Shooting Bull Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Love, love, LOVE the Texas star. No Phantom, I don't mind resetting them. I figure it's the price I have to pay to have so much fun. These help speed up the process quite a bit and save wear and tear on your back: http://t.harborfreight.com/long-reach-magnetic-pickup-tool-with-quick-release-93950.html?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Tombstone, SASS #49630 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 1st couple times I shot one I renamed it the "Death Star", still call it that but after a few times it gets fairly simple-unless you have a guy called Sage Creek Gus who covers the top half. Haven't seen one at a state shoot or above for several yrs although several folks at our club would like to purchase or build one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idaho Coyote' Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We have one at the Jefferson Outlaw Club. It might show up 3 o4 times in a season. If the pards reseting are experienced it goes pretty quick. I think the shotgun is the better gun choice for the star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Wheeler Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Krazy Kajun, we use a magnetic pick up tool that saves your back and makes pick up fast. Ours looks like the quick-relase one that Harbor Freight has for less than $10. BRILLIANT IDEA!! May have to get one of those and donate to the Pleasant Valley Renegades, who shoots the Texas Star at just about every match. I enjoy shooting it as it adds a little more of a challenging variety to the standard targets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuce Stevens SASS#55996 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 The Rockford Regulators use one on a fairly regular basis. It usually show up on our wed. Old Coot Shoots which draw anywhere from 12 to 22 shooters. Always one posse. While I would not set it up for main match at our state shoot, it is always fun for all involved and it's a cool variation. I really like knockdowns and the like and we don't get to see it much around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red-Eyed Kid, SASS # 37263 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We have one at the Jefferson Outlaw Club. It might show up 3 o4 times in a season. If the pards reseting are experienced it goes pretty quick. I think the shotgun is the better gun choice for the star. Sorry to correct ya Idaho, but no we don't. We have a "Windmill" revolving shotgun target for holding clays which I talked about in an earlier post. The Texas Star is a 5 armed target with 6"or 8" plates at the end of the arms, totally different target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowboy Rick, SASS #49739L Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We use ours for monthlys and for side matches at bigger shoots. They are a hoot, and the reset is a learning curve. 4 seconds is the average fast time to clean it with 5 pistol shots. CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Bill Burt Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 We have one at our club. It just sat unused for many months. A couple of our cowboys refurbished and repainted it. Then the MD put it in one of our matches. I had never seen one before - but watched the others in the possee shoot it. When it was my turn - I easily popped the bottom star and then let go 9 (count 'em - NINE) more rounds from my pistols and never hit another one!! I was quietly advised to shoot "where the star target will be - not where it is!" Now I understand why they say "A moving target is harder to hit!!" Shoot the top one first Pard, they don't start swinging as fast that way. Physics I guess. All four of the Metro Atlanta clubs have a Texas Star and I'm guestimating each club uses theirs two or three times a year in monthlies. So if you shoot around here you might see one 8-12 times a year. I love em. With a little practice you can clear them in well under 10 before they really get swinging. Pistols or rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackaroo, # 29989 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I have made over 2 dozen Texas Stars, over the past 12 years, and would make them here, if I had the equipment or access to the equipment to build them here. Over that period I managed to get them almost perfect, which is important to make it work properly. I obtained the original plans from Texas for me to make them in Australia, as importing them was way too expensive. The secret is to make them accurately so it will spin freely and not end up in a set position all the time. Equal weight and balance is the key. My stars are balanced almost perfectly and you can set it up on a concrete pad without staking down and it will not fall over!!! I see there are some cheaper versions, but found they do not seem to work nearly as well. The best way to utilize this target is not to put it in a main match, but use it for a side match. I have run the Texas Star Challenge at the Australian National Championships for the past 10 years or so as a side event and is great fun. There are number of things you can do with the star, we've played snooker, pool, dominos, poker,.. Nevada sweeps. etc with it. All sorts, and just by painting the targets different colors allows for a number of options. It also comes in two configurations, where you can put just 2 arms on at 180 degs, called the hammer configuration, that will test some shooters?? Something you can't do with another version. There is also a lightweight version for .22s with lighter springs and plates. And I have a number of stages available that one can use to have some fun. Detailed plans to make my Texas Star are available for sale at $150.00 The price of a well made star