Resettable SB Silhouette targets?

[TXCharlie]

http://webpages.charter.net/n2837t/target.html
This will show you the system we built for the 1/5 and 1/2 scale targets.
1/5th scale ones were built in a school shop, while the 1/2 scale were done at the range by shooters.

[retired]

Here's another way to do it. I found this on another website.

Wayne

reset1.jpg

[retired]

Oops, sorry..I didn't realize that picture was that large.

Wayne

[Jetmugg]

Those pictures are great!!! I've passed these ideas along to my Father-In-Law, who is a retired 'fitter. If my hunch is right, he and his buddies will start brainstorming a way to do get some resettable targets fabbed up.

Thanks again,

Steve.

[Jerry G]

That is a great picture on how the thing works. They get to be damn heavy and if you can't leave them set up, I'm not sure they are worth the effort to set up and take down every day you use them.

[nomad]

They got a LOT 'lighter' after the wheels were fitted.
We run 3 relay, 60 shot matches in under 2.5 hours without problems.
Setup is time consuming and more work for the MD than just hauling a few free standing targets to the racks but the match runs much more smoothly.
2-3 people can set up a range with 12 stands to handle 36 shooters in about an hour. (Drag out the stands, level each with a drill motor and level, walk the pull strings and put out the bench pads.) The competitors are then 'recruited' to tear down at the end and the range is clear in 20 minutes. (Naturally, 90% of the work is done by 10% of the attendees but that's normal in any shooting sport.) We have 4 stands of each but typically set 2-3 stands depending on the season and expected turnout. For larger matches, we set all 4.

[Jerry G]

Meanwhild back to the original question. If the shooters can't set indivudal targets, they damn sure will have trouble dragging out re-settables every time they want to shoot, not to mention where do you store them so the range a++ h++++ won't drag them out and shoot them with their full bore guns.

[Dee]

Meanwhild back to the original question. If the shooters can't set indivudal targets, they damn sure will have trouble dragging out re-settables every time they want to shoot, not to mention where do you store them so the range a++ h++++ won't drag them out and shoot them with their full bore guns.

Stack them together and wrap a chain around them locked, nobody will be moving it then! They are a bit heavy to handle for one person but not to bad. I load a set of 4 in my truck every month for the match in 5 minutes. They are less work to setup then our old loose animal posts for sure and well when it is time to reset targets that's not even a step down range. We only repaint between relays since we shoot flow style. The range we use is a Sheriffs range but we may look into a spot where we could put a little shed to store the targets in, wrapped with a chain! lol

The weather here sucks right now but when it clears up I will go outside and try to get some pics of the setups we use for you to kick around as well. Sounds like you have the right group of guys to make them yourself. Shipping a couple sets would probably cost as much as a set alone.

Dee

[Jetmugg]

Jerry - Take it easy, man. It's pretty obvious that you don't think resettables are a good idea. Other people seem to like them. My F-I-L wants to do this. The Club has several lawn tractors, bigger tractors, etc. I can certainly envision a rolling rack with a trailer hitch that can be towed into place, and put back in the shed when they are done. These guys have worked hard their entire lives, I think they want to work "smart" now, letting the machinery do the work. Building the rack will be a good project for them, and shooting the targets from the shaded comfort of the canopy will offer some respite from the heat and humidity.

I have passed along several of the pics, I think there are some very good ideas included.

Thanks again,

SteveM.

[nomad]

Steve,

If/when you determine to put together a set of resettables, consider that the stands designed by Charlie were given a lot of thought.
The stand shown in Retired's photo may work well, but IMO it's got a weakness in that the animals really need to be on a longer pivot arm. If they're on a short pivot with the hinge point close to the foot -- as those turkeys are -- then low hits transmit a lot less 'turnover' force and you're likely to wind up with targets that fail to fall even with reasonable strikes. The longer arms eliminate most of that problem.
Also, I'm not completely comfortable shooting at the perpendicular face of a piece of angle...but that's a personal prejudice. Note that Charlie put angled faceplates on his stands.
The one change that I'd make in our targets (the ones at Haltom City, TX, as initially built by Charlie) might be to reverse the triangulation of the leveling jack screws so that the apex of the triangle would be at the front. I think that might allow a little less vibration in the racks when they're struck. That said, the stands that Charlie built, when properly leveled, work very, very well. You'll get some of the 'I had a good hit and it didn't fall, these resets are terrible!' whining...but that usually comes from the same people who cry that there's something wrong with the rails, or the target setters' placement, or the shape of the pads, or the angle of the wind, or the local gravity etc, etc, ad nauseum when they tap the edge of a free-standing target and it doesn't go over. (I'm sure that you've heard about the guy who'd "complain if you hung him with a new rope...") lol
Like most of us, I'd rather shoot free-standing targets, but the resets have so many advantages that, IMO, they win out completely in the overall.

[Jerry G]

Steve, I have no problem with re-setable targets if you have the manpower to move them or you have a range where they won't get shot up by other people and their HP rifles. The original peremis on this thread was the shooters were old and some in poor shape.

I have been to many ranges around the west and most of them have holes from high power rifles in their SB stands. Some people will shoot at anything that is setting out on the range. Some people will destroy anything that is in front of them.

[Bob259]

Steve, I have no problem with re-setable targets if you have the manpower to move them or you have a range where they won't get shot up by other people and their HP rifles. The original peremis on this thread was the shooters were old and some in poor shape.

I have been to many ranges around the west and most of them have holes from high power rifles in their SB stands. Some people will shoot at anything that is setting out on the range. Some people will destroy anything that is in front of them.

Jerry, I agree and I would go as far to say this is a problem at EVERY range, unless it's manned with a range officer 100% of the time. At our club, I've seen target stands destroyed in less then one day, then it looked like they propped up their targets on what was left of the taget stand.

[Wirenut1212]

My favorite is when they shoot the locks that we use to keep the animals down while not in use. Have to keep a set of bolt cutters on hand just to cut off locks to set up for matches. You would think we where a public range and not a members only place. I would give anything if once one of the idiots would get caught!!

[alan]

Bolt Cutters....
I hear you on the get caught part.
At our Junior range we get the numbskulls that shoot clay targets from the shot gun range and it leaves a huge mess.
Last time out a buddy s/b Silhouette shooter and I were having a relaxing day athe range and out comes another member with his grandsons...one of the boys had a handful of clays trotting out to put them in place...Well, I sounded the lad about those were for shot gun ranges and not here....He did an about face....grandpa brought out paper and steel for them to shoot at much better I sounded like the grump I am my bad.

I too keep a set of bolt cutters in my truck I call them the master key...32 years of electrical work they have served me well....

Regards Alan

[boats]

I have shot matches with resettable 1/5 scale targets. Club was in Australia and shared the firing line with other non match shooters, remote re-set allowed fresh targets without closing the line. I did not think it was a good solution, machinery was very complicated and I saw a lot of shots that would not knock down the target. Anybody that has shot some action pistol with poppers knows how that goes. Complicated means knock down is not assured no matter how hard you hit the steel.

Our club non sanctioned matches with single shots and lever actions Iron sights are on swingers. We squad two relays 2 or 3 shooters to a target shoot in turn, The off relay spots hits with two scopes and marks the score sheet and a spotting board . We can handle as many as 6 shooters on a target and have 6 targets soon to add 2 more. More you have fewer shooters on one target.

It's easy to run and real popular, not sanctioned but a very good match for general club members, many have converted to sanctioned regular matches after some experience on the swinger targets. We have numskull target damage too. Keep them locked up when not in use. Still have had soft smallbore targets ruined with .223 hits.

Boats