Saw My First Texas Star

Standpat Steve · May 01, 2006, 12:45:53 AM

Howdy All,

Went to a Glock Sport Shooting Foundation match, held at Norco, CA-where End of Trail used to be held. They had a side match that included the "infamous" Texas Star target, among others. I shot it twice, using between eight and ten shots each time to get the deed done. Then I watched an IPSC shooter with an iron sighted Glock that had been gone over very carefully by a gunsmith, shoot it so fast and accurately that the star never really moved. It was a very pretty sight to see, when done that well. (My shooting was substantially uglier . . .)

Arcey · May 02, 2006, 11:19:40 AM

Them things are fun. Shot 'em with all three guns, long 'n short. Wish I had one to play with.

We was shootin' Star City a couple years ago 'n they had one fer a main stage target. Ole pard ah mine had his teen aged son 'n daughter with 'im. Both kids cleared it with five shots 'n there 'e stood at the loadin' table waitin' 'is turn.

Said, damn, Bill. Yer kids wouldn't put no pressure on ya, would they?

He thanked me fer the question 'n said 'e hadn't thought 'bout it 'til I mentioned it. Ain't neither of 'em ever seen one before. He got on the line 'n proceded to need eight ta clear the thing.

Hehehehehehe... He thanked me again it the unloadin' table. Think there mightah been a cuss werd er two in there.

Doc Shapiro · May 02, 2006, 01:32:02 PM

That might very well be the next target I get for our W3G club!

Doc

McMate · May 03, 2006, 12:07:33 AM

Hey Arcey ya think we could talk the Blue Ridge Regulators into buying one of the there stars for our matches?

Maybe go in halves with you'll club and it can travel alot.

What ya think?

McMate..................Who likes to spend the Regulators money

Arcey · May 03, 2006, 08:42:40 AM

That'd be nice, Sis. Afraid the Mudhole Marauders - I mean the Pungo Posse - is too broke to pay attention right now.......

Dakota Dan from OZ · May 03, 2006, 06:50:40 PM

We have just bought our own Texas Star,they are great the shoot.

Looking forward to getting it out to the range and using it

DD

Chance · May 04, 2006, 03:04:51 AM

For an uneducated UK shooter - what is a Texas Star target?

Arcey · May 04, 2006, 12:09:21 PM

Chance, I gottah pitcher of one somewhere but I can't find it.

A Texas Star is a five spoked wheel with a plate held to the end of each spoke with a spring clamp. When ya shoot one of those plates off the wheel, it throws the thing out of balance and it starts spinnin'.

Chance · May 04, 2006, 01:16:22 PM

Sounds fascinating! I'd love to see a photo if anyone can post it.

Arcey · May 04, 2006, 03:38:37 PM

'Bout the best I see right now, Chance.

The white plates with the red star, shown in this image, come off with a solid hit. Again, when one gets knocked off the whole thing starts to spin.

Chance · May 04, 2006, 04:25:35 PM

WOW!!!

You mean you shoot at something as pretty as that?

Sod Buster · May 04, 2006, 05:01:24 PM

Quote from: Arcey on May 03, 2006, 08:42:40 AM
That'd be nice, Sis. Afraid the Mudhole Marauders - I mean the Pungo Posse - is too broke to pay attention right now.......

How much is one of those contraptions anyway???

Black Creek sometimes uses two on a stage....that Sam Hades is evil!

Arcey · May 04, 2006, 05:41:43 PM

Awww hell yeah, Chance. Ever time I get the... ahhh.. chance......

Don't know how much they cost, Sod Buster. I think thet pitcher has a website attached to it whut may tell ya.

I got sumthin' fer Sam's stars this month. Hope he writes 'em in fer shotgun. It's 'sperimentin' time........

Digem Deep · May 05, 2006, 04:13:38 PM

If what I hear, the Texas Star targets are in the $500 range, plus shipping. I have seen 2 different designs that hold the targets on. I prefer the target that the club in Roanoke Va. has. The Blue Ridge Regulators have talked about adding a Texas Star target to our inventory. We do have one other project that we want to complete first. So for us it may happen this year, if not then next year.

Dig'em Deep

Ozark Tracker · May 05, 2006, 06:36:56 PM

How thick is the metal the plates are made of (1/2 ") ? does the spinning shaft ride in bearings or just through a drilled hole.

You guys need to get somebody with a welder and plasma torch and start building. that thing shouldn't cost over $100 even with the increased price of steel (maybe less)

Arcey · May 05, 2006, 06:53:59 PM

MTM offers one for $600.00. Some time back I saw one for around $320.00 but I can't find the site for that one. Don't remember who it was. Maybe they snatched it. It was more than we could swing so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Roanoke's are good ones, Bro.

Digem Deep · May 06, 2006, 06:50:47 PM

Howdy Ozark

The plates are about 8" in diameter and are made out of atleast AR400 steel. The center shaft rides in bearings. The target is quite heavy, probally weighing about #80. The trick with the star is to keep it balanced properly. Also the clips that hold the target on can be very time consuming to make. If the targets don't come off with a well placed hit people won't want to shoot them. I am a machinist in real life and I think the prices I have seen on the star target is fair. A lot of engineering and time is spent making the target correctly.

Dig'em Deep

Ozark Tracker · May 06, 2006, 09:20:20 PM

Howdy Digem,

what kind of clip holds the plates? Is it simalar to a pony clip (spring tenisioned clamp)?
you said you like the ones the Ronake club uses, what do they look like? The bearings set up could be similar to a windmill water pump bearing setup. Are the shats running from the center of the star out to the point made of solid square stock?

I'm sure it is worth the money, especially if someone has to make a productinon run of them for sale.
but I think with a little southern engineering it would be easy made. give an old country boy a few hand tools, cutting torch and welder and there's no telling what you can make.

Standpat Steve · May 07, 2006, 11:59:39 PM

Howdy All,

Saw the picture Arcey posted of the Texas Star, man that is almost too pretty to shoot. Maybe what I shot is not a real "Texas Star". What I shot had six points, rather than the five points that the Texas Republic Star Flag (and target) had. The target I saw would perhaps be easier to shoot, because with six arms, it could potentially stay in balance longer. I shot the top and opposing bottom targets as number 1 and 2, then went on to shoot the other targets as "weight" and "counterweight". That would not be possible with a star that had an odd number of arms, where every target shot would throw the star out of balance. It does not take anything away from the IPSC shooter's performance, however. If you think of the star as a clock, he shot the following order: 11, 1, 3, 9, 7, 5.
He shot quickly enough that the star never really moved. It would be harder for sure with cowboy revolvers, that had to be cocked for each shot.