with all new material and AR 400 steel & labor runs out at about $1500.00 well in excess of that if you gave it to a steel fabricating shop, so for 10% .........if you're good enough yourself you'll get away with about $600.00 for material and donate your labor, less if you can scrounge some used steel for the frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackey Cole Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I agree the best use for them are side matches as fund raisers and if your shooters want to shoot them they can and no holding up a posse trying to shoot a match. If it takes two minutes to reset that's twice the time a normal posse will take per shooter. Look at the time lines for WR and EOT they allow one hour from berm to berm normally for a appoxamitaly 24 person posse. Figuring an equal mix of shooters that's less than 75 seconds from beep to beep, the housekeeping done before the first stage of the day, the scenario and all the shooters to shoot the stage. Figure each person takes a minute to walk to the line position their long guns, catch their breath shoot a 30-45 second stage on average then 15 seconds to gather their long guns and move to the ult. as the next shooter is called forth brass picked as time allows while the stage is reset. You double that to the two minutes it takes for three shooters to reset a Texas star you just added 45+ seconds minimal to each shooter so doubling the days lenght. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Was always great fun! This was one of my favorite uses for the Texas Stars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Whiskers Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 1st couple times I shot one I renamed it the "Death Star", still call it that but after a few times it gets fairly simple-unless you have a guy called Sage Creek Gus who covers the top half. Haven't seen one at a state shoot or above for several yrs although several folks at our club would like to purchase or build one. Doc, Smoke Jensen was using it for the WB side match at the State shoot for the last 2 years. Gus is an evil man. Anyone that comes up with the whirling dervish has to have an evil mind. See you over there this year hopefully in June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 And then there's the evil Medusa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I shot them in IPSC and CAS matches. Greta target but the rest of the scenario should be simple in order to keep the stage flowing. I prefer pistols on the TS with no misses counted and then dump the rest of the pistol shots on a large (dump) target with misses counted. About five years ago I shot a match with a split TS: two target to the left - TS - dump target. The shooter started on the left with one each on the two small target, shot two at the TS, two on the dump, two on the TS and two on the small targets. Rifle was to clean the TS and dump the rest. There wa s a small tiem bonus for each TS plate cleaned with a pistol. This made the TS even more difficult and the scorn of the shooters. Not a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Most Wanted Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I think they are fun to shoot with any gun. And when I'm not on the line I help with the resetting. Where are all those shooters that say the game is getting to big and close without any challenge. I love big and close and Texas stars. Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoss Notright SASS #60673 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 The Texas Star gives most average shooters Nightmares. It's time consuming to set up. They take a lot of maintenance. The Allure rubs off very quickly. Out of the four clubs I shoot monthlies at, I only know of one shooter who likes shooting at it. Most of the clubs allow 10 rounds to clean it with a dump target if you happen to get it done with less than 10. Have also shot it with 10 pistol allowed with Rifle cleanup and a dump target. It's a nuisance best left to the IPSC folks. Or Three Gun. Or Steel Challenge. Or the salvage yard for it's value as scrap. Coffinmaker +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Love, love, LOVE the Texas star. No Phantom, I don't mind resetting them. I figure it's the price I have to pay to have so much fun. These help speed up the process quite a bit and save wear and tear on your back: http://t.harborfreight.com/long-reach-magnetic-pickup-tool-with-quick-release-93950.html?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F I wasn't posing that question to you... Also, exceptions to the "Rules"...as in rules of physics and nature...don't weigh heavy in opposing arguments...at least not in my book. Cheers! Phantom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 First time I saw a Texas Star, I watched several other shooters shoot it first... then I came up and shot it clean... with a .36 cal. 1851! Haven't minded them since... don't always clean it with five, but than I ain't rushin' thru it either! Faced one down last Sat during a WB match... clean with five shots. Again! Bring 'em on! The secret is keepin' it balanced so it DOESN'T swing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Here's a funny story: California State Championship...China Camp and I were asked by a mutual friend on our posse how to best shoot the "Star". We joked that you start on the bottom...we thought that she understood we were joking. She shot the bottom plate first!!!!! Oops... Luckily she had 10 rifle to clean the Star...and she did on her 10th shot. Both me and China Camp pretty much were peeing in our pants as she let off the 10th round We apologized...she was laughing...we wiped the sweat of our faces... Phantom PS: I miss China Camp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howlin Mad Murdock SASS #4037 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Here is the original: http://www.gttargets.com/TexasStarTarget.htm I love the Texas Star, bought one for myself. Now when a stage has a TS and shooters walk up and say "Oh no a Texas Star", I say " Oh yeah a Texas Star!". Not hard to do with proper technique, and I can walk down and reset it by myself in less than a minute. Two or three guys just slow down the process. Reset is just the opposite of shooting it, start at the bottom and work your way up one side, that way it's not trying to hit you in the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hi Joe, I love reactive targets. The only problem with the star (IMO) is it takes longer to reset. We use them for CAS and WBAS. Regards. Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 PS: I miss China Camp Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Never shot a texas star, never even seen one in person, but I'm surprised no one has come up with a way to reset one remotely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 1st couple times I shot one I renamed it the "Death Star", still call it that but after a few times it gets fairly simple-unless you have a guy called Sage Creek Gus who covers the top half. Haven't seen one at a state shoot or above for several yrs although several folks at our club would like to purchase or build one. Hmmm, think I might draw the line at that. As I said, I love the TS but I think even I would get frustrated with that set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrswanson1 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Never shot a texas star, never even seen one in person, but I'm surprised no one has come up with a way to reset one remotely. The plates fall off of the ends, so that's not a realistic possibility, unless robots were involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowhand Bob, 24229 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 i have three 'no name' brand .22s made by a guy selling them on ebay, at one time. Each one is slightly different from the others so must have been an evolution in progress. I love Texas Stars, actually any movers, fallers, trossers, etc, for that matter! The truth is that many of the top level shooters do not like a whole lot of variety, though their skills sets naturally make them adapt to the changes quickly, they practice basics and anything else is junk shooting to them. If ones weekly practice routine is already well into the double digit hours, junk shooting just adds more time to assure preparedness! These were wars that were fought and settled years ago and the 'basic competition shooting scenario' or 'stand and deliver' became the rule for most matches, even the monthly practice variety. Sometimes I think SASS should have divided, those who train for the gold get to shoot on the second Saturday, while the action and junk shooters do their thing on the fourth Saturday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Sometimes I think SASS should have divided, those who train for the gold get to shoot on the second Saturday, while the action and junk shooters do their thing on the fourth Saturday! I like that - I'd get twice as much shooting !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elk Creek LeMieux Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I like that - I'd get twice as much shooting !! We all would, no matter which category we fell into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom, SASS #54973 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 i have three 'no name' brand .22s made by a guy selling them on ebay, at one time. Each one is slightly different from the others so must have been an evolution in progress. I love Texas Stars, actually any movers, fallers, trossers, etc, for that matter! The truth is that many of the top level shooters do not like a whole lot of variety, though their skills sets naturally make them adapt to the changes quickly, they practice basics and anything else is junk shooting to them. If ones weekly practice routine is already well into the double digit hours, junk shooting just adds more time to assure preparedness! These were wars that were fought and settled years ago and the 'basic competition shooting scenario' or 'stand and deliver' became the rule for most matches, even the monthly practice variety. Sometimes I think SASS should have divided, those who train for the gold get to shoot on the second Saturday, while the action and junk shooters do their thing on the fourth Saturday! Where do you get this???? Top shooters don't like variety????? Please tell me how you developed this belief. Phantom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shooting Bull Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 The truth is that many of the top level shooters do not like a whole lot of variety, though their skills sets naturally make them adapt to the changes quickly, they practice basics and anything else is junk shooting to them. I don't consider myself to be a top level shooter but I think this statement is COMPLETELY false. Top level shooters became top level shooters by practicing EVERYTHING. I'd also go so far as to say they get bored more easily than the lower level shooters with standard stand and deliver 10-10-4 stages. They've seen hundreds if not thousands of those and crave variety. When you hear top level shooters heap praise on matches it's because of a very few criteria, one of those criteria is stages that are fair to all shooters but are also creative and challenging. The only time I've heard the word "junk" is in reference to things done on the clock that don't involve shooting but could affect match results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anvil Al #59168 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 i have three 