Steel Challenge Stop Plate Mechanism

[PhotoRecon]

I was checking out the different courses of fire in the Steel Challenge at their website and noticed they use a stop plate connected to the timer.

Does anyone know where I can research or purchase these stop plate mechanisms?

Edited March 9, 2009 by PhotoRecon

[Jeff686]

Every steel shoot I've been to has a stop plate, but it is not wired to anything. It is simply the last plate you must hit. If you skip a plate, but shoot the stop plate, you're done, and have a penalty.

What makes you think they are wired to timers?

[PhotoRecon]

What makes you think they are wired to timers?

Jeff686:

In the SCSA match rules it discusses the two types of stop plates. One with the sound activation of a timer such as you described and the wired stop plates.

This is the quote from their rules:

"Steel Challenge events may be scored by “Impact” (Electronically wired stop plates)"

Edited March 9, 2009 by PhotoRecon

[Jeff686]

Hmmm...

Never seen the 'impact' style. I kept looking at the stage descriptions, looking for something about the timer setup.

[TRNinTX]

From the Steel Challenge Rule Book:

SCORING METHODS:

Steel Challenge events may be scored by “Impact” (Electronically wired stop plates) or

“Sound” (sound-actuated shot timers).

1. “Impact” stop plates use an electrical switch to stop the elapsed time. (Not used for

rimfire events.)

2. “Sound” scoring uses conventional (USPSA-type) shot timers that “hear” each shot.

The competitor’s elapsed time stops with the last shot fired.

Note: Impact-rigged stop plates will respond to 120 power factor ammunition (bullet

weightXvelocity/1,000 = “power factor”). An ultra light load or edger might not stop the

timer. However, each stage will have a backup sound timer, which will be used each time

there is not an impact stoppage. The back up timer will be gang wired, and begins on the

same initial start signal. A set “factor” for bullet travel time to the stop plate plus the

reaction time of typical hardware will be added to the sound timer to approximate the

same time (based on an 800 FPS bullet speed).

Stage Distance To Stop Plate Sound-to-Impact Correction

Pendulum 30 feet .04 per run X4 = .16

Roundabout 30 feet .04 X 4 = .16

Showdown 36 feet .07 X 4 = .28

Five To Go 27 feet (actual) .04 X 4 = .16

Speed Option 107 feet (actual) .16 X 3 = .48

Smoke & Hope 42 feet .07 X 4 = .28

Outer Limits 54 feet .10 X 4 = .40

Accelerator 45 feet .08 X 4 = .32

This gives you a good idea why bullet velocity becomes important with a wired stop plate.

Edited March 9, 2009 by TRNinTX

[cnote]

I was checking out the different courses of fire in the Steel Challenge at their website and noticed they use a stop plate connected to the timer.

Does anyone know where I can research of purchase these stop plate mechanisms?

When wired, shooters often take a 2nd shot on the stop plate to eliminate any reaction time to a miss. It registers on the first hit (if good), and ignores the sescond. Harder to do with a regular timer.

[AlamoShooter]

If you really want information on the stop plate switch email Mike Fitchman .

The device is just a normally open mico switch just like you use on the Dillon Case feed. The plates are Hung in a way that lets them move back on a J hook with a spring. when the stop plate is hit it moves back and trips the switch, The switch is a two wire lead that plugs into the Competition Electronics timer. At the world shoot they set up two timers in tandem The timer the RO uses starts both timers the second timer is connected to the stop plate and that timer is the one the score keeper looks at.

If the shooter shoots extra rounds after the stop plate is hit the Ro's Timer will pick it up and the score keepers Stops.

With an edge hit that did not stop the timer the RO will show his timer to the score keeper , = they write down the score and make a note and in the stat shack the extra bullet flight time is added.

I would not complain if at the world shoot they did not use them any more.

Its just not a big deal and only slightly harder on the RO to whatch the hits and the gun, /Gun and the hits

Eddit to add I don't Ro the at the nationals so it is easy for me to say its not hard to watch. At the top level it removes problems for 15 of the top guys

Edited March 9, 2009 by AlamoShooter

[Flexmoney]

We have had a thread or two over the years on wiring up the stop plates.

I don't think it's worth the hassle. Our local Steel Plate match has run for years by just using a regular timer and the time stops on the (audible) last shot...just like most all the other games.

[AlamoShooter]

I don't think it's worth the hassle. Our local Steel Plate match has run for years by just using a regular timer and the time stops on the (audible) last shot...just like most all the other games.

+1 Exactly out of 100 shooters only 2 may even care if it is wired. Of course this next world shoot, if it is not wired I bet it would cause a bitch-fest.

[itchy]

I don't think it's worth the hassle. Our local Steel Plate match has run for years by just using a regular timer and the time stops on the (audible) last shot...just like most all the other games.

+1 Exactly out of 100 shooters only 2 may even care if it is wired. Of course this next world shoot, if it is not wired I bet it would cause a bitch-fest.

And I'll be 2nd in line to bitch, after Jamie. Since, I'll be taking two shots at the stop plates this year. I tend to miss alot.

Wait a minute, Jamie, didn't you only use like 6 extra shots during your "open auto" match last year? I probably used at least 6 on speed option. My therapist says I need to not talk about that stage.

Seiichi

Edited March 10, 2009 by itchy

[AlamoShooter]

I don't think it's worth the hassle. Our local Steel Plate match has run for years by just using a regular timer and the time stops on the (audible) last shot...just like most all the other games.

+1 Exactly out of 100 shooters only 2 may even care if it is wired. Of course this next world shoot, if it is not wired I bet it would cause a bitch-fest.

And I'll be 2nd in line to bitch, after Jamie. Since, I'll be taking two shots at the stop plates this year. I tend to miss alot.

Wait a minute, Jamie, didn't you only use like 6 extra shots during your "open auto" match last year? I probably used at least 6 on speed option. My therapist says I need to not talk about that stage.

Seiichi

I never complain extra shots are not hard if the RO is watching, we back up the time at the club shoots if the stop plate is hit more than one time or even two extra. Past two I call it a temper -fit and the shooter eats the extra shots.

I think its fun to have more than one therapist and thin I tell them what the other one said and watch them get all puffy.

kind of expensive though. but still cheaper than Sporting Clays

[JimmyZip]

I remember the early days of shooting steel before the shot timers were around. You had a lucky club (around here anyway) that had a wired stop plate.

Put your match in the fickle finger of the RO. Not so cool. But I never did see anyone get upset. I did see some reshoots though.

[jmorris]

Years ago I used the stop plate method for timing strings of fire on plate racks.

20 + years ago I made a timer out of a digital wrist watch. I soldered wires on to the start/stop connection, as well as the +/- battery connection. I used 2 AA batteries to power the watch and a 9volt to power a start buzzer.

Two momentary swtiches are hooked together (orange button), one starts the chrono and the other sounds the buzzer at the bottom of the box. A wire ran from the RCA connection to a swtich like the one I still use on my auto reset plate rack. When the last plate fell it locked up the chrono until the plate was reset (no cheating). I wouldn't bother building one now, but we did use it a bunch when we were kids.