12 replies to this topic

[Bshooter]

Nobody likes to go to a match and have rain spoil it by having to "bag" the targets. Does anyone have a technique to make the targets somewhat water resistant so you don't have to bag the? I know they cannot be "waterproof" but enough to keep the heads from curling when they get damp. They also must be able to retain a paster when applied. This should get some people thinking.

[Sarge]

I have seen them sprayed with the aerosol version of outdoor varnish. It only helped a little but it might do ok in just damp conditions.

[AlamoShooter]

the pasters are the big problem , getting them to stick

[sroe3]

We call it...roof.

[Flatland Shooter]

Earlier post: "Rain Target Experiment"

http://www.brianenos...=1

[Robert King]

We have all steel practice matches once a month. USPSA style, just all steel. If weather is going to be bad, think about that as an option. Lots of fun and really easy reset.

[Aglifter]

There's a match in San Anton that uses targets cut out of corrugated plastic.

[Bshooter]

I like the plastic target idea, but what about pasters sticking. That seems to be the problem with any rain-proofing material.

[JakeMartens]

mississippi classic a few years ago they sprayed them with something and the pasters still worked. dont remember what it was

[jmorris]

I have seen some sprayed with tompson's waterseal, that held up pretty good. Water beaded up instead of saturating the cardboard. The paster simply displaced the water and stuck like it was dry.

[Bshooter]

That sounds like it might work. Was it used in a spray can like for spray painting cars?

[jmorris]

I didn't do it, nor was I there to see it done. The RO just said they were "sprayed with...". I wouldn't run the stuff through my spray guns but the Wagner electric type are cheap too. If you come up with something that works let us know.

[Mark K]

We keep a stock of coated targets on hand, especially for big matches.

To make coated targets, you really need an air compressor and a spray gun - spray cans increase your cost by a factor to 10.

Buy a quart of cheap LACQUER ($10) - like Watco from Home Depot or Lowes. Buy a gallon of Laquer thinner or Acetone ($20). Mix the two - 1 part Lacquer to 3-4 parts thinner/acetone. This will coat 200 or more targets.

Spray the targets, front and back, the cardboard will change color when wet, but will dry to normal color. No need to heavily soak them, but the solution must penetrate the paper.

I normally wear a glove on my left hand, hold the target, spray it front and back with the spray gun in my right hand, and then toss the target somewhere on the shop floor or in the yard, if working outside - just making sure that it does not land on another freshly sprayed target so that they do not stick together. They will be dry to the touch in 10-20 seconds. There is not enough lacquer on the surface of the target for dirt/grass, to stick to them - even if it does, it will brush off. Assuming you do not soak the targets, you will be able to stack them up in a few minutes, and can box them up in 30 minutes or so.

I find that processing the targets this way, you can do a whole case of targets in 20-30 minutes, pasters stick to them just fine. The targets will survive a decent rain.

For major matches, we coat all hardcover and No Shoot targets, and for full targets, we keep coated targets available to replace full targets, should we need them .

NOTE: Mark the boxes that you have coated (spent extra money on), as once they are dry, you will not be able to see a difference between them and uncoated targets.

BTW: If you want some really sticky pasters, look in Front Sight Mag. There is a guy named Wyse selling tape/paster in there. They are as sticky as anything out there except Gorilla Tape. You could bikini wax with this stuff. And he makes larget pasters for Shotgun slug pasting.


Mark K

Edited by Mark K, 29 May 2012 - 08:55 AM.