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Shooting the Texas Star

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  • benenglish

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    Nov 22, 2011
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    I've never shot a Texas Star in competition. I have shot (at) one plenty of times and never thought it was particularly difficult to get a consistent time, though not a fast one. Knock off the top plate, wait for the other plates to turn to approximately 3 or 9 o'clock, and shoot each of them as they arrive.

    Easy.

    However, I watched some videos on youtube today and wondered why people didn't seem to do that. In one of them, the last instruction to the shooter was "Remember, you have to shoot the bottom plate first."

    That would make it much harder.

    Is this some standard procedure or requirement (formal or informal) that everyone knows but me?
    Texas SOT
     

    wakal

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    Shooting Texas Stars requires...knowledge of your particular abilities with the firearm at hand. Having shot Texas Stars since they were first invented in San Angelo by a crazed West Texan called Terry Ashton, and having shot the excellent MGM Whirly-gig that is a licensed version in AR500 as well as some shit copies that were blatantly ripped off like the craptacular R&R Racing version, the key is shooting as fast as you can see.

    With all due respect to Jack Burton.

    I am fairly fast, and so I shoot the bottom plate first and run up the side two, then back under and catch the other two. Leaves the five plates in a neat pile and takes right around two seconds. By starting at the bottom and working up one side in three quick shots, the Star rotates the plates under your sights for you. If you don't miss, it is (by our experiments over the years) slightly faster than running around the Star, as gravity on the plates speeds the perceived swing time of the gun.

    Now, when I teach people how to shoot the Star, I teach them that (as you noticed) running the top plate first, then left/right, then the bottom two left/right is faster and safer for a normal shooter...because that leaves the Star as static as possible, for as long as possible. Chasing plates SUCKS.

    I've RO'ed folks (and even RO'ed folks at the very first match ever with a Texas Star, oh long long years ago) who dumped every round they were carrying...leaving a puddle of spent brass and empty magazines at their feet...chasing plates to no avail. Don't chase plates. If a plate gets away, get a solid stance, clear sight picture, prep the trigger, and let the plate come to you. Your bullet is going faster than the Star turns.

    Unless, of course, some sadistic stage designer has hung a weight off one the arms, set the arm on a pull-away stick running to a big Popper, and forced you to "activate" the Star by shooting the Popper first. Or a sadistic bastard (ahem) has asked Terry to hang a pulley and a heavy weight off the Star's axis...and when activated the Star starts turning slowly and as the weight drops, looks like a industrial fan... Or the nice folks at MGM have built a double Star, two on the same axis, and painted the front plates as no-shoots...

    Evil.

    And fun.

    In the interest of full disclosure, I have the first Texas Star made for the commercial market on my range (the very first Texas Star is still in service at the San Angelo Gun Club).



    Alex
     
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    benenglish

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    Or a sadistic bastard (ahem) has asked Terry to hang a pulley and a heavy weight off the Star's axis...and when activated the Star starts turning slowly and as the weight drops, looks like a industrial fan...
    Interesting. I wonder how I'd deal with that. 500 S&W, 700 grain bullets, first shot to an arm, knock off all 5 plates at once? ;)

    Seriously, though, I appreciate the answer. That's some in-depth experience, there, and it helps. I'll try to put it to use at Hicksville.

    Veering OT, as I am wont to do and since you mentioned MGM - Have you used their ReCon target? I'm seriously considering getting one of those. I found it after I called up LaRue, credit card in hand, and found out they no longer sell to civilians.
     

    wakal

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    Shooting the arm with a big caliber isn't as effective on the Terry design, due to the dual pegs and the double spring system (and the round arms). The MGM version has flat "plate" arms which allow you get away with over riding the springs on the target plates with a heavy hitter (308, for example) on the arm instead of the plate. R&R...yeah...a center hit with a shotgun is usually enough to knock at least three arms/plate assemblies off the hub...just a poor design on R&R all around.

    I've messed with MGM's entire product line, including stuff they don't market. Great folks, good products. If they were made here in Texas, they would be perfect. But Idaho is a close bet. Then again, some Texas companies are run by arrogant assholes with the customer service skills of a rabid wombat. The ReCon is pretty slick...no shitty gears to break, all AR500, no batteries to fail, no battery cables to get cut...not particularly temperature or weather sensitive...


    Alex
     

    KimoKoa

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    I like shooting the Texas star, and I shoot it from the top and then either one of the sides 3 or 9 o’clock and finish at the bottom
     

    Dad_Roman

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    Cool! I think PSC has a star, I need to check.
    I totally want to join there. Will be sending in my membership request soon.


    Great place, I love it. Been there about 6 months. Great for when Im in Houston (Pearland) seein the grandkids. Yea they have one. Its relatively new and needs a little tightening up of the springs but its close. Been workin on it when Im down there
     

    TheDan

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    By starting at the bottom and working up one side in three quick shots, the Star rotates the plates under your sights for you. If you don't miss, it is (by our experiments over the years) slightly faster than running around the Star, as gravity on the plates speeds the perceived swing time of the gun.
    Neat! Gotta try that the next time I have the opportunity to shoot one.
     
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