Wall Construction

[EricW]

And don't forget why. Snow fence is safer. The transparent screening they used at the World Shoot is safe and appeared very spectator-friendly. Totally opaque walls present a more difficult shooting challenge, but are distinctly spectator/TV *un*friendly.

I think it may come down to determining what the purpose of a wall really is. There's enough interpretations of it that I'm not sure there actually is a consensus.

[AikiDale]

Since I am always striving to be politically correct, and support diversity, I have chosen to not give a hoot of what the props are made. I try to be appreciative of the thought and labor that went into putting them up for my amusement.

(Hint: that was not a poll option).

[HSMITH]

I DO NOT like any sort of wall you can see through when I am the shooter, I can see though how an RO would be a lot more comfortble with see-through walls.....

If I can see through it I should be able to shoot through it.

[George]

See through has many advantages.

1. Easier to know where the folks are if you are an RO.

2. Easier to watch what a shooter is doing when you are staying out of his way as an RO.

3. Easier to see whats going as a "lookyloo" fellow competitor, or as a spectator.

4. Easier to build and haul and setup and take down (because they weigh less).

5. Cheaper to build and maintain.

6. Better in the wind and rain.

The Opaque wall seems to have one advantage.

1. More "Tactical" because it presents targets in a more realistic fashion (ostensibly).

Because I don't care at all about the tactical nature of things in shooting competition the only adantage the opaque wall seems to have is lost on me. I am a racer, pure and simple and going fast is all I care about here so the see through wall wins hands down from a I'm here to go fast and have fun" perspective.

[Loves2Shoot]

Snow fence, it is windy here...

And it is more fun for the spectators to watch what is going on...

And it is easier on the RO...

Everyone knows where the targets anyways so it isn't much of a "suprise" with hard walls, or it shouldn't be.

[Matt Cheely]

I think that opaque walls are the best. They obscure the targets from the shooters view making them pick them up as the round the corner. It's a skill that you loose when you can see the target the entire time as you're behind the wall.

I do like the ocassional stage with snow fence.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Matt Cheely

[shred]

I like the semi-see-through, though I prefer a small mesh and nicer colors as opposed to orange construction fence with huge holes.

It is also good to block the shooter's view of upcoming targets occasionally, even when using netting. Convenient no-shoots (though I dislike using them as vision barriers), sheets of plastic or core-plast do well there.

I also don't really like steel wall framing, but most of the mesh walls I've dealt with have them.

[bgary]

as an RO, I really like the snow fence (orange) or construction fence (black, smaller holes). It not only lets me see thru it for watching the shooter, it also works better in wind and rain, and is generally impervious to the elements.

For those who want opague walls, there may be a compromise possible. If you use construction fence for walls that run *across* the bay, and opaque wall sections for walls that run *along* the bay, you can end up with the best of both worlds.... the shooter cannot see "the next array" until he has moved around the corner, which is more "tactical"... at the same time, the RO has a clear view all the way down to the end of the bay, so he can be *sure* the bay is cleared before starting the next shooter.

B

[Tman33_99]

I prefer a mix of both as a stage designer/builder. Sometimes there are times when a "true" vision barrier is needed. Other times, a transparent wall works. As an RO, I don't care for a wall of walls across a bay where I can't see down range, but I have learned to fix that problem, by walking down range after scoring and being the "last" back uprange.

[wide45]

A see thru wall is pretty much no wall at all. It's just a bunch of boxes, and charge lines hung in the air.

[Ron Ankeny]

I prefer opaque walls because they totally hide the target. In fact, as the club prop builder I began with wooden walls, but all of that has changed. Due to logistics, safety issues, etc., we use snow fence almost exclusively. If I were to choose one or the other, snow/construction fence would win hands down. But, as a shooter I still prefer opaque walls.

[Tom Mainus]

At our club we use both. The walls with 1/2 osb on them stay in our IPSC trailer all the time and they are what we use for our club matches. We have a boat load of walls made with snow fence on them but they are only used for big matches(sectonal's etc) The osb walls are way more durable and easier to handle and store. You don't have to be so careful when handling the osb walls, just throw them around. The snow fence walls are nice and light, but the snow fence gets caught when sliding them in and out of the trailer. Have to be a little more fragile(that's French) with the snow fence walls.

Tom

[Flexmoney]

I like a mix. Options.

[Vlad]

I like opaque because of the challange, but I understand the safety issue. I really like bgary's idea of using both.

[ampleworks]

For dividing up a course such as determining a path to take (hallways and such) I don't mind the transparent or snow fence.

When it comes down to shooting ports, give me something solid. When I say solid, I don't mean snow fence with a 2x2 frame cut around.

The "signboard" that was used at Targeting Education is an excellent material. It takes shots well, is fairly sturdy, light, and easy to cut. The mesh is great too for taking shots. After 125 shooters pounding 8+ shots through an array of targets, all the rounds passing through the transparent mesh, it was still in tact and would be viable for more usage.

