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New EFT target design

Reading a post from Leo about WFTF in the Olympics gave me an interesting idea. How can we make EFT targets more affordable, more functional and easier to setup? (I realize that's a question, not an idea. Unclinch yourself, the idea is coming.)

Here's the idea. Get rid of the moving parts and strings. Attach a metal plate to a 2x6, perpendicular. Attach an electronic hit indicator to the metal plate. Put a bracket a few inches in front of the metal plate. Slide a face plate into the bracket. Done.

So you would shoot through the kill zone in the face plate to hit the back plate, setting off the hit indicator.

I know what you are thinking: But those hit indicators are millions of dollars! Nope. The Hornady models are 10 buck each. Hell, they were giving them away in goodie bags at SHOT show!

So what problem does this new target solve? It gets rid of the expensive EFT targets that are tricky to set up to fall for 30 fpe to 100 fpe hits. It allows more versatility for face plates and kill zone shapes because the face plate doesn't have to reset and it doesn't matter where you hit the paddle to score a hit. You don't even have to cut out animal shapes for your face plates, just use a square metal plate and paint whatever animal you want. Since the back target is just a piece of metal attached to a 2x6, you can just leave them out in the lanes between shoots. Just pick up the face plates for painting and bring in the hit indicators for charging. You could fit a whole 30 target course in the back of a side by side, since it's just 30 face plates and a bucket of hit indicators. The only reason for a cold line is if a hit indicator went down, which doesn't happen very often based on the PRS matches I've attended. No more strings! And, depending on the steel used, rimfire friendly for you XFT folks.

So 3/16 AR400 steel plates are about $170 for a 2x2 plate. That would make 16 6"x6" target plates, so a little over $10 a target. Another $10 for the hit indicator. Call it $5 for the wood and hardware. So $25 per target plus the face plate. AOA sells a 5 pack of big game silhouettes for $90 that would make great face plates, just cut out the kill zone. SO you could go El Cheapo and be in this for about $60 a target. It's hard to find AAFTA targets for that cheap.

So that's my idea. I'm not even going to try to monetize this because it's so easy and obvious, what would be the point?

Here are some pictures (mostly for Ron). I drew this in Tinkercad and it assigns automatic names to new designs, so this system is now known as the Dazzling Trug. We can just call it the TRUG system for short. In 20 years people will wonder where the name came from, but no one will remember.

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Have you tried this with a 12 fpe guns at 55 yards? The pellet is about 4-5 fpe at that point. Will it generate enough impact to set off the light? How about a split? I think it's an idea worth investigating. Mounting the impact plate to a rubber or spring mount would increase the sensitivity. A small piece of lexan on the face plate would protect the hit indicator from errant shots
 
No idea, but I think AAFTA clubs have too much invested in traditional knock-over targets to entertain this idea. That's why I'm suggesting it for EFT, since there aren't very many EFT clubs out there. Maybe this will lower the barrier to entry for someone looking to start doing EFT matches.

Don't get me wrong, I think it would work just as well for AAFTA matches. The hit indicators are sensitive enough to pick up a 22lr skimpact at 300 yards, so a direct impact from a 12 fpe gun at 55 yards shouldn't be an issue. But I don't see AAFTA match directors embracing this idea.
 
We did this at our Sagebrush Field Target EFT shoot last month. We used Caldwell flashers, and everyone liked the flashing lights, but the wooden frame that supported the face plate and the kill zone plate transmitted the shock of impact to the flasher resulting in a face plate hit generating a flashing light.

The target represented a cash box in our Great Idaho Train Robbery event. A shot through the lock's keyhole would trigger the flasher but hits on the lock would trigger the flasher.

The concept is good, but with rifles up to 100 foot pounds, the two steel plates need to be separated and at the same time aligned with each other.

Ron
 
I think the kill zone plate being independent on a stake would fix the problem of false impact.

My experience dealing with the effects of hundred foot pound .30 cal pellet hits on extreme field targets suggests a separation between the faceplates and KZ plates would need to be approximately 78.74" of solid Earth to avoid false alarms with the Dazzling Trug target system. (2 meters) One could reduce that distance to 39.37" in loose Earth, or 13.1233333" in muddy Earth.

Og 🤓

P.S.- Because S.C.'s Business ranks near the top of my Omnipresent Concerns list, I suggest you copyright 'Dazzling Trug', Scott. I have it on good authority that the legal team of Dewey, Cheatum & Howe are eyeballing that product name for Trojan's new Mongo-sized product introduction.
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Hi Ron,

We tried that idea for our 145 to 300 yard long range targets for our EFT event in May, and really had to work hard to separate the faceplate from the kill paddle light mechanism... even with a 40fpe rig at 150 yards, the lights would go off from a face plate hit. We finally had to make the front faceplate on skids to separate vibrations from the state mounted system we tried first. We got it working after a lot of experimenting and the competitors enjoyed the lights and easy scoring that sped up the match as well.

At those distances we had to make arms from the kill plate that held the light way out to the side.

We used the caldwel and they held up well and so did the other brand we tried that I don't remember.

The long ropes needed for the EFT targets are not a good thing in many ways... stretching for one. The resetting has to be done by someone standing up for the most part and they can get tangled up if there is bushes etc... And the main reason I don't like them is the shooter is on a timer and resetting takes time, and if the scorer has to reset for you and they are not paying attention... that costs you time to shoot the target!!! so I'm all for it.

Let's bring it up at the next Board meeting with Robert, maybe he will commission a test run for us. Think how much more creative the match director can be in rough terrain when they don't have to worry about ropes/strings getting tangled.

Wayne
 
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Not sure rebar is cheap anymore. I think it would be nice if you had a target system that could be used for everything short of archery. From a simple gong to paper for competitions to quick acquisition electric face plates also camera and lights for long distances. Competitions or sighting in your elk gun. Even extendable for up close pistol shooting.


Make it so you can start with just simple basic and add accessories as you need or want.
 
New plan, face plate is free standing. Problem is, you either have to offset the kill zone hole from the hanger or have two hangers. Given the weight of some of our face plates, two hangers is probably the way to go. To make the hangers, just bend some cheap rebar.

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Wayne’s was sort of like that design, but they also had a green Caldwell indicator on the front plate. His was for the long range slug match. I think it was 5 points for just a green light. 10points if the red light activated.
 
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But then you are losing the key principle of field target: shooting through a hole.
But then you are losing the key principle of field target: shooting through a hole.


The edges of the hole make hitting the target more difficult.

Many a "split" target in the years of field target.

Shooting "spinners" is easier. A very slight edge hit will show up on a spinner, where that same shot on a kill zone will count for exactly 0 points ( a MISS!!!).
 
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The edges of the hole make hitting the target more difficult.

Many a "split" target in the years of field target.

Shooting "spinners" is easier. A very slight edge hit will show up on a spinner, where that same shot on a kill zone will count for exactly 0 points ( a MISS!!!).
Yep, that's what I said, just with a lot more words.
 
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