Teetering Targets
I posted about the revamping in progress at our local range last week. Today, The Better Half and I went shooting after several weekends abstinence. Everything was nice and freshly updated. The floor and booths sparkled with fresh paint. The traps and baffles downrange looked great.
When reeling in the target overhead trolley, we noticed that the metallic target hangers had been replaced with - wait for it - coat hangers and spring clips! The hangers were bent around the trolley and the ends of the hangers were twisted around the clips. In technical terms, this was a jury-rigged POS.
This worked well enough with the handguns, but when we broke out the 12 and 20 gauge shotguns, the system showed it’s shortcomings. Witness the dancing target in the video.
Of course, it might be an advantage to have the target seemingly bobbing and weaving to avoid the fury of the shotgun. Sort of a touch of realism, I guess.
8 Responses to “Teetering Targets”
drjim on 23 Aug 2009 at 2026 #
HAH! I’m sure they’ll get it “right” soon. Maybe the parts haven’y come in to finish the target trolley part of the upgrade.
Haven’t been able to get there for the last several weeks. The GF and I have been working our little rear ends off getting her garage cleaned out, and we’re almost finished.
I’ll try and make it there this week. I still have to pick up my new card from when I renewed.
Minstrel on 24 Aug 2009 at 0731 #
When I emerged from the firing lanes into the gun shop Sunday, I said to Justin, “please tell me that the coat hangers and clips are temporary.”
“Nope,” he said, “if someone shoots down the old hangers, it costs me forty bucks. These cost me eight cents.”
“But they don’t keep the targets steady,” I complained.
“Well maybe we can figure out some weights or something.”
I hope everyone keeps complaining. I’m going to.
drjim on 24 Aug 2009 at 0920 #
Ewww…not too cool!
DirtCrashr on 25 Aug 2009 at 1711 #
I can see the reasoning behind it as far as he’s concerned, especially after seeing that video of those retards destroying target stands at a public range in GA. Our outdoor range target-stands gets blasted whenever the Cops decide to use it as a 7-yard drill location.
My first thought is spring clips with a big lead sinker swagged onto one of the little clip-handles as a weight… But cheap is cheap…
Minstrel on 25 Aug 2009 at 1820 #
In the past, the range penalized shooters that shot down wires or hangers. They posted signs that said they could collect a fee on top of the range fees if you broke something.
I understand the moron factor - we witnessed one group targeting the hangers and laughing about it. I caught a ricochet on my forearm that needed direct pressure and a band-aid from that episode. The range master 86′d the entire group.
drjim on 25 Aug 2009 at 2138 #
I caught one on the upper lip right below my nose one night. It was from a guy two lanes down shooting a 44mag, and it was obvious even to my girlfriend, a beginning shooter, that he couldn’t control it. I know he hit the support columns several times, as we could see the puffs when he hit it, but I’m still not sure what he hit that deflected the slug towards me.
It aint fun, it hurt like H#LL, and cut the inside of my lip.
We immediately packed up and went home, and reported the guy before we left.
Minstrel on 26 Aug 2009 at 1543 #
OW! That sucks.
Just a note - In spite of the new stuff at the range, The Better Half got a little ping of something to her face. No damage but she knew something hit her.
drjim on 26 Aug 2009 at 2009 #
Yeah, I’ve been “peppered” quite a bit during the Tactical Shotgun courses.