TheOtherErik Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 I remeber reading an article in front sight about the texas windmills (not texas star) a few isues back. Was tinking about buying one for our club and can't find that issue. Any one have a link or phone number for the manufacturer. Last but not least, does anyone have any expereince with this prop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakal Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 I know the man who makes them, and I've worked with a few at different matches (including the Texas State Limited coming up next weekend, a few slots still available, plug plug). There is some...discussion...locally about the "Texas Windmill." According to the Front Site article written by the gentleman selling them, he came up with the idea "on the back of a napkin" some four years ago. As opposed to the first time he actually saw one and exclaimed over the new and innovative idea, which was designed and built by Dan Warren last year at the Coleman Gun Club as a prop for their yearly 4H charity match. Dan doesn't mind folks taking his ideas, but would have appreciated a mention of some sort (of the 4H match, particularly) in the gentleman's self-serving advertisement in Front Site. My club doesn't plan on buying any from the gentleman, although we will build a few ourselves. Dan did a great job designing them, after all, and his 4H charity match is always great fun to shoot (the next one is this November in Coleman, Texas, plug plug) I will see the gentleman this weekend at the Texas State Limited (plug plug), if you would like me to pass on an order or contact information I am at your disposal. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn jones Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 try this guy. his name is max davidson. he does excellent steel work. http://www.gunsteel.com good luck. lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 Cool. I borrowed this graphic from http://www.gunsteel.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 If that was a little bigger, I could dry fire on it. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhgtyre Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 Texas must be an evil place! Next they will be putting IPSC Classic targets on those things. Ooops, I probably shouldn't have said that. -ld Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus The Bum Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 A guy in Texas named Robert Porter is selling a version of the Texas Windmill. Don't quote me on it, but I believe they are less than $100. His address is scorch@doubletapranch.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 SA - you still could, that probably is what the targets look like at 20-25 yds (as I remember shooting the texas windmill) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakal Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 Yes, Robert Porter is the gentleman making the "Texas Windmills", although they are quite easy to build in a variety of configurations Not like a Bear Trap...those are a pain to build and it is easier to just buy one from the designer, Dale Alcorn. The Texas Stars are, of course, Terry and Linda Ashton. Accept no substitutes Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liota Posted August 13, 2003 Share Posted August 13, 2003 try this guy. his name is max davidson. he does excellent steel work.http://www.gunsteel.com good luck. lynn Lynn, That isn't the windmill he is looking for. The one he is looking for is similar to the Texas Star in that there are four shoot targets spinning at an alarming rate when it gets to the end of its tether. Liota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 Loita wrote of the one I am looking for, although that one with the steel no shoots looks ineresting. So who's is better/cheaper Dan's or Robert's. and whats the falure rate of this windmill prop? Is it going to work every time for a two day match with 100 shooters or so? How hard is it to reset. From what I remeber it has a rope with a weight on the end of it that you wind up on a spool on the back of the target stand. And would it be better to hand activate it or use a popper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted August 14, 2003 Author Share Posted August 14, 2003 opps hada double post here.... i think i have it straight here... Robert's desgin is the one that was featured in the article but Dan was the first person to desgin and build one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakal Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Yes, Dan Warren designed and built the first one. Robert took the design and sells them. They are nice. The Texas State Limited is using them (3 days/200 shooters), and I've seen them at matches almost as big. The shaft with the target stands is run through a raceway and ends at a flywheel. A cord is secured just behind the flywheel with a weight at the other end of the cord. "Wind" the silly thing up so the cord is wrapped around the shaft, use a stick from the ground to one of the target legs with a cable to an activator of some sort....the stick pulls away, the weight drops, and I shoot a whole bunch of rounds and hit maybe once or twice. But that is just me. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Guess I won't be shooting Limited at that club anymore. TheOtherErik, to borrow from Mr. Garrison of South Park: You go to hell. You go to hell and you die! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liota Posted August 14, 2003 Share Posted August 14, 2003 Erik, The windmill is a blast to shoot. You can get all your hits if you hurry. Liota Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted August 15, 2003 Author Share Posted August 15, 2003 Well, Erik...i want to buy it just so i can watch you struggle with it...and you thought swingers were you freinds. Really its for the chairity match. I have to out do your stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 OK, as long as we can throw it on the bonfire after the charity match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 Really its for the chairity match. I have to out do your stage. Hey, my stage already has 3 swingers and 2 turners. We should be able to set up a couple of wind powered generators and sell power to NYC from all the wind generated by all these swinging, turning and spinning targets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 OK...we had better talk about how to shoot it. The best way I saw for us mortals to shot it was to pick a spot and shoot the target when it got there. This meant one shot at a time. If I look at the target I can see it as four quadrants...A, B, C, & D A = upper half, & left side B = upper, right C= lower, left D= lower, right The mental picture would look like this: A NS B C NS D With the targets spinning clock-wise, I find it best to wait in either the A quadrant or the D quadrant. That gives a bit of time to see the target coming thru the other quadrants...allows for some timing as they clear the no-shoot(s). One shot each time a target passes thru the quadrant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOtherErik Posted August 15, 2003 Author Share Posted August 15, 2003 I saw some video of it used in a stage and it looks like its slow enough to get two shots off. windmill stage im sure you can adjust how fast it goes. Nolan what is the name of your stage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted August 15, 2003 Share Posted August 15, 2003 If it is, infact, moving slow enough, I'd assume that you'd want to shoot it on the upstroke and make sure that you "time" the gun a little less. Watching the shooting at the end of Matt's latest DVD with movers kinda like that is pretty cool. I particularly liked watching the guys wait for the target to be where they wanted it, rather than chasing it like lowly C-class shooters would undoubtedly do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 I've actually shot some targets like this before, in Fresno. The sumbitches put one behind a port in a big wall, and you weren't right there at the port, you were back a ways. So you couldn't see it coming; you couldn't even tell which target was coming. It was one... one... one... one... repeat. If you jammed or blinked or got out of order you had to start over again because you couldn't tell what you've hit. The close windmill that wasn't obscured was little trouble: shoot two in a single pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 I saw some video of it used in a stage and it looks like its slow enough to get two shots off. windmill stage im sure you can adjust how fast it goes. I watched shooter after shooter chase the targets...and lose (not just miss, but they followed it into the No-shoot. ouch.) We had a break (waiting for the Dark House stage), so we went and watched the Super Squad. They all shot it....one...one...one....one. Except Blake M. He got two off on each half-swing...and got the hits. I wouldn't try it. Too much to lose, not enough to gain (and likely beyond my abaility). But, if I did...I would think about going D,C...D,C. Swinging the gun to a position to catch the target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahana Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Erik, I shot the same one in Fresno, had it set up behind a solid wall passing a small window.........like you said loose track of where you're at and it's all over.........it was at their Super Match 50+/- round stage, shooting L10 with only 6 mags..........couldn't stage my reloads, went to slide lock in the middle of the windmill, following the reload I had no idea where I was at T. O. Erik, I will see the "Fresno crew" at Oakdale on Sunday, if they are there I will get what info I can regarding thier set up and relay it to you.. laters, greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Posted August 16, 2003 Share Posted August 16, 2003 Nolan what is the name of your stage? TOE (The Other Erik) My stage for the Bay Bridge Charity Classic is "Xmas Delivery" I think it will be on Range 5 or possibly Range 4. It will fit either one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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