AT Evil Roy steel target review. Great firearm training tool

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Kilo6

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I was so impressed with this system that I just had to share. Great price too. It's a little long-winded but I just wanted to make sure I give you guys all the information. Thanks for looking.

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The good folks at Action Target have done their homework. First and foremost, I was blown away by their customer service and attention to detail. This is a company that truly knows how to meet and exceed customer needs and expectations. I felt that their staff took personal ownership of any issues I had, and their response time to my e-mail was immediate.

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When it comes to the product itself, I was amazed by the uncomplicated and straightforward design of this portable target. I needed something that I could easily take out to the range and/or quickly collapse and store while out on the family ranch. The setup and take down is done in seconds. While fully collapsed, the top end of the system exposes a carry handle that makes it a piece of cake to transport. Collapsed, it measures just shy of 3 feet tall. One can easily fit a couple of these in the trunk of even the smallest car.

In seconds, the Evil Roy can be rapidly deployed into a stable, well rooted target system. You simply extend the legs all the way out, swing the neck up and then push down to lock it into position. The Evil Roy quickly arrived pre-configured from Action Target, making it a true plug-and-play system. The only thing that needs to be installed is the interchangeable target head. You have the option to mount the target head at two different heights, with the tallest position mount around 36 inches and the top of the head around 40 inches. This can be done in seconds and does not require tools. This is just another great example of the quality and understanding of their customer’s expectations.

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There are four interchangeable target head options when ordering from the Action Target Store, 6”, 8”, 10”and 12”. I opted for the 8” target head as I felt that was a good all around size for shooting at various distances. The target head is quickly and easily installed using either two wing nuts or, for a more permanent install, you can use the supplied ¾ lock nuts. I recommend periodically checking the wing nuts to make sure they are tight. The target head is fastened so that there are no exposed bolts or clamps. Once installed, the target head was designed to be angled down in order to deflect the bullet splatter into the ground.


During testing, I placed hundreds of multiple caliber type rounds (.22LR, .22 Magnum, 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP) on the target and inspected the target head for damage and defects in-between calibers. I was shooting RNL & FMJ and did not see or have any problems. While shooting at distances of 20-25 yards, I did not have a single issue with ricochets or bullet splatter. This target head is made of AR550 Brinell armor steel so you can shoot from .22 rimfire to .44 magnum and rifle rounds with a velocity of less than 3000 fps but not to be used under 100 yards. One of the Evil Roy’s greatest attributes is that it’s reactive so when you’re sending rounds down field, the target head will slightly bounce. It’s rocking movement and steel sound provide you with instant feedback. There is no more need to walk down range and reset targets or change out paper, saving you money and precious trigger time.

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The Action Target website lists the Evil Roy Practice target for $115 and comes with an AR500 Brinell armor steel target head. The Action Target Evil Roy “Heavy Duty” is priced at $135. The heavy duty version uses an AR550 Brinell armor steel which will allow you to shoot rifle rounds with a velocity of less than 3000 fps and no closer than 100 yards.

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The only issue I had that is worth mentioning is the occasional wobble of the legs when firing .45 ACP. In the future, I would like to see Action Target include some kind of bungee/sling system to keep the legs together during transportation. Other than that, this portable target system is an outstanding training aid and is an absolute blast to shoot. I had several folks ask me about the Evil Roy and they were instantly hooked when I let them take a few shots at it. I can’t wait to take it back out.

More PIX and video of the Evil Roy testing here Evil Roy Action Target - COMENTAKEIT.COM
 
I am going to take video of it handling .45 ACP and .223 this weekend. Someone suggested placing sand bags at the bottom of the tripod, that should help with that slight wobble issue. Sorry about the double reply.
 
Sandbags are heavy and a pain in the butt to carry downrange.

I've seen metal stakes angled at the top that would work to hold the legs down pretty well. Mil-surp stores often have them as well as sporting goods stores that sell camping equipment.

Aside: nice review. But how well does the heavy duty hold up to rifle rounds and what is the max caliber. Didn't see any info on that on AT's site.

How about doing a review on the Action Target Rocker product.
 
This is from their site. "you can shoot it with anything from .22 rimfire to .44 magnum and appropriate rifle rounds*"
*Appropriate rifle rounds are rounds with a velocity of less than 3000 fps - Do not shoot at steel targets with rifle rounds at distances less than 100 yards.

The sandbags are not actually needed. The wobble is minimal, I guess I am just being picky. I just wanted to get you guys as much info as possible.

Btw, thanks for the kind words. I do these little reviews as a hobby in my spare time. I enjoy sharing gun info with others and also gaining knowledge myself.
 
Thanks for the review, I've been thinking about something like this for a while, it would have to be packable because if I leave it at the range first someone will punch holes in it and then someone will dispose of the "scrap metal" to the black hole informal reactive targets disappear to.

How much was it to get that shipped?
 
I like the look of that Paddle system. Yes, ammo goes super fast. I finally invested in some .22's not the same feeling but hey... Trigger time is trigger time.
 
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