What is the downside to steel plates?

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  • Grelber

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    Jan 7, 2012
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    When I shoot at Owensboro a lot of times there are several plates on the stages. Just simple 6 or 8" squares on a post.

    The things are always calibrated, fun to shoot, seem to facilitate stage design, tolerate the wind well, and I assume they are a lot cheaper than about any other steel target.

    Has to be a reason or two why I don't see them used more often at more places. I wonder about these things.
     

    romack991

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    Plates don't get "calibrated". When they get hit, they either fall or it's range equipment failure and an automatic reshoot. The one exception is if the shooter reengages the steel before the RO can stop them and knocks the steel down, then the hit scores and there is no reshoot.

    The negative about plates is that they can get hit and spin but not fall. Depending on how the plate and stands are set up, that can cause a lot of reshoots.
    Also, if the stand is hit and the plate falls, that is a reshoot as well.

    Part of the problem is that people running the timer may not see it or call it the same. The RO is typically watching the gun for safe gun handling and can miss whether the stand was hit or if the steel turned. Texas stars can be tricky, if a plate is hit and doesn't detach, it should be stopped and shooter provided a reshoot. In my experience, this doesn't happen most of the time. It's also difficult to tell if the arm was hit or if it was the plate. So usually they are just a pain for running the match and that is why they aren't used much in major matches.

    And finally, reset is always a pain. You either don't paint the steel and then it's hard to tell if there was a hit or not. Or you paint the steel and everyone gets paint all over their hands/gear because the steel is covered in wet paint.
     

    Mike Elzinga

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    Mar 22, 2008
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    If you use homemade or improvised stands and plates then there will be calibration issues. If you use commercially made or properly designed plates then they can be calibrated, though even at higher level matches, such as nationals, the calibration process isn't done particularly fairly, IMO.

    Why aren't they used more? They can be time consuming to reset, if they are visible from different points then the distance from each point needs to be safe enough to prevent ricochet and scrapping, and in certain ways can limit options or stage design a little bit. I love shooting steel and wish we saw a lot more of it, but the targets are expensive, can be time consuming, and every club that owns them knows how quickly they can be damaged by other club members shooting them with centerfire rifles. Id guess that expense is the biggest reason you don't see more of them.
     

    Grelber

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    Thanks folks, will have to find something else to wonder about.

    Reference to calibration was intended as a pun, I had never seen one not react properly when hit and assumed it was not a consideration. Handling wet plates at a higher level match would stink.
     

    sv40sw45

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    I like the State match where the hinged steel plates had a herd cover steel target in fornt of them so you could NOT hit the base and make them fall. I don't use a lot of Steel at SCGC because it to much trouble to get it all put away after the match is over.:):
     

    Que

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    People who do not understand the physics and math with shooting steel assume the round will hit the steel and then hit them. Some ranges are afraid of the liability and will not allow it.
     

    blkrifle

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    Plates don't get "calibrated". When they get hit, they either fall or it's range equipment failure and an automatic reshoot. The one exception is if the shooter reengages the steel before the RO can stop them and knocks the steel down, then the hit scores and there is no reshoot.

    The negative about plates is that they can get hit and spin but not fall. Depending on how the plate and stands are set up, that can cause a lot of reshoots.
    Also, if the stand is hit and the plate falls, that is a reshoot as well.

    Part of the problem is that people running the timer may not see it or call it the same. The RO is typically watching the gun for safe gun handling and can miss whether the stand was hit or if the steel turned. Texas stars can be tricky, if a plate is hit and doesn't detach, it should be stopped and shooter provided a reshoot. In my experience, this doesn't happen most of the time. It's also difficult to tell if the arm was hit or if it was the plate. So usually they are just a pain for running the match and that is why they aren't used much in major matches.

    And finally, reset is always a pain. You either don't paint the steel and then it's hard to tell if there was a hit or not. Or you paint the steel and everyone gets paint all over their hands/gear because the steel is covered in wet paint.

    THIS!!!
     

    romack991

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    Another issue with the no hinged falling plates is consistency. At this Sunday's BORCC match, they had a lot of plates out and depending on who set them up, they could vary substantially. Sometimes parallel with the backstop, some times up to 30 degree rotation. This is annoying when shooting head-on but on shots that you are taking at an angle, this can change the available target area significantly.
     

    Coach

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    The biggest problems with plates is presenting the same shooting challenge for the shooters and avoiding range equipment failures. Many times especially for club matches we just don't take the time to bullet proof the range equipment failures. This is one reason I don't like the use if Texas stars in the club match. I have seen RO's not call it by the rule book and do what they think is best.

    I have been to major matches in other states that are set up as poor club matches. I have people hit the stand and knock the plate off and it be counted as a hit. It should be a range equipment failure. At the past state match we used three plates on the same stage and protected the stand with steel to prevent Range equipment failure. It took two people about a half hour extra of set up time to make the REF go away. It is what needed to be done, and most places don't bother. Plus the plate broke and had to be welded over night one night. Most places would have just tossed the stage.

    Plates can be done right but it takes more work and good stage design.
     
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