[Shepard]

I was flipping through one of the old front site mags and saw a picture of a steel target called the Texas Star.  I heard a rumor that there was gonna be one at the Florida State Champs and was hoping for some insight as to how to shoot it. I'd assume that you start from the top and work down but I've never seen it shot.

[shred]

The 'star' strategy (we shoot it every month here in TX.. ) goes like this:

The top plate isn't usually exactly on top, so work with what you get. If the top plate is to the right, here's what I do (reverse for top plate to the left):

Assume the star is laid out like a clock, with a plate at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 8:00 and 10:00.

Shoot 1:00. The star starts turning anti-clockwise
Shoot the 8:00 plate. The star changes to clockwise (keeps it slow which is good)
If you were to miss a lot now, the star would end up with one plate at 12:00, one at 4:30 and one at 7:30. If not---
Shoot the 10:00 plate that's moving towards 12.
Shoot the bottom two (hitting the right one first changes direction again, but it's not really needed at this point)

There's quite a bit of zigging and zagging, but it keeps the star changing directions and moving slowly-- bonus is that it's always going towards a nearby stable position

If the match director gets tricky and starts it spinning before you get there, shoot the topmost plate to make it slow down, then skip one plate anti-spinward and shoot the next. Then you end up with the same balanced triangle at 12, 7:30 and 4:30-- shoot the top one, then the bottom two.




(Edited by shred at 12:23 pm on Mar. 7, 2002)

[charles]

WOW! Please explain this crazy contraption.  I can’t picture it in my head.  Sounds interesting  Thanks Charles

[Pat Harrison]

Cleaned this at the Nationals with a stock SVI .45...shot top, top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right.
Pat

[DBChaffin]

Shred and Pat's methods both work well as well as one other I have found.  Shoot the one nearest the top first.  Now if the top plate is sitting slightly to one side, work your way down that side shooting a 2nd and 3rd plate.  Skip one position and hit the 4th before hitting the last one.   It's hard to explain here, but I learned it from a TX GM that shoots the star often and it has worked well for me.  It has much less skipping around than the other two, but if you miss or get out of rhythm you can get in trouble.    The theory is that after you hit the first plate it begins to rotate toward the position where you just shot a plate, so you shoot another one and it moves toward you again.  You shoot that one and now there are only two left.  Switch across and get the fourth before finishing up.  I hope this makes sense.

[sfinney]

We had !Double! Texas Stars in a side match at the TX State Steel Challenge match this year - 2 side by side Texas Stars, with the two inner most plates almost touching  each other.  

Alot of people put considerable thought into the exact order to shoot the plates, its good to have a plan... but once that first plate comes off, all bets are off (especially if you have a miss or two and things start spinning!) - "best laid plans" and all that ....

My strategy was to start at the top as the above posts suggests, minimizing the speed of the spinning, and just start working my way down as plates presented themselves - a little luck doesn't hurt

I won my sidematch for my class in  open, with something like just over 9 seconds to clear all 10 plates off the 2 stars - my big break? When I shot one of the "inside" plates, it flung off and knocked the plate off its counterpart - and it helps not to miss much!

Bottom line- shoot top to bottom as quick as you can  & aquire any plate you can get your sights on!  (of course thats on reason why I'm still not a master shooter!)

Good Luck!

(Edited by shooter40 at 7:15 pm on Mar. 7, 2002)

[Shepard]

Thanx for the help guys. This target sounds like quite an obstacle.

[Penny]

Here's a link for an .mpg movie of the Texas Star, along with contact info for its creator, Terry Ashton:

http://www.krtrainin...ES/matches.html

-Penny

[DBChaffin]

My advice, for what its worth, is to be confident when you shoot it.  Follow a plan, call your shots, and shoot.  Those that are overwhelmed by the star often find themselves with poor runs.  Just my $.02.

[Al Capizzo]

I think this is definitely a time for Keep it Simple.  The most consistent success I've seen is with D.B. Chaffin and Shooter40's approach.  Start near the top, let the plates roll around to you, and of utmost importance, don't get rattled.  Its not as bad as you think.  

[dirtypool40]

I know it's here some where, but I can't find it. There are a lot of those Texas Stars out there, what are you running them in?

let's go with 10y, hands relaxed or surrender.

What's your average, and best ever.

PLEASE include what class you are.

I'll start you off. I am a limited "M" just returning from about 8 months off. Yesterday I only shot it once (so I'm not going to have an average yet) but a 3.42 felt ok.  One extra shot.  I think once I get back in practice I might average 3.0? who knows.

How fast are you?

[shred]

Sub 3 is very good.  3.25 or so is typical M, and 3.5 is good for an A/High B shooter.  Especially if it's already spinning, which is typical around here.

[Al Capizzo]

While we're on the subject of the Texas Star, how about including the order you shoot it in.
I can't give you a time because everytime I've shot it has been part of a stage and I have gone back through the timer to find it.
Most of the better shooters seem to start at 1:00 o'clock plate and just let the other plates come to them.
Anyone got a better idea?
Al

[shred]

I posted my method a while back for a stationary star-- basically, start at the top and work down.  

