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Moving targets


Dorado

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I'm thinking of building a moving target for our SASS club but I could use a bit of help figuring out exactly how to do it. I have an idea I'd like to bounce off of y'all if you don't mind and I'd like any suggestions on what to do as well.

First off we're looking to make a zip line target. I'm thinking a 1/4" cable strung between two poles would be best it would be set up going across the stage not down. Use multiple eyelets to adjust angle and speed and turnbuckles to tension. That's the easy part. I would like to build a car to travel down the cable with the actual target hanging below. I could use a piece of angle iron for the car frame and to protect the wheels from shot. I'd like to be able to reset without the need to go downrange so I was thinking that it could drag a thin cable with it that runs through a pulley at the starting point. What I'm having trouble with it figuring out how to start the car down the cable. Do I just have someone hold the cable and release it on command or have some kind of release mechanism?

I think that a simple loop could be added to the car that hooks into a gate catch that's released by another small rope or cable. That might be the easiest way but I'm not sure. What would y'all do?

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I wouldn't rely on someone releasing it. You need consistency, and that opens you up to complaints about how the stge was different for Bob and Bill.

 

I have seen it done at a couple of place and both times they had a lever release that the shooter triggered at some point during the stage based on the stage instructions, and that seemed pretty consistent and worked well

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Same stage but showing the target better, just a quick push down on the actuator releases the target. IIRC to reset it someone had to go down range and hold it in starting position while cable was placed on actuator.

 

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Talk to the folks at Eldorado. They have several outstanding ones. Look like they use a chain driven garage door assembly and a gate latch tied to a rope. Outstanding.

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No electricity. I was hoping for a gravity fed system hence the zip line idea.

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I used 3/16" stainless cable.

I drilled several holes in one pipe to raise and lower the cable to change speed.

It will go faster than your think.

First thing in the morning, go out and run the thing several times by hand to warm up the pulley and any lube on them.

I used 2 pieces of flat bate to support the 4 sliding glass door rollers. (pulleys)

I used a length of 1/* cable as the reset line.

With rope from the holding pole to the firing line.

A gate latch will do just fine or have the shooter pull the latch.

 

Use a knockdown target to activate the gate latch.

This way it all depends on the shooter.

The pulley trolley was 15" long with two rollers at each end.

On over the other.

The top one is to keep the trolley from coming off the cable.

Make pulley axles long enough to use pins so the top pulleys can be removed.

 

I mounded two 1" square boards on the trolley and they hang down where a steel plate can be hung but I found it easier to just just paper plates so holes could be counted.

 

These type of targets take time to setup.

After a while they seem to just live in the target container because no one wants to put them out.

 

They are a lot of fun!

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The buzzer end was what I initially thought of then a combo between it and the track target at EOT. It drags a thin cable for reset and goes across the berm but one of the main problems will be figuring out the off set in heights of the poles. Is this a permanent setup or just a temporary setup? If temp your cable will be the way to go if permanent think about a track setup and angle the track from high to low with the pull cable tracking behind.

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Up the Creek Gang has lots of moving targets.One is activated by picking up your rifle.One is a swinger.

.One is activated by the shooter puling a lever.That one is a slider that you can make move faster by adding weight.Anyone that shot Bayou Blast got to see those two.Rambling Gray has other moving targets that he has made and they are all fun to shoot.

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Magdalena Trail Drivers has one for sale (they are shutting down their range). Contact Half-a-Hand Henri and make an offer for the parts. It is a nice set-up.

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Good idea they would probably bring them to EOT if you can have someone get them there it would save shipping even if you didn't buy the big and heavy part shipping might be exspensive. Just a thought.

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Magdalena Trail Drivers has one for sale (they are shutting down their range). Contact Half-a-Hand Henri and make an offer for the parts. It is a nice set-up.

 

 

Good idea they would probably bring them to EOT if you can have someone get them there it would save shipping even if you didn't buy the big and heavy part shipping might be exspensive. Just a thought.

That's not a bad idea. Any idea on how long their rig is? I'm looking to span close to 50 feet.

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That's not a bad idea. Any idea on how long their rig is? I'm looking to span close to 50 feet.

best thing is call half a hand Henri and see what's available and if they can bring it or get to EOT through one of the other members that live in the area. I would expect it to break down in to smaller pieces than 50'.
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That's not a bad idea. Any idea on how long their rig is? I'm looking to span close to 50 feet.

