Measuring and Marking Stages for Practice

[ezra650]

I finally got my lazy butt out to measure and setup a steel challenge stage and I started thinking... I'd really like to measure out all 8 stages over time and place permanent markers so stage changes would be near effortless.  I've only got one bay on my home range.

 

Any ideas on what to use to mark and differentiate all 8 stages on one bay/area? Will it be too crowded for all 8? I could probably cut a few stages, like smoke and hope and pendulum. They are easy enough to setup in a few minutes. I also don't think I'll mark the boxes. I can just measure off a plate each time for the boxes.

 

The only idea I have so far is driving down landscaping nail/spikes and putting different colors of flagging tape. I'd just spray paint the tape I suppose instead of buying 8 colors. At $5-6 per roll I don't want to spend $50 on flagging tape.

Edited May 7, 2019 by ezra650

[RickT]

Been there done that.  You can buy surveying whiskers on Amazon in at least 7 colors.  they are more durable than you would think.  As far as measuring I would just run a tape downrange and measure cross range for close enough.

 

Having moved to Idaho my wife and I have lost our permanently-marked range so I'm putting together a series of tripod-mounted "plates" on which I can swing a red dot sight.  I'll be downrange with a tape pegged underneath the tripod.  I should be able to mark a stage in 10 minutes.  Was going to use a laser  tape measure at the tripod end instead of a red dot, but the tapes that work in bright sunlight at distance are expensive.

[Hammer002]

Second on the whiskers.  They work well, even if mower is used in area.  Different colors for different stages

[ezra650]

16 hours ago, RickT said:

Been there done that.  You can buy surveying whiskers on Amazon in at least 7 colors.  they are more durable than you would think.  As far as measuring I would just run a tape downrange and measure cross range for close enough.

 

Having moved to Idaho my wife and I have lost our permanently-marked range so I'm putting together a series of tripod-mounted "plates" on which I can swing a red dot sight.  I'll be downrange with a tape pegged underneath the tripod.  I should be able to mark a stage in 10 minutes.  Was going to use a laser  tape measure at the tripod end instead of a red dot, but the tapes that work in bright sunlight at distance are expensive.

 

5 hours ago, Hammer002 said:

Second on the whiskers.  They work well, even if mower is used in area.  Different colors for different stages

 

 

That is what they are called! I've seen them at matches before, but had no idea what they were marketed as. Now I'm curious how all 8 stages worth of markers will fit in one area haha. The whiskers are still $5 per color, but they are much better than tape.  Wish I could find a multi color pack...

 

Thanks for the info!

[zzt]

I use plastic colored tent pegs.  They come in a variety of colors and last forever.  You can mow over them without damage.

[ezra650]

1 hour ago, zzt said:

I use plastic colored tent pegs.  They come in a variety of colors and last forever.  You can mow over them without damage.

I think I'll just get 2 different colors of whiskers (25 per pack). I'll spray paint the other 6 stages each a different color. I already have plenty of spray paint. So it will only be $13 for the whiskers and whatever the spikes cost.

[Nimitz]

something to consider if this bay is your private bay to do what you want would be to put hollow rectangular steel tubes in the ground.  then , not only do you have every spot marked but now you don't need stands any more, just 2 x 4s ... 12" tubes are long enough. I did this for all 8 stages at my club when I was the MD and could setup for an entire match by myself in 1 hr ....

[ezra650]

On 5/14/2019 at 12:20 PM, Nimitz said:

something to consider if this bay is your private bay to do what you want would be to put hollow rectangular steel tubes in the ground.  then , not only do you have every spot marked but now you don't need stands any more, just 2 x 4s ... 12" tubes are long enough. I did this for all 8 stages at my club when I was the MD and could setup for an entire match by myself in 1 hr ....

That's a great idea, but for all 8 stages that would be cost prohibitive as an individual. Rectangular hot roll steel is $25 per foot. A cheaper way could be PVC drain pipe and the 2x4 could be wedged into it. 

[Dr. Phil]

7 hours ago, ezra650 said:

That's a great idea, but for all 8 stages that would be cost prohibitive as an individual. Rectangular hot roll steel is $25 per foot. A cheaper way could be PVC drain pipe and the 2x4 could be wedged into it. 

 

I use 4" PVC pipe. I cut 3" lengthwise and put it in the back to make a 3 1/2" opening. Easy with a little experimentation.

I use the 12" long pieces and bury them flush with the ground. I also put in about 3" or 4" of gravel in the bottom to keep them from heaving with the frost.

I put 1 set in ground at each of my shooting zones. (my range is 25 yd wide by 50 yd long so I can set up 2 or 3 stages across and 1 lengthwise)

I use 1 in ground set and 1 on stands.

You will get so you can set up very quickly after doing it awhile. Besides, what does it really matter if it takes 10 minutes or 30 minutes to set up?

I usually set up a couple or 3 stages and shoot them for a week or 2 before I change. Or I set 1 up and mark 1. Then to change during a practice session is easy.

The price of paint is negligible in the larger scope of a range. I buy good paint from a home center and because I buy 15 or so cases a year he sells them to me at cost. That is around 2.45 / can. Cheep paint (.96/can etc) is garbage. Not worth the time. I have 4 or 5 colors of line paint all the time. You can mark stages with 1 color if you use different marks for each stage. It's all about being creative.

[Nimitz]

22 hours ago, ezra650 said:

That's a great idea, but for all 8 stages that would be cost prohibitive as an individual. Rectangular hot roll steel is $25 per foot. A cheaper way could be PVC drain pipe and the 2x4 could be wedged into it. 

hmmmm .... don't really know anything about steel but the rectangular tubes we purchased didn't cost anywhere near that much.  I think we paid around $200 for enough to make 40.  cheap stuff works just fine. ours have been in the ground for 3 years without issue.  i did spray the inside of each with rustolem paint just so it would make it easier to pull the 2 x4s out each time but that was it.

[ezra650]

1 hour ago, Nimitz said:

hmmmm .... don't really know anything about steel but the rectangular tubes we purchased didn't cost anywhere near that much.  I think we paid around $200 for enough to make 40.  cheap stuff works just fine. ours have been in the ground for 3 years without issue.  i did spray the inside of each with rustolem paint just so it would make it easier to pull the 2 x4s out each time but that was it.

I found a couple options at $5 per foot, but that requires buying a 24' stick. https://www.metalsdepot.com/steel-products/steel-rectangle-tube

 

 So if you do local pickup on your own it could be around $200. I like the idea of burying them. I just finished building 5 steel target stands. For now I'll just lug them to each spot. Perhaps I'll upgrade in a few years.