Then again, snowfence is probably the easiest to put up but I hate it!

[spook]

I like the green see through netting, because I like the color green

[Flexmoney]

The "signboard" that was used at Targeting Education is an excellent material. It takes shots well, is fairly sturdy, light, and easy to cut.

That stuff has it's merits. But, the stage I CRO'ed at Targeting Eduction had orange snow fence and that sign board stuff. Neither of which serves as a good "hard cover". I quite a few issues with rounds passing through that stuff as "edge" hits on hardcover. Sure, our rounds pass through wood too, but it tells the tale a bit better.

All the various walls have good applications, depending on the stage.

[scorch]

we use the Snow Fence and some white plastic Sign board. The snow fence mostly beacuse of the Wind, Cost, Safety factor.

Would Like to find the Screening they use at the World Shoot but can't find it and wonder about cost. I think it would be better because of shoot thru problems with snow fence.

Any Ideas where to get this "screen" BTW: Snow fence still catch ALOT of wind.

[Steve J]

we use the Snow Fence and some white plastic Sign board. The snow fence mostly beacuse of the Wind, Cost, Safety factor.

Would Like to find the Screening they use at the World Shoot but can't find it and wonder about cost. I think it would be better because of shoot thru problems with snow fence.

Any Ideas where to get this "screen" BTW: Snow fence still catch ALOT of wind.

Check the garden section at Home Depot and/or Lowes. I think it might be cut from something like the garden patio shade screen material they carry.

[n2ipsc]

as an RO, I really like the snow fence (orange) or construction fence (black, smaller holes). It not only lets me see thru it for watching the shooter, it also works better in wind and rain, and is generally impervious to the elements...

But not comp blast. Putting "ports" in a soft "wall" requires some forethought and robust construction.

Also poses some interesting issues when CRO'ing. If the competitor is sighting on ("addressing") visible targets while moving, it can - and has - posed issues with inconsistent "finger on trigger while moving" calls. Also, at any distance from a port, it can be impossible to tell whether rounds actually passed through the port - or the netting. Very handy while engaging on the move and perhaps breaking a shot or two too early or too late, but lends itself to inconsistent RO'ing.

Flying splinters and new holes are a bit tougher to dispute...

...there may be a compromise possible. If you use construction fence for walls that run *across* the bay, and opaque wall sections for walls that run *along* the bay, you can end up with the best of both worlds.... the shooter cannot see "the next array" until he has moved around the corner, which is more "tactical"... at the same time, the RO has a clear view all the way down to the end of the bay, so he can be *sure* the bay is cleared before starting the next shooter.

Best of both worlds...

[Jim Norman]

We use inexpensive stockade fence. Cost around $15 a panel. we make 2x4 wall supports, ports are EASY with a 18v saw. We can attach doors,port covers and all sorts of activators to thse with no problem. THey are 100% reusable. We have some that are probably 5-6 years old or older!

Jim

[shred]

we use the Snow Fence and some white plastic Sign board. The snow fence mostly beacuse of the Wind, Cost, Safety factor.

Would Like to find the Screening they use at the World Shoot but can't find it and wonder about cost. I think it would be better because of shoot thru problems with snow fence.

Any Ideas where to get this "screen" BTW: Snow fence still catch ALOT of wind.

Check the garden section at Home Depot and/or Lowes. I think it might be cut from something like the garden patio shade screen material they carry.

Used to be Home Depot around here carried some rubberized mesh "shade cloth" that worked great for walls and brass-catcher mats. Then they discontinued it in favor of some wimpy plastic stuff a couple years ago.

The World Shoot stuff was tough-- almost like plastic hardware cloth. Anyway, I can't find anything really good at big-box hardware stores anymore.. I think it's going to take a garden store or the internet to come through. "garden mesh" may also be a useful search term. I think a small (<1/4") mesh size is the way to go, though it'll catch more wind.

[f250sd]

For just shooting, I prefer the solid walls.

For ROing, solid walls don't bother me.

For setting up and putting away, the net walls are so much easier, and cheaper.

My vote is for the opaque.

[scorch]

I've seen the stuff at lowes and itis way High in price. Could build it out of wood.

[ampleworks]

That stuff has it's merits. But, the stage I CRO'ed at Targeting Eduction had orange snow fence and that sign board stuff. Neither of which serves as a good "hard cover". I quite a few issues with rounds passing through that stuff as "edge" hits on hardcover. Sure, our rounds pass through wood too, but it tells the tale a bit better.

All the various walls have good applications, depending on the stage.

Agreed.

Where the signboard comes in handy is when you're shooting close to it as cover, not using it as cover for targets down range. The hallways or barriers that were constructed on other TE stages.

Do you get a grease ring when a round passes through the signboard and onto paper?