As I remember it is about that length.

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The Oakwood Outlaws here in Texas have one. Works pretty good. Lookup the website and contact them.

OkDee

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Magdalena Trail Drivers has one for sale (they are shutting down their range). Contact Half-a-Hand Henri and make an offer for the parts. It is a nice set-up.

They sold it already. :(

I think I came up with something fairly inexpensive that should work well. I'm going to throw a model together and see how well it'll work.

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We have a mine cart at our range that uses a large spring loaded fence gate lock to hold the cart. It just has a cable running from it to the dual actuating handles that lets a lefty or righty choose what is best for them. If you are interested in the set up message me your email and I will get you some pictures the next time I am at the range. We also have a swinging target that I can take pictures of if you want.

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We shoot the third weekend of the month, so I can get that for you then. I am shooting Land Run this weekend or I would get it for you sooner. We have been adding things like these so we are used to them at big matches. The first time I shot a swinger was at EOT, I almost wet myself when I hit that lever for the first time. :^)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7pYNtqsdSU

 

Here is a video from a practice day we had. If you ignore me trying to shuck my shells you can see the swinger in the background. The release lever has been shortened some since this video. The swinger has a rope attached to it that you pull back to set it. I will get some pictures when I get back to the range.

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I figured I could use a fence gate latch to hold it in place and then from there all I have to do is figure out the trigger mechanism. I thought about using a catapult target we have. It's like a standard knockdown but it hits on a lever that throws a clay pigeon in the air. I think I can attach a cable to the end of that and have it pull the latch open and let gravity do the rest.

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Up the Creek Gang has lots of moving targets.One is activated by picking up your rifle.One is a swinger.

.One is activated by the shooter puling a lever.That one is a slider that you can make move faster by adding weight.Anyone that shot Bayou Blast got to see those two.Rambling Gray has other moving targets that he has made and they are all fun to shoot.

+1

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At our club we have a simple moving target...

 

Kind of a big F...like to hang a man on gallow's... except no center crosspiece..

They have a buzzard hanging out to the end of the upper crosspiece of the F from a 12" strap

They have a hole drilled in the bottom of the buzzard just to fit about a 3/4" pin through..

A 1/2" pin is welded on the back side of the down leg of the F...

You put the bottom of the buzzard (3/4" hole over the 1/2" pin)..

Your first shot knocks the buzzard off the pin..

It's starts swinging erratically for quite a while..

Shoot 9 more rounds hitting the buzzard..

The longer you wait for it to slow down swingin' the more time it takes..

 

Rance ;)

Thinkin' I hate the swingers :angry:

 

Easy to reset though... just go up and hang the buzzard on the pin again.

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Ok, well I spent some time and made up a carrier for the zip line target. I still don't have a latch mechanism but I'm working on that. I should have it ironed out in the next few days. Let me show y'all what I have and I'd like to know what y'all think of it.

 

I just happened to have some scrap angle iron laying around. I have no idea what I used it for but it came in handy. Pulley's are rated to 420lbs each and run on a bushing that I can grease, so it should be strong enough to last a while. The T-bar is 1/4"x1 1/2" and is mostly hid behind the steel cowboy that we are wanting to use.

I have the angle iron overlapping the top of the T-bar. I was thinking that this would help to protect the pulleys and cable better. It attaches to the target via a 1/2" carriage bolt. When I install it I'll tighten it up so it won't swing around on the bar.

My MIG welder kept jamming for some reason so my welds didn't turn out as nice as what I wanted but they should hold just fine.

 

 

Please ignore the greasy finger marks. I've been working and my hands aren't exactly clean.

 

IMG_1915_zpsvbu8lbbo.jpg

IMG_1916_zps4bsws0hp.jpg

IMG_1917_zpspdet19vy.jpg

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every November I hold a "everything moves match"

last year we had a zipline 1/4" steel line the hard part was finding a system that would roll on it. Finely I used a sail boat racing pulley. the ballberrings in the pulley made it run fast. We hung a gallon of colored water on it and when you hit ti with a shotgun it made a colorful splash.

 

Scratch

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"Everything moves match" That sounds either like a lot of fun, or absolute hell.

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Grizzly posted the Eldorado Cowboys mover that comes toward (or goes away; depending on how you set it) from the shooter.

We also have a side to side mover that moves parallel to the firing line.

Both are gravity driven - speed adjusted by the difference in height between ends.

Released by a simple gate latch and handle

 

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