I want to build a set of resettable highpower targets. I want banks of 5 chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams. I need a durable, reliable resetting mechanism. So far, the idea is to build a big resetting arm for each animal and get 500m of cable that will reset all of the targets by a winch anchored at the firing line. There is probably a better way.

The less expensive, the better. This is for a private range that we use that we are hoping to improve enough to host regionals and state championships.

Who has an idea? Pictures would be great.

Dustin

dustinflint wrote:I want to build a set of resettable highpower targets. I want banks of 5 chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams. I need a durable, reliable resetting mechanism. So far, the idea is to build a big resetting arm for each animal and get 500m of cable that will reset all of the targets by a winch anchored at the firing line. There is probably a better way.

The less expensive, the better. This is for a private range that we use that we are hoping to improve enough to host regionals and state championships.

Who has an idea? Pictures would be great.

Dustin

Dustin,
Why not use a air cylinder and reset with air off an air compressor. We did it for turning targets for outdoor pistol.

That seems like it'd be expensive. Would it? It needs to be remote actuated from the firing line.

Dustin

Not sure, you would have to work out all the numbers, Air Cyl size, actuator valve and air line, but I'll bet it would last alot longer then all that cable you'll have to run and reset them faster then taking up that slack of 500M worth of cable. If your investing all that money up front for the targets and stands this would be small in comparision.

I already have the targets and stands. Just think it'd be better not to have to reset and it would take less room.

Dustin.

dustinflint wrote:That seems like it'd be expensive. Would it? It needs to be remote actuated from the firing line.

Dustin

Have you priced 1400 meters of cable? That seems expensive!

I think it'd be more convenient to design a system with long range transmitters/receivers with either air or electric actuators or motors that do the resetting. Then you just need to push a button at the firing line and let the machines do the work at each distance. Get them all on the same frequency and you'd just need one transmitter and four receivers.

Trent wrote: Have you priced 1400 meters of cable? That seems expensive!

Yeah, we've priced it. It's not too bad. We wouldnt really need 1400 meters. We'll try to set it up with one main cable that resets all the targets.

Trent wrote: I think it'd be more convenient to design a system with long range transmitters/receivers with either air or electric actuators or motors that do the resetting. Then you just need to push a button at the firing line and let the machines do the work at each distance. Get them all on the same frequency and you'd just need one transmitter and four receivers.

I agree (maybe). I'm looking for someone who has designed a system that works and who can tell us what we need and how to do it.

Dustin

I kind of figured you might be thinking about a daisy chain. If you go that route I would consider using a cheek pulley in front of and behind each set of animals and have the pulleys anchored solidly to the ground. This would force the cable to stay on the ground and would prevent you from dealing with all the slack cable that would create a big belly that you'd have to deal with. Basically it would allow you to keep the cable fairly taught.
Something like these.




The springs on the arms at each animal that pull the arms back down would have to be really strong I would think because they would need to have enough power stored to lower themselves AND pull the cable back out after each reset. If you could do 1,000 meters of cable and run it in a loop you could create a push/pull setup that wouldn't need springs.

Thinking out loud. Even the cable system starts to get a little complicated.

Trent,

Thanks, those are great considerations. To be honest, we had not even considered the return force that would be needed to drag back the cable!

We have some thinking to do! I am a little concerned about the changes in physics that a resettable target will present on the rams. I'm not sure that a leg shot that should knock over a freestanding ram would take down a resettable that has an anchor somewhere around the feet.

Dustin

Hmmm... Directional wi-fi, Raspberry Pi single board computers as intelligent controllers, then the servos... It could work.

I just did the Google thing using "resettable ar500 steel rifle targets" and got a lot of things to looks at. The first 3 pages show nothing exactly like you are looking for but I am sure you can get some good ideas from some fo the products that are offered....

dustinflint wrote: I am a little concerned about the changes in physics that a resettable target will present on the rams. I'm not sure that a leg shot that should knock over a freestanding ram would take down a resettable that has an anchor somewhere around the feet.

Dustin

I think that right there would be the most difficult part of the design.

Maybe you could just buy 4 Honda robots and station one at each animal to set them.

Then you'd have to put up signs "DON'T SHOOT THE ROBOTS!"

IHMSA has a system that they use at the nationals that reset VIA air compressor or VIA Nitrogen bottles. Everything is remote operated, in fact if need be they can lock the targets up if it gets windy. I know that they had this set up were they could move the target system between the two or three ranges that were set up for the national. I shoot on them in Oakridge TN and Fort Stockton TX back in the mid 90's. Dustin I will try and find you a contact with IHMSA that can help you. I think you could run air line cheaper than all the cables and winches that you would need. If I remember correctly they buried the hose so that it would not get damaged.

Take a look at this link, you will have to scroll down the page to see a write up on the auto reset target system. But it has a name and one picture of the system that was used at a national championship in Tucson, AZ. If I find more I will post it later. The article was writen in 1993 so I am not sure if any contact information is correct or even if everyone is still alive.

http://forhandgunners.com/category/hand ... -shooting/
Here is contact information that was at the bottom of the article.
For information on the Automatic Target Setting system, you can contact Gary Wrigley at Gateway Hose and Coupling Co., Dept. AH, 246 E. Monroe, Kirk-wood, MO, 63122; phone: (314) 822-7400

Paul

I think you should just invest in a few 14 year old kids. They work great at our range! You could build them a bunker just off course so they don't have to run back and forth every time. You could get a full set for the price of a few pizzas too!