Steel targets are a blast, but many can have a major drawback – their immobility.
In many circumstances, larger gong and silhouette targets are impractical to lug around and are better off being permanently planted. But each year, there are more and more manufacturers coming out with more and more mobile metal target options.
Range Systems is among the most recent entrants into the easier to maneuver metal-target market. The Minnesota manufacturer just released its Dura-Steel Target system, giving shooters a convenient and affordable option in steel targets.
The Dura-Steel system is nearly as simple as hanging up a paper target.
Basically, it is a steel silhouette that attaches to a metal tripod. All a shooter needs to get rocking is a wrench to attach the target to the base. From there it’s trigger time.
The system is designed for quick and easy user interface. But it also has a few well thought out wrinkles that have the potential to extend the target’s life and increase its safety.
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Along these lines, perhaps the most important design feature is the 20-degree forward tilt of the Tri-Pod Target Stand. Situating the silhouette at the angle helps the bullet splatter (breaks apart) when it hits the target.
This is an important feature, since it reduces the potential for a ricochet and injury. It also extends the lifetime of the silhouette by reducing the direct energy it absorbs and prevents cratering on the surface.
The tripod is also designed to keep solid footing, no matter where it’s set up. It achieves this stability through the extra-large radius of its legs. And it has a pocket to hold an optional hostage head target, adding to its usefulness as a defensive-shooting accessory.
The silhouettes are constructed to last, made of 3/8 inch of rugged AR500 steel. The material is typically used in steel targets, but also in mining and other high-ware applications. Dura-Steel’s silhouettes are capable of handling calibers up to .762 at 100 yards.
There are five different target head silhouettes available: E-Target, M9, IPSC 2/3 IPSC and Q-Target. The targets are reversible, extending their life. And they come unpainted, to make them more cost effective.
The Dura-Steel Tripod Target Stand has an MSRP of $150, while the silhouettes MSRPs range from $75 to $150.
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