[gemcityshooter]

Does anyone have a good height for a Cooper Tunnel? I will be making one and was thinking of 4-1/2 ft high. Just low enough to make people duck, but not need to crawl. I have some older shooters that wouldn't appreciate needing to crouchdown. 4-1/2 feet seem ok? Maybe 4ft?

[Alan Meek]

I prefer cooper tunnels that are 6' high

This post has been edited by Alan Meek: 29 August 2007 - 06:15 AM

[ChuckS]

With respect for the Colonel, the tunnels should be at least the same height as him. I believe he was about 6'8".

[Heavy Metal Only]

The IPSC handbook says2.2.5 Cooper Tunnels can be any height. Don't worry any height will bring complaint. You should make them all crawl under a 2 foot high tunnel, then they will all be mad.

[ChuckS]

I just found the Cooper Tunnel website: http://www.charlesto...nnel_cooper.htm

They look fairly large...

[Coach]

Heavy Metal Only, on Aug 29 2007, 06:40 AM, said:

The IPSC handbook says2.2.5 Cooper Tunnels can be any height. Don't worry any height will bring complaint. You should make them all crawl under a 2 foot high tunnel, then they will all be mad.

I built one two years ago at the Indiana State match and I had it set at 57" high I think. Just enough for most people to have to duck. Only one shooter knocked any of the overhead boards down. Most shooters were greatly relieved when they saw it.

Cooper Tunnels instill in anyone who knows what they are. I think they should be high enough for big people to not be completely handicapped.

[BerKim]

One of those things that short people like, taller people hate.. lol

At 5' 7" we have people that wouldn't even have to slow down from a full run.

We'll have to come up with ways to handicap the vertcally challenged folks the same amount on another stage.

[Alan Meek]

Actually for vertical challenge equity on a stage where you feel the misconceived need to use a cooper tunnel there should also be a comparitve challenge for those that are vertically challenged on the same stage. Kind of a high and low challenge.

[Jim Taylor]

gemcityshooter, on Aug 29 2007, 06:10 AM, said:

Does anyone have a good height for a Cooper Tunnel? I will be making one and was thinking of 4-1/2 ft high. Just low enough to make people duck, but not need to crawl. I have some older shooters that wouldn't appreciate needing to crouchdown. 4-1/2 feet seem ok? Maybe 4ft?

4 feet is good. Uncomfortable, but not impossible. I use 4' X 8' panels with sticks across the top.

Best regards,

Jim Taylor

[tightloop]

What happened to reality...the Cooper Tunnel in the Cooper Assault was 2' high...get your big A** on the ground and crawl...

Guess the new ones are more politically correct....

[maineshootah]

Jim Taylor, on Aug 29 2007, 11:02 AM, said:

gemcityshooter, on Aug 29 2007, 06:10 AM, said:

Does anyone have a good height for a Cooper Tunnel? I will be making one and was thinking of 4-1/2 ft high. Just low enough to make people duck, but not need to crawl. I have some older shooters that wouldn't appreciate needing to crouchdown. 4-1/2 feet seem ok? Maybe 4ft?

4 feet is good. Uncomfortable, but not impossible. I use 4' X 8' panels with sticks across the top.

Best regards,

Jim Taylor

Let me guess.. you are shorter that 6'4".

4'? UG!


We had one of these at the AWARE/AREA7. I think it was closer to 5'.
They are a fun twist.

[BerKim]

tightloop, on Aug 29 2007, 08:08 AM, said:

What happened to reality...the Cooper Tunnel in the Cooper Assault was 2' high...get your big A** on the ground and crawl...

Guess the new ones are more politically correct....

This is actually more fair... force everyone to low crawl...

[mactiger]

tightloop, on Aug 29 2007, 10:08 AM, said:

What happened to reality...the Cooper Tunnel in the Cooper Assault was 2' high...get your big A** on the ground and crawl...

Guess the new ones are more politically correct....

Yeah, buddy.
What he said.

Troy

[tightloop]

mactiger, on Aug 29 2007, 10:24 AM, said:

tightloop, on Aug 29 2007, 10:08 AM, said:

What happened to reality...the Cooper Tunnel in the Cooper Assault was 2' high...get your big A** on the ground and crawl...

Guess the new ones are more politically correct....

Yeah, buddy.
What he said.

Troy

Just another example of "...we can't do that because the shooters with "space" holsters might loose their pistols in the tunnel and be DQ'ed...not to mention having to draw weakhanded after exiting the tunnel at the portal..."

Lame....

[Coach]

What if someone's big ass won't fit into a two foot space. I could name some names, but won't.

[tightloop]

RoyceLowellPatton, on Aug 29 2007, 12:03 PM, said:

What if someone's big ass won't fit into a two foot space. I could name some names, but won't.

Tough beans..

[gemcityshooter]

Easy kids! Don't make me turn this forum around and head home!

[tightloop]

gemcityshooter, on Aug 29 2007, 01:44 PM, said:

Easy kids! Don't make me turn this forum around and head home!

Just saying that the real Cooper tunnel is 2'Hx4'wx8'l not this 4' high stuff...

This post has been edited by tightloop: 29 August 2007 - 12:24 PM

[Jim Taylor]

gemcityshooter, on Aug 29 2007, 06:10 AM, said:

Does anyone have a good height for a Cooper Tunnel? I will be making one and was thinking of 4-1/2 ft high. Just low enough to make people duck, but not need to crawl. I have some older shooters that wouldn't appreciate needing to crouchdown. 4-1/2 feet seem ok? Maybe 4ft?

Here is a link to the SketchUp Model.

Cooper Tunnel

Best regards,

Jim Taylor

Attached File(s)

•  Cooper_Tunnel.jpg (122.17K)
  Number of downloads: 32

[kimel]

My favorite thing to do with Cooper Tunnels as a stage designer is to include ports in the walls that shooters need to shoot through to engage targets. I usually use a 4' high tunnel. That is enough to cause consternation and create a challenge...especially if the ports are lowwwwwww.

[dajarrel]

kimel, on Aug 31 2007, 08:47 AM, said:

My favorite thing to do with Cooper Tunnels as a stage designer is to include ports in the walls that shooters need to shoot through to engage targets. I usually use a 4' high tunnel. That is enough to cause consternation and create a challenge...especially if the ports are lowwwwwww.

The 2006 GA state match had low ports, like on the ground, in a cooper tunnel. Most people were finishing up there so the big challenge was getting down to the port w/o sweeping yourself. IIRC, it was about 4 ft high.
I wouldn't have any objection to a cooper tunnel at 2 feet high. At least everyone would have to crawl or squirm through it and some of the really short people wouldn't run through it.

FWIW

dj


edited for spellin

This post has been edited by dajarrel: 01 September 2007 - 04:54 AM

[geezer-lock]

I have done “real” Cooper tunnels but that was a looooog time ago. My biggest worry then was keeping my new Ernