"Texas Star" strategy?

[wally]

First off I haven't shot an organized match since the late 80's when I shot with our local IPSC club, so maybe I shouldn't be posting here, but I figure this is where the practitioners would be.

Our club recently got a pair of "Texas Star" rotating targets -- where a knock off plate is attached to each of the five equally spaced arms mounted to a central axis (wheel). Hit one plate and the whole thing starts rotating since its now unbalanced.

I've been playing with it some and this is the strategy that seems to work best for me, I'm wondering if my method is sound or I've missed a cleverer method.


Shoot the highest plate (removes the most potential energy from the system).

Shoot the highest plate that is moving down (will make it reverse direction).

Shoot the final three plates in the order of the highest remaining plate that is moving down (try to keep it changing direction each time so it can't speed up much).


Did six runs yesterday. Had two that were "perfect" in that five plates down with five shots and there was no full rotation. My previous best was five plates with six shots but still managed to be fast enough for no full rotation.

Of course having a good strategy only works if you don't miss My worst run, I missed the the second and third shots and totally lost control with the wheel coming around the full circle -- took 9 shots and well over twice as long to get all five plates


This is a great target for "gun-eye" agility training in that you have to recognize the "threat" and quickly move your next shot to the most important one. You can't just "muscle memory" hose 'em down in a straight line like with a plate rack.

 

[George P]

I think that depends on where the stars are. When I tried it for fun at a local club the star you have at the top was located on the bottom, so the advice was to shoot that first; but no matter which way - if you have a method that is getting them all with 5 or 6 shots, I'd say you have it figured out!

 

[WestKentucky]

I haven’t shot a star, but a couple of my friends who shoot competition say they shoot it like a book. Top to bottom, left to right. Seems like a figure 8 would be fastest with the least motion. Top, upper left, upper right, lower right, lower left. Again I haven’t shot it so my thoughts are worth what you paid for them.

 

[mcb]

I usually start at the top and work around the star counter clockwise letting the star rotate into my direction of advance. It keeps the targets coming to you reducing your amount of gun movement. Video is a bit data but yours truly shooting the start with a 625, 627, and Model 10.


Start at 1:52 for the star with the 625 and keep watching or jump to 2:15 for the same star with the 627.

Start at 1:30 for the star with the Model 10 and keep watching or jump to 1:50 for the same start with the 627.

 

[alfsauve]

Good local shooter doing it right. I know the pros can do it faster, but this is nothing to sneeze at. (Revolver, btw)

 

[wally]

I usually start at the top and work around the star counter clockwise letting the star rotate into my direction of advance. It keeps the targets coming to you reducing your amount of gun movement. Video is a bit data but yours truly shooting the start with a 625, 627, and Model 10.


Start at 1:52 for the star with the 625 and keep watching or jump to 2:15 for the same star with the 627.

Start at 1:30 for the star with the Model 10 and keep watching or jump to 1:50 for the same start with the 627.

Very smooth on the reloads, impressive revolver shooting!


I don't know if its lack of maintenance or just wear and tear, but the starting orientation of the stars at our club is really inconsistent and you usually don't have a plate straight up at 12 or 6 o'clock. It looks like you are waiting for the plate to move into shooting position, this could indeed be the best strategy for shooting it with double action revolver. In any case I'm impressed, its much more difficult to do it as part of a course run.


I'll have to try this alternate strategy next time out, which seems to be:

Shoot the second highest target first so you can be sure of the direction of rotation.

Shoot the remaining targets as as they rotate up towards where your first shot was, working your way down as they rotate towards you to minimize the "wait".

Certainly has less gun movement.

 

[alfsauve]

I don't know if its lack of maintenance or just wear and tear, but the starting orientation of the stars at our club is really inconsistent and you usually don't have a plate straight up at 12 or 6 o'clock.

At some clubs the plates are color keyed, on the back side, to the arms of the star. Then a specific arm is always placed in the same position for each shooter.

 

[waktasz]

I typically shoot down one side and let it come to me.

 

[jmorris]

Top down, for sure and one side or the other, generally. You can give them a spin, if you want a little more challenge with the first plate at least.

 

[jmorris]

At some clubs the plates are color keyed, on the back side, to the arms of the star. Then a specific arm is always placed in the same position for each shooter.

We have done similar. One in front of another both had a black dot on a “no shoot” plate and had to hit one plate on each start first then clear out the other white ones.

My friend that shoots as good freestyle as he does strong and weak hand. Shooting an example.

 

[Dudedog]

Try not to cuss out loud and make the RO laugh.....

 

[1KPerDay]

I start at the top and go clockwise. Example here. 10-plate "double texas star" at 0:03 and single texas star at 1:35


I've shot with some hotshots who shoot the bottom plate first because it gets them spinning quicker and they can supposedly clear all the plates faster as they move into the gun. However I've never seen it actually work as intended; usually they miss one and then go through four mags standing there blasting at one plate going around and around wheeeeeeeeee.... LOL

Just found this: start at 1:02 for "WHAT NOT TO DO" and then good discussion

 

[dh1633pm]

Sweet. Just put one of these on my wish list. Will mention it to the wife when I get home. Thanks for sharing about it.

 

[wally]

Went out again this morning. Certainly for my skill level, the shoot the second highest plate (so you know what direction it'll turn, and shoot them as they rotate up to you working down is fastest, much less gun movement and when I didn't miss the fifth plate was at the bottom when I shot it.

Thanks guys. This is the reason I started the thread.