Is gamo spinner targets to much for our rifles? I just picked up some thinking it would be alright for my avenger at 30yards or should I build a box around it because I do have neighbors on both sides?
Crosman spinner targets
- Thread starter robertnadia84
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Not sure I understand what you're asking about a spinner target being too much? If you are referring to this spinner Target from Gamo, I think you got it the other way around - these targets are fairly lightweight and I have found that a powerful air gun will damage them. In other words, the energy from the pellet is too much for this particular target unless you are using a lower powered 177 or 22 caliber. A 22 caliber air gun making 25 to 30 ft lb will damage this target. You can see in the picture how lightweight and thin the steel paddles are. I have noticed damage on the one that I tried.
And if you shoot at the top horizontal plane spinner, it is very possible for paddles that are at an angle to you, to throw a ricochet off to the side. This can also happen if you hit part of the spindle. This is one reason why steel targets are not allowed on many ranges. So yes you do have to have a backstop of some sort and maybe something enclosed on three sides to be absolutely sure you don't send something toward the neighbors.
My favorite targets are these inexpensive Crosman steel spinners. They are much heavier steel and they hold up to 25 caliber and 40 foot pounds no problem:
I have multiple sets and place them at whatever range I want to practice at or collect trajectory information for my range card and use cheap white spray paint to renew the surfaces. When I want to confirm the trajectory for a new setup, I have a set of four or five and I place them at every 5 yards to collect my trajectory / holdover data and coordinate that with results from my ballistics app such as Strelok Pro.
Warning: Steel spinner targets such as these that use a paddle that has a half twist to allow it to hang on a cross rod WILL cause sideways ricochets if a shot hits the twisted area and gets redirected!
I like to place mine at the base of a tree that is wider than the spinner set, to intercept misses or ricochets.
Hope this helps. GL,
Feinwerk
And if you shoot at the top horizontal plane spinner, it is very possible for paddles that are at an angle to you, to throw a ricochet off to the side. This can also happen if you hit part of the spindle. This is one reason why steel targets are not allowed on many ranges. So yes you do have to have a backstop of some sort and maybe something enclosed on three sides to be absolutely sure you don't send something toward the neighbors.
My favorite targets are these inexpensive Crosman steel spinners. They are much heavier steel and they hold up to 25 caliber and 40 foot pounds no problem:
I have multiple sets and place them at whatever range I want to practice at or collect trajectory information for my range card and use cheap white spray paint to renew the surfaces. When I want to confirm the trajectory for a new setup, I have a set of four or five and I place them at every 5 yards to collect my trajectory / holdover data and coordinate that with results from my ballistics app such as Strelok Pro.
Warning: Steel spinner targets such as these that use a paddle that has a half twist to allow it to hang on a cross rod WILL cause sideways ricochets if a shot hits the twisted area and gets redirected!
I like to place mine at the base of a tree that is wider than the spinner set, to intercept misses or ricochets.
Hope this helps. GL,
Feinwerk
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That helps a great deal. After seen your photos sorry for saying gamo but the ones you use are what I got from Walmart for 11 bucks. I was thinking of placing logs on each side to prevent fragments flying off behind it is a field. Even though the would have to come off prefect to get a neighbors house because they are forward some n would not be at the sides of the target
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If you got neighbors that close you even remotly think a stray pellet may be a liability then you best build a secure backstop ..
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Okay great, glad I could help you. Yes I got mine at Walmart as well, very inexpensive for buying multiple sets and they do seem to hold up to the weather for a few years. Sometimes you have to spin them around a little and lubricate the hinges to keep them swinging freely, as some rust can form inside the little tube that slides on the axle.
The cool thing about these is that you can paint both sides and simply flip them around 180° for fresh surfaces instead of carrying the spray paint can with you every time. Sometimes I place multiple sets at my zero distances because I will sometimes do a lot of shooting while testing or sighting in and don't want to have to keep walking down range to spray the targets.
