Portable Turning Targets

[JAD]

SLG mentioned using turning targets in another thread. I recently had a chance to try this at the NRA range and it was like shooting at a burning bush; I was pretty excited. My range lets me put any target down I like, and there is room in my trunk for a system if it would be reasonably reliable and moderately portable.

I found an old thread on M4C (http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread....urning-Targets) that Mssrs. Hearne and Cunningham contributed to, but I would be interested in any recent or long-term experience with portable turners.

Hearne in 2010 recommended beacontarget.com, and they seem to still be in business; I'd have to run an air tank, which is a PITA, and a 12 volt supply to the control system; for the control system to be on a timer is a big extra spend.

Moving to Fairfax may be the best call.

[John Hearne]

FWIW, I continue to use Beacon Targets and like them for their simplicity and durability. Over the years, I've learned how to tweak them to make my life easier.

Most notably, I built a portable wireless control system that fits in a 50 cal ammo can. I can control the facing with a push button or I can use a CED shot timer. This is much cheaper timer control than they offer. I can get target exposures down to .70 or so and the battery lasts all day long.

I added simple stabilizers of my own design that attach with wing nuts (I just bolted tube to the sides) that can easily be staked down. I now have a 12 volt portable air pump with great output. I added marine-style quick connectors at the power end so setup is a breeze. I've hauled the system to Minnesota to train one of our SETT teams on an austere range. I can teach all day long and just top off the air tank during breaks.

The only gripe I have with them, and it is small, is that the threaded connector where the pneumatic arm interfaces with the turner arm will work out over time. I've learned to check this connection when I set them up and no longer have any problems. If you don't, everything will test OK and then quit mid-training session, don't ask me how I know.

Everything I have is actually their "Static" model which has two targets on each stand. They make a more portable single target version as well.

FWIW, I love the target facing speed of the Beacons. Outside of the Action Target design that suspends the target with a rubber band, the Beacon has the quickest turning time I've seen. There are some portable electric systems out there but they don't snap the targets the way Beacon does. You can even vary the turning speed by how much pressure you allow at the regulator. I run mine a bit higher than recommended to get the speed at the cost of a little extra air. I also build my target stands a bit stouter to hold together.

[BobM]

I'm glad this came up. I've got donor possibly willing to finance a turning target system and I can't install anything permanent.

[HCM]

https://shop.actiontarget.com/conten...get-system.asp

[JAD]

https://shop.actiontarget.com/conten...get-system.asp

Cool thing but I was inadequate in my OP. What was working like a house on fire for me at the NRA range was programmability. I had it set for a 2 or 3 second facing with a 8 second interval on 8 repeats; that let me do D-AMRAPS with a forced reload very efficiently, and I liked the visual prompt better than a pair of beeps.

[John Hearne]

Cool thing but I was inadequate in my OP. What was working like a house on fire for me at the NRA range was programmability. I had it set for a 2 or 3 second facing with a 8 second interval on 8 repeats; that let me do D-AMRAPS with a forced reload very efficiently, and I liked the visual prompt better than a pair of beeps.

Our shotgun course for buckshot is ten 3-second facings. I simply set my CED-6000 to run in the repeat mode and it works awesome. P.M. me an e-mail addy for additional details.