Pitch target options

Our club will be buying birds soon... we use Pitch only and use WF brand. What other options are there? We love the service and the quality but are always looking for ways to improve the shooting experience and save some dollars.... Freight is a big ticket item out here in the boonies...... Eastern Oregon is a long way from most everywhere...... Larry

 

If you like the service and the quality,why would you want to change. Saving a few bucks on some cheap targets will not make the club shooters happy.White Flyer has been good to the shooters and the clubs and sponsor some events at the ATA shoots.Are you thinking about Chinese targets? Canadian targets?

 

Another option is Eurotarget, they're made in Italy--have to buy a container @ time, they're considerably cheaper than both Lawry & WF--,but they're made of resin--if they work for Olympic shooters, should work for ATA--their orange color really pops compared to WF

The contact person is Allen Chub out of Keystone shooting park,Pa

 

Just exploring options. It is important to try to keep informed and take advantage of anything that might possibly be an improvement from the standpoint of quality/pricing. I specifically commented on WF quality and service because they do a helluva job and nowhere did I indicate we wanted to change...... We are a small club in an isolated part of the world but we do try to keep up with things. Larry

 

Caldwell targets would seem to be the closest to OR for freight costs.

 

I've been a White Flyer fan for many years and will remain so for the reasons stated by the OP.

I've known several of folks at WF who are shooters. As such, they want to keep their prices as low as possible but still must still charge enough to stay in business.

Their support is unmatched IMO. The White Flyer target has been around since the 1890's. There must be a good reason . . . . think about it.

HB

Sportsmen's Review, May 1, 1898​

 

WF, great target, barn orange paint. Now, those old Remington florescent orange targets were the standard which all the others never met.

 

Remington really screwed the pooch when they supplied the grand with a bunch of un-cured targets .Remington is one company that can make the very best product and still figure out a way to screw things up.

 

Boiler1, How do you cure a target? Roger C.

 

Just a quick note...... Yes, support those that support you... The list is long for those that support the shooting sports as is the list of those that do not.
Initially as a Board member of the club I and others have a first priority of keeping members safe and satisfied and keeping the club solvent. Taking those steps necessary to do both is in no way a criticism of vendors or their products..... Larry

 

Curing? I thought it was the composition of the target.

 

SHOOT IT ... Cured that .... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Boiler1, What grand are you refering to? And again how do you cure a target? Please do not be bashful answer the two questions. Roger C.

 

Be nice! Wasn't there a real Grand in Vandalia that had a Remington target issue many moons ago. I think I remember that.

 

Oleolliedawg, I was there those were federal targets. We had some bad Remington targets at the spring grand many years ago. The remington rep called the Enid plant and told them you will have targets in Phoenix in the morning from Findlay the next day they were there. He also told them if the targets were not there he would close their plant and their jobs would be gone.

 

Well, I was in MD for a shoot over those Federal targets so I remember them well. That's the only time I saw Frank Little pull out of a shoot because of lousy targets.

 

I remember a MD state shoot at Millington that had Remington targets that you could center punch at 27 yards and they would make a 90 degree turn and not break. We went out to the field to check some and you could break them apart and stick them back together again like play-doh.

 

it was a grand around 2000 i do not know the exact year. I was sure they were remington targets. you could roll a pile of smoke off those targets and they would not break. Am i wrong to assume that a target needs to dry or cure to a certain level of moisture before it is ready.

 

Boiler1,
Youtube has videos showing the manufacture of clay targets, the heating / cooling process as they are formed would be what you are referring to as the curing process .... This happens as they are molded and solidified by combining pitch and talc from a liquid form to a solid under pressure ... It is quite interesting to watch and the videos are reasonably short in length if you care to check them out ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

No need to thank me ... lol ....

 

When you rolled smoke off of a target consistantly it was because they were not hard enough. You were punching hole in them. When you can hit them and knock them sidways they were way to hard. The mixture of pitch and lime stone had to be right to have a good target.
The remington target made in Finley, Ohio was the best you could get. When they lost their supply of slurry from the refineries they had to close the plant. Roger C.

 

Thank you guys. I was not trying to offend anyone. the old remington targets were my absolute favorite targets and i miss them not being around anymore. Im sorry i cant remember the exact year of the grand but it was a serious issue that year at vandalia.

 

The bad grand Targets that you are referring to were Federal. I shot the whole grand with two Fed Reps that year and they got to the point they would not ride the tractors back to the Fed building after we shot because of all the crap they were catching from shooters. I can't remember the year but late 90's early 2000's is about the right time.

Best targets I ever shot for braking a score were in order Bob White out of Kansas, Eclipse I think from California but for sure from Ft. Wayne Indiana, Racer out of Raytown Missouri, and Remington out of Findlay Ohio.