If it's moving to start, pretty much the same-- start with the plate coming away from the top and it'll slow down as it tries to reverse direction.

People that like their plates moving slower (or mostly still) can modify the order a bit for either-- shoot the top plate, then skip one, then shoot the next one.  Now go back to the one you skipped, and then get the bottom two.  With that order the star is always reversing direction towards a nearby balanced position, but gun movement is more.


(Edited by shred at 10:04 pm on Feb. 3, 2003)

[MoNsTeR]

The three stars I've encountered in local matches all came to a rest with one plate at 6:00. I'm guessing from everyone else's descriptions and references to a "top" plate that not all of them do this? Does the strategy change much if there isn't a single "top" plate but rather two plates at an equal maximum height?

What I've done is shoot the upper right plate, and then panic, dump rounds, and end up doing a standing reload.

[Duane Thomas]

Hm. Perhaps not the technique of choice.

[Lee Dimaculangan]

the texas star... hmm being from texas, i've shot this prop in many matches....

For example @ the texas state limited 2003, there was a stage with 2 texas stars at opposite ends of the course. my personal way of shooting it was from the uppermost steel to the bottom, but criss-crossing left to right as i work my way down.

Hitting the uppermost steel causes very little movement and gives the shooter an easier target acquisition. As it moves slowly at first - aim for the next steel closest to the top- whether its on the left or right side of the first hit steel. As you work your way down, you will notice that the prop hasn't moved too much. Be patient and dont go trigger happy - expecting they will all fall. If you hit the wrong steel, trust me, that prop will go round and round like crazy. Make sure you hit them in a specific order. I've seen open shooters aim at one spot as the star spins, and shoots each one as the star spins.

Unless other places are using this prop, visit Area 4 and/or Major Texas matches, you'll find this prop very common here =].

Lee Dimaculangan
TY45511

[dajarrel]

Someone once told me to remember the first letter of "texas star" and use the "T" to remember to start at the top. Riiight. The first shot goes at the top and then the chase is on!!!!! I eventually beat it into submission and cannot remember having to change magazines too often. (you would think 18-20 rounds were enough)

oh well, If I ever get that GE mini-gun bolted on the bumper of my truck.......

All seriousness aside, my main problem is being in too big of a hurry. My goal is always five shots for five plates. I just hate waiting for them to be still. But if I do, I can usually clear it without too many misses.
FWIW
Dennis

[Liota]

Easiest way to shoot the star???


Don't miss. See the plates and shoot them. Same as shooting paper and static steel. You are that fast.

L

[Singlestack]

I saw Chris Tilly smoke one at the Georgia State match. The top plate was at 1130. From there he shot 0200 then 0900 then 0500 then 0700. He did it so fast they never had a chanch to move.

Chris told me he bought one to practice with. He said he had been practicing with it by spinning it fast. About 1 revoultation per second.

[eric nielsen]

I emailed a GM shooter upstate with this same question & he said exactly what I wanted to hear: that a bunch of guys at his club shot at theirs after a match, repeatedly, and found what works best for them.

Music to my ears because St. Pete doesn't have one. Orlando matches have them.

GM guy said start at 12 or 1 o'clock (whatever is the highest plate) and then work down the right side. Like Al said, the plates will roll around TO you and most important, not change directions or accelerate.

Before I tried this I had HORRIBLE luck with any left-right-left-right approach. Since staying on one side it's been smooth sailing. It's a lot like hitting a swinger at the point where it stops and changes direction. If you HIT it at that point, the contraption just keep chugging nicely in one direction, nice and slow.

5 deliberate shots with 5 hits beats the heck out of any "fast" approach with makeups. Figure at LEAST 1.0 second per makeup, because your plan has gone hasta-la-bye-bye and that thing is now got a mind of its own.

[kellyn]

How to shoot a texas star???

with a shotgun

[John Dunn]

Anyone shoot a Texas star with a rifle? Say 250-300 yds to save the steel?

It would be terribly slow to reset, but it sounds like fun to me.

[Erik Warren]

My TX* strategy is top, left high and right high, then the bottom two. I always miss at least one shot on the bottom two, which are moving slightly by the time I get to them, and I never know in which direction they are moving. (Our TX* isn't balanced symmetrically; it starts with the top star off-center.) Except for Sunday, when I shot it Limited, and cleaned it with 5 quick shots. This might have been the first time I shot it with iron sights. I wish I would have looked at the timer; it seemed damn quick, like half-second splits for under 3 total.

[shred]

Popping back in here after the new link-job from Flex

I've since become a convert to the 'start at the top and cruise down the right-side to about 4:00' when shooting Open.

The gun movment is much less, which makes it easier to hit every plate. If you get all your hits, it goes almost as fast as the zig-zag methods.

Zig-zagging is probably better if you shoot more slowly or miss more.