Pnuematic Reset Big Bore targets

[glen ring]

Have any of you had any experience with Pneumatic reset Big Bore targets? Our Silhouette range has gone world class and installed Pneumatic reset Big Bore targets! The air isn't finished yet, but will be in a few weeks. Do you find this type of target harder to knock down? I can't find anything in the rules on setting this kind of targets.
Thanks
Glen

[PhxShooter]

At Ben Avery in Phoenix, AZ we are lucky enough to have pneumatic targets for all of our cowboy lever action shooting. Personally I have found the bigbore targets easier to knock down with the pneumatics as opposed to the free standing. It all comes down to how they're set. With a reasonably light 30-30 load (29gr H4895 with a 170 SIerra) it is a very rare thing to ring a ram. With the same load I've rung many free standing rams. Those are the only targets where there may be an issue.

Where the pneumatics put the shooter at a disadvantage are the occasional foot shots. Those will generally knock the foot out from under the free standing ram and take it down. The foot shot on a pneumatic is probably the worst shot and may well not take the ram down. With a free standing animal, generally the best shot is solid in the butt. With the pneumatics a chest, center or butt hit doesn't make any difference. Belly vs. high back are the same be it free standing or pneumatic.

Due to a National Muzzle Loader Match going on, the CLA range is not accessible till 3/7. When I get back to the range I'll get the measurements we use and pass them on. We calibrate them using a trigger pull gauge pulling from the top of the back (on all animals) to determine what it takes to break the animal over center. It becomes a fine line between having enough to keep the animals from blowing over in the wind yet not too much so that a solid hit won't take them down. The height of the animal over the pivot point will affect the calibration but what we use should give you a reasonable starting point.

[glen ring]

Thank You for your reply and sharing your experience.

[JohnHenry]

Glen, I attended the Arizona State Championship matches in Phoenix three weeks ago. It was my first experience shooting the pneumatic resetting silhouette targets.

They shoot the small bore and pistol cartridge matches on the same animals. In the .22 match, the officials ruled that any target hit that didn't go down counted. But if a target didn't go down with the pistol cartridge, it was scored as a miss. I hit two rams with the .22 that didn't go down. No problems with the pistol caliber.

In the big bore match, I hit a pig in the lower body that didn't go down. It was ruled a miss. Two relays later another shooter hit the same animal and again it didn't go down. The match official said if it happened again, they would go down and check the target. To my knowledge no one was given a hit if the target did not go down. On the chicken line, I hit one target that went down and popped right back up. It was ruled a hit since the target fell over.

The convenience of the resetting targets is great--what a time saver. It's just that we are dealing with a mechanical device that must be adjusted just right and even then sometimes it malfunctions. To me the biggest problem is how to rule if a target is hit and does not go down in the resetting situation.

All this being said, It was a wonderful match--great shooters and great weather. I would do it again.

Jim

[Dee]

We have found the scores of reset targets can average 2-3 points or so less than free standing animals based on them only falling over on one axis, ours also do not have bases with full length feet for bases and there is no rail immediately infront of the animal to bounce a low shot off of and still frag a hit. With the angled steel deflecting down all near misses low are deflected into the ground. The fact they only fall in that one axis also makes for leg hits and clips that would take down free standing target regularly. This is all based on 1/5th scale SB targets.

They are great for easy of setup and take down if you don't have a permanent rail setup. Of course the resets are fast as well in in summer time not having to hump it 100 yards downrange in 95 degrees with 80% humidity is a plus. We don't count the paint chip hits it has to fall all the way unless it is obvious the bar wasn't fully reset after pulling them up.

Dee

[PhxShooter]

Glen,

I made it to the range today and here are the measurements I took. All animals were measured at the top center of the back using an RCBS Premium trigger pull gauge. This is what it took to break them over the center point.

Ram = 30 oz.
Turkey = 32 oz.
Pig = 30 oz.
Chicken = 20 oz.

Again, these measurements work for our animals. Yours may be somewhat different based on the height of the animal from the pivot point.

Hope this helps and good luck with the new targets. You'll save a LOT of time during a match.