White Flyers with the dimples fly funny in a bad wind. Wind didn't affect the other brands I mentioned as much. The Bob Whites seemed to break with a close miss, as did the Racers. The old Eclipse was just a great target. I made most of my shooting money off of Remington targets I'd guess. They flew well in a wind but would take a few more pellets to break so that helped me.

 

Sure would love to have a "Racer" in my collection. Anyone have one they would like to sell, I would appreciate a PM.

The Bob White Brad mentions is the 3rd from the left, top row.

The three on the right, last row bottom, 2nd from bottom and 3rd from bottom are the Champions. The second one from the bottom had a Smooth dome and were a son of a gun to break.

Still seeking information about the BRANDON, made in Canada target 5th from the left, 3rd down.

 

I threw Midwest targets for several seasons. I liked dealing with an owner/operator and was back hauling with a moving company for a great savings. The shooters liked the all black targets.

 

Targets spend 3 hours in the oven. .359 seconds in the air.

 

AZMIKE,
Your Midwest is 2nd from bottom on he left in the collection pictured above.

 

Looks like mine....narry a scratch......

 

Brad, The all black unpainted Eclipse target was the best flying target ever made. When I was rebuilding machines, if I was having trouble with target presentation I would put the eclipse target in. That told me if it was the machine or the targets.
Roger C.

 

MidWest targets smoked like the old Remingtons but weight variations caused erratic flight heights. You never knew where they were going to go.

 

What a beautiful display of memorabilia History Seeker has! Nicely done, Sir.

 

320090T, White Flyer had that same problem a while back, especially when the ATA took the size and weight tollerances off of them. It was most likely caused by the molds being polished from over use. It was more noticeable on doubles. If you got a light and a heavy target on the arm at the same time it could drive you crazy trying to set them. Roger C.

 

You statement begs the question : Why did the ATA drop the weight requirement for targets from about 1991 through 2000?

The Arizona Delegate asked that question during the 1991 Annual Meeting and here's the explanation provided by the ATA President.

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If this was true, that the composition of targets changed and manufacturers were unable to stay within the old requirements, why did the ATA amend the 2000 rules to once again require a specification for target weight?

For many years the weight requirement in the rules was 3.5 ounces (99.23 grams) with an allowable variation of 5 per cent.

Here's the specification rule from the 2000 Official Rulebook:

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Brad, White Flyer introduced the dimple or "golf ball" target about 1982. Here's what they said about their dimples.

​

HB

 

I guess I wasn't a very discriminating shooter.

 

Roger,

The Eclipse solid black is one I don't have. My two Eclipse are on the bottom row 3rd and 4th from the right in my picture. The one has the white paint in the Deep center, probably would be a little hard to see if they weren't showing much face upon leaving the trap.

By the way, My meager collection of Trapshooting Memorabilia is due to My good Buddy History Buff. I met him many years ago at a shoot at the NY state home grounds, and it was there he got me interested.

Amazing man, that History Buff.

Live bird trophy from January 23rd, 1949 South End Gun Club, Reading Pa.

Great Eastern Handicap Flyer Championship won by Claude Dietrich

The muzzle loader is a 10 gauge with Damascus Bbls. Owned by a James Goeger from Minnisota .

It was said that this gun won many shotgun shoots at the Colorado Trappers Association between 1976 and 1986.

HB has been invaluable to me when I am seeking the History of my collectables.

 

There certainly have been many variations in Targets through the years.

Here is an EARLY example of one of those. This is from the Boston Target Company, Nicknamed the HUB target because of the spokes within the center of it.

Patent on this was June 3rd, 1890.

An example of this target can be seen at the Cardinal Center, Ohio Trapshooting Hall of Fame Museum.

 

Nothing "boiled" like an old Remington target thrown by an even older Western hand set trap. It should be quite obvious these newer targets do not break nearly as good as the older ones. I'm sure the formula was changed to accommodate the rougher handling by automatic traps.

 

Oleolliedawg, Many things were changed so the Pat's could be used. The OSTA refused to certify them when Jaqua installed them. They could not present a target that complied with the ATA rule at the time. The EC srepped in and certified them. You know they have always known more about the trap game than the shooters that shot targets.
You have a PM that needs look at, Roger C

 

Oleolliedawg, Many things were changed so the Pat's could be used. That machine and the EC along with the toothless BOD are the worst things that ever happened to our sport of trap You hav a PM pertaining to the pat traps. Roger C.

 

Dawg,

Western White Flyer self angling trap.

Are you referring to one of these ?

IN '61 when I began setting targets at the local club, this is the actual trap I had in the house, now in my collection.

Remembering when each Remington Stack was wrapped in newspaper, and the evening bon fires we had burning those papers, and boxes, and the NOW very valuable wooden boxes that a 20 box CASE of shells came in.

You brought back many good memories !

 

Nope, I only started shooting in 1963. That trap was before my time. Well, I did set hundreds of Western traps but they ran by electric. Those were 1524's? We even drilled and tapped 2.5 holes in the plate when the 3-hole got trashed. Had to save money you know.