Looking at getting a Texas Star

[Dan in MI]

I'm trying to narrow down the manufacturers. Want to stay under $1000. Would like it adaptable to .22

Some websites giver a bunch of info, some not so much....

Bearings with zirks, AR covered arms, AR550 gets mixed reviews, tunable, adaptable to 10 plates and .22, I'm guessing more weight is a good thing. All seem like desired options.


Any input on brand,what to look for etc,,, would be great

 

[s4s4u]

What is the largest cartridge that you would shoot at it? I think pistol calibers for TX star at close range.

I made a couple that use clay pigeons in stead of steel. Mostly use for 22LR.

Lots of fun.

 

[Kevin]

I'm trying to narrow down the manufacturers. Want to stay under $1000. Would like it adaptable to .22

Some websites giver a bunch of info, some not so much....

Bearings with zirks, AR covered arms, AR550 gets mixed reviews, tunable, adaptable to 10 plates and .22, I'm guessing more weight is a good thing. All seem like desired options.


Any input on brand,what to look for etc,,, would be great

Would it be better to buy a quality Texas Star for the larger calibers and then something separate for the rimfire?

and a question:
I know they are probably hand made individually. Do you specify the size and number of arms or is it a standard pattern?

I’ve only seen the one that Contender has.

 

[contender]

I have a Texas Star on my range. It's designed for centerfire pistol calibers.

Having dealt with several of them at different USPSA matches over many years,, the biggest thing is how well the plates are secured, AND at the same time be capable of getting knocked off when hit.
I've seen several that I would NOT buy,, because of what I felt was "cheap" or just didn't work reliably.
I USPSA,, you NEED to have a target that works the same w/o problems for all competitors all the time.
I have been VERY, VERY pleased with mine. I chose it AFTER studying several brands & all.
Now,, I just dug into my business cards,, and found the one from where I bought mine.
"Target Solutions" Chad Kelch [email protected]
616-656-9600.
www.targetsolutionsuse.com
I haven't had to buy anything from them since I bought my Star which was just prior to the covid crap,, that caused a lot of low attendance to my matches.
But mine has never failed,, which would cause a "reshoot" by a competitor.

 

[contender]

Well, I just tried to look up the company,, and the website wasn't available.
If you wish,, I can take a few pictures of the way my Star has the plates attached. That way you could use it as a way to "judge" others.

 

[blume357]

Just to be helpful for those of us that are slow, (I had to look it up):

 

[Dan in MI]

I believe I have narrowed it down to one of these.

Thanks Ty, I will look into that one as it is somewhat local.

 

[Armybrat]

Just to be helpful for those of us that are slow, (I had to look it up):

View attachment 78391

Thanks, I had no idea what a Texas Star was.

 

[Kevin]

Would someone with good welding skills be able to make a custom Texas Star? Or are they more complicated? Meaning the way the plates attach?

I guess I would think about the custom route because here in Texas there are so many companies that will custom make a BBQ/Smoker for you. Either your design or they will customize one of their designs.

 

[contender]

Good pics of Stars,, but the CRITICAL point is the way the plates are held.
I've seen some that when one plate was hit,, it'd dislodge others. I've seen some that had weak designs that wore out quickly when used.

Of the 3 shown above,, if you can get pics of the back side, where it details HOW the plates are held,, I can offer more thoughts. Plus,, the middle one,, look at the base. The "H" design ( the one in the middle) isn't as good as the other two shown. A Star can get to really moving & wobbling and the angle of the base legs makes a difference in stability of that.

I just looked at the Challenge Targets Star. They show a picture of the back of the plate & holder. The cut out slot for the plate is good, but the wire spring retention is a weak point. I also tried to look at the Xshoot Steel one but they didn't have any details except comments. No pics.

I'll go over to my range today & get a few pics of mine.

 

[Dan in MI]

I can only find one rear view pic. I kn ow I saw another one, but can't locate it. This is for the far left version. The other pic I saw was similar.

 

[Kevin]

This is a very interesting thread, thanks for bringing it up

 

[contender]

Dan,, that's the picture I was referring to. That smaller diameter wire spring isn't as sturdy as it needs to be. The slot for the plate base is great. It keeps the plates aligned.

It was too dern hot for me to go to the range today & get a few pics. The humidity has been making things miserable here.

 

[Larryburford]

My Texas star is a red flower that has leaves that look like Marijuana. Ha. I had never heard of the target. It's cool.

 

[Dan in MI]

I am leaning heavily towards the white one on the far right. I am going to request some specific pics.

 

[pyth0n]

Just to be helpful for those of us that are slow, (I had to look it up):

View attachment 78391

Same here. Thank you.

 

[Dan in MI]

Ty, Target Solutions is now fortistargets.com A little spendy for me.

 

[Hawk-in-Wi]

if you want to see how it's done

 

[BoggusDeal]

MGM Targets from Idaho would be my choice. I’ve know the family for a long time. They’re great people, great shooters and support the shooting industry and shooting sports.

 

[contender]

Ok, I got out & took a few pics today.

The critical thing is the way the plates are both stable AND how the can be easily knocked off if hit.

Here are a few pics of the way my plates are mounted.

Oh, and yes,, a little pricey,, but it's better to buy one that works instead of having one that isn't dependable.

 

[contender]

Dan, I just went to the website you said they had changed to.

The listed price is a good bit more than what I paid about 5 years ago. I got a pop-up offer of 15% off if ordering.
The guy I dealt with was actually traveling through my area, and I didn't have shipping either.
But I was able to truly see one of them prior to my purchase. I really liked their system, as I have looked at many others & felt they weren't of the same quality.

 

[Dan in MI]

Shooting steel sent me some pics and a video. Pretty sure I'm going with that one. Not sure I'll use it enough to justify $400 more.

 

[contender]

That one looks like it might well be a good one! Let me know how it performs!

 

[Sam Summey]

I have shot on Contender's TS. It works flawlessly when shot with 45 cal. I don't recall if I have shot it with lesser calibers.