How to design a running target?

[steviesterno]

Hey guys,

looking to design a set up for running targets at my local range. I'm thinking of having something that slides down a guy wire or similar, after being activated.

We have all sorts of activators, steel, bear traps, etc. But we have nothing crazy tall or strong besides cement walls, about 10-12 feet high on either side of the bay.

I'm mostly looking for ideas on how to set up the target holder that runs down the wire. Are you all using pulleys, wheels, hangers, or something else? Pre-made and easy would be the best, or modifying something off the Home Depot shelf.

Let me know what you have all done to make this happen! Would love to gift it to the local club here for all their hard work.

Thanks,

Steve

[Chills1994]

I have seen a set of pulleys, like a block and tackle. Something about the number of pulleys: you halve the weight but double the amount of rope that has to be pulled. I think a big coffee can was filled with concrete with a U-bolt sticking out of it, which was attached to one set of pulleys. I guess some sort of pin was pulled, allowing the concrete filled coffee can to drop gradually/steadily. That in turn pulled the target across the width of the bay.

The other thing I have seen is a cable running downhill, going down range, to like a trailer anchor screwed into the back berm. The target trolley was attached to a rope. A single pulley was clamped near the berm end of the overhead cable. That rope was fed through the pulley and attached to a counterweight.

[Dr. Phil]

On my range, my mover is a cable that's 35 ft long running downhill so the target trolly moves @ 5'/sec. Trial and error as to pitch. My trolly is a simple angle iron with bearing type pulleys centered so as to hold the trolly square on the cable. For a release I use an electro magnetic solinoid hooked to a battery through a switch. (rat-tail or push-pull depending on application) Found out really soon to hang the target well below the trolly and to weld guards on the trolly to keep cables, wheels, etc from getting shot... I usually trigger the mover with a falling plate either off the rat-tail switch or onto the push-pull switch. Hope it helps!!

[jmorris]

I made one using an old cordless drill motor and gear box for the drive. A cheap cable winch to make it easy to set up. They have rectangular tube welded to them for 2x4 lumber. The trolley is just 4 grooved rollers, two under and two over the cable. The drive power is transferred by string that you can get at any hardware store.

[steviesterno]

oh man, I like that! looks elaborate though. I was thinking more gravity feed so it's a little more simple.

[jmorris]

How about this?

Or one of these ran across the bay.

It's a video too.

Edited August 6, 2013 by jmorris