO you really can not realistically compare one with the other since they function is such vastly different ways. That little Turkey can do a full gainer with a triple twist and if its still standing there your SOL. Where the same hit on a target pinned to one axis of movement would likely have fallen scoring the point.

It is just more fun to see them fly!

Dee

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:30 am

Wow, what a difference in perspective. All the complaints that I've heard before were on marginal hits on the lower part of the animals wouldn't make them fall on resettables where it would have knocked the base out from under the animal and made it fall with freestanding targets. Not ever having shot at resettable targets myself, I'm skeered of them.

TXCharlie · Post by **TXCharlie** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:29 pm

Some resetable target are lost when they might have fallen from free standing racks... And the opposite is true, some will fall that would not be counted from free standing racks (example: turned targets). If the reset targets are properly designed, manufactured, and setup, these systems will work as well as our traditional targets. If you are worried about nick hits knocking targets off, then hit the target in the middle to be certain.
Both methods are workable, my reason for building the rifle targets was simple... I prefer shooting, not spending more time walking down range to set targets than the shooting. As a old fat bald headed guy, easier is better for me. The firing lines at most of the ranges I have visited, do contain more old folks than youngsters.

P.S. Leg/foot hits work fine if the length of your pivot arm is sufficient.

edgehit · Post by **edgehit** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:10 pm

I've shot them both and you definitely get more shooting done with the resettables. Lots more. And More shooting = More Fun in my book. The resettable arrangement gives you a better practice session before the match because you can blast away at the actual targets.

You can pine away for nostalgia, but I recommend investing the money into resettables.