'no name' brand .22s made by a guy selling them on ebay, at one time. Each one is slightly different from the others so must have been an evolution in progress. I love Texas Stars, actually any movers, fallers, trossers, etc, for that matter! The truth is that many of the top level shooters do not like a whole lot of variety, though their skills sets naturally make them adapt to the changes quickly, they practice basics and anything else is junk shooting to them. If ones weekly practice routine is already well into the double digit hours, junk shooting just adds more time to assure preparedness! These were wars that were fought and settled years ago and the 'basic competition shooting scenario' or 'stand and deliver' became the rule for most matches, even the monthly practice variety. Sometimes I think SASS should have divided, those who train for the gold get to shoot on the second Saturday, while the action and junk shooters do their thing on the fourth Saturday! You are so far off it is not even funny. I don't know where people get this stuff. And sure don't know where you get the stand and deliver stuff Most that I know. And I know a few of the best. LOVE movement. Just that they see where some of those type targets are posse killers. Posses start to stack up on top of each other because ONE stage gets backed up. AND. Have been around and traveled to see what works and what don't. What draws more shooters. And what don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fast Enuff Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 We try to get the star out a few times a year. It's fun. And as a shooter that craves competition and variety I am grateful every day for the awesome volunteers who have helped our club acquire the targets over the years, in many cases by building them for us because we would never have been able to afford them otherwise. Having texas stars, plate racks, and tombstone racks as well as a smattering of every other kind of target like knock-outs has been a real pleasure. If you want to be good at this, you MUST have the opportunity to shoot targets that you may experience anywhere you go. And yes it breaks the monthly monotony by having choices of what to get out of the steel box. That is always, always a good thing. Sure some months you just have to keep the setup easy because the weather is horrible and you have few volunteers, but that's only sometimes... And we shoot matches twice a month... because we love shooting. Slowhand Bob I wish you lived out here, I'd invite you myself. Not sure why it's become so monotonous for you there. Maybe ask nicely for a little more variety at your local clubs? Offer to help out with setting it up if they are willing to get the targets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Hi Bob, My experience with better shooters is that they crave variety. For example, both Badlands Bud and Matt Black fell in love with W3G. I know Bud has won a state match shooting GF style. Hubby shot duelist, when he heard they were offering Classic Cowboy at our state match for the first time, he had to try it. BTW he used an '87 (and won), both Half-a-hand Henri and Madd Mike frequently change categories, Doc Burwood shoots several disciplines very well, WBAS has a dedicated club where I live and has drawn CAS shooters who enjoy and shoot both disciplines well, and the list goes on. I hope that some of the comments here change your opinion of winning shooters because it seems that it may be isolated to the area where you shoot.. Although I do not win much, I have always enjoyed shooting with the fast folks and would hate to see the division you seem wish for. Regards, Allie Mo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackey Cole Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 When a great cowboy used to do the EOT stages he would divide them into four types it seemed and then spread them over the three days. So you saw something a little different on each stage of the day. Then they were layer out so that they would all flow the same. It became sorta prictable but the guts now Lassiter and TA are doing a much better job imo the matches of the past several years are far better. Because it isn't or doesn't seem to be so regimentented in the stage designs. They develope the stages get them to flow perfectly amongst the wide variety of shooters. A short posse of fast shooters may get backed up because I'd a problem in the posse ahead of them but that's about it. The stages are challenging and fun to attack. Contraversity has been rare except for the odd shooter who wants an unfair advantage but that's usuall nipped fairly quick in the match. I like a veriaty of stage design. Do to my health I prefer not to have to get up on the clock from sitting or the ground or having to straddle a prop or do steps as I'm not able to trust my legs that well. I can shoot moving from one side of the berm to the next but back and forth seems excessive to me on the same stage if movement down range allows for me to shoot from further back I will because I shoot faster than I can move. I like a stand and deliver especially at the end of the day so I can see how I'm doing against the other shooters shooting not moving but I've started shooting for fun the past year not as a competitor because of my lack of abilities. I enjoy the people it's been the second closest thing to being in the military and the comrade we had. There are several ways to find this friendship, the military, motorcycle clubs, fraternal organizations and I'm sure others. But like they say you can pick you friends but not your family. But sass is a family where you can pick them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Hey Joe Boot....what do you think now after reading all these posts? Kajun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.