It sounds like you are saying that the neighbor's houses are forward of the target which helps a great deal. I think it's unlikely that a pellet will be thrown forward because they tend to deform and deflect to the side or down or even slightly upward and go down range. A three-sided backstop is a reasonable precaution. And yes I have used cut logs stood on end to form a backstop. Stagger the logs a little bit so that there are no gaps.
Feinwerk
The cool thing about these is that you can paint both sides and simply flip them around 180° for fresh surfaces instead of carrying the spray paint can with you every time. Sometimes I place multiple sets at my zero distances because I will sometimes do a lot of shooting while testing or sighting in and don't want to have to keep walking down range to spray the targets.
It sounds like you are saying that the neighbor's houses are forward of the target which helps a great deal. I think it's unlikely that a pellet will be thrown forward because they tend to deform and deflect to the side or down or even slightly upward and go down range. A three-sided backstop is a reasonable precaution. And yes I have used cut logs stood on end to form a backstop. Stagger the logs a little bit so that there are no gaps.
Feinwerk
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Here is a pano that shows the houses in location to my bucket mulch backstop. I use that when shooting paper. They also have trees blocking any possible fragments that may break off. I will still use the logs on the sides. My bucket trap is marked in red on the photo and is the very back corner or the yard
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Lol.. my luck that 1 in 10,000 pellet or butter finger moment would hit the guys stuff and he'd be the most sue happy guy in town.. ya, you look high risk for any kinda shooting..
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The yard looks smaller in the photos but all the neighbors around don’t mind me shooting. And also I shoot from left side of yard to target so angles would be better to avoid anything going towards the houses
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The crosman spinners will hold up for awhile. The small middle spinner on mine is bent enough that it throws some pretty good ricochets on about every shot so yeah make sure you have some sort of backstop as after awhile they will create glancing blows.
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Well all a guy can do is what he feels is best and safe .. im not there in person to pass a best judgement.. then being a landowner in the free state of nw Florida i dont have them issues ( for now, times are a changing ). I guess it could be worse and be restricted to locking myself in a basement at dead of night like some places only allow.. (at best) or got to drive somewhere inconvenient.
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My 25 caliber Avenger bulged the back side of the Crosman spinners. It is tuned to shoot 25.4 grain FX at about 930 fps. I made my own "know your limits" target using brackets from Target Forge for the frame (with conduit) and spinners made of washers welded together and welded to 1/4 inch steel rod. Wasn't hard to make but you need a welder. I just used flux core wire in my mig and I'm not a good welder so the welds are ugly but it works. You can also get all the parts from Target Forge or others.
I put 2x2 concrete pavers behind the spinners. The only "spinner" that I get richoshays from is a golf ball (target forge offers a wire bracket for them). Hits to the spinner go down but if I miss I hit the pavers. They are cratered and will need replacement eventually but it will take a bunch of hits to get there. When the pellet hits the paver it splatters and the fragments won't go far.
My Avenger will shoot through 3/4 plywood, my other PCPs will go through 1/2 inch. I did not put wood behind the spinners because it would degrade quicker.
I put 2x2 concrete pavers behind the spinners. The only "spinner" that I get richoshays from is a golf ball (target forge offers a wire bracket for them). Hits to the spinner go down but if I miss I hit the pavers. They are cratered and will need replacement eventually but it will take a bunch of hits to get there. When the pellet hits the paver it splatters and the fragments won't go far.
My Avenger will shoot through 3/4 plywood, my other PCPs will go through 1/2 inch. I did not put wood behind the spinners because it would degrade quicker.
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Here is the new spinners up. I have not tried them yet that will be today I blocked the sides the best I could with out making trip to home depot behind the fence is like a three foot log n brush pile
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So had a little bit of fun this morning spinners work great. Saw lead fragments around but not a lot. Just hoping the dogs don’t try to dig stuff up they r a pain. Crosman hollow points worked great but the piranha are trash. They would not shoot a group to save my life. They where never even shot at the spinners because where all over the paper. Spinners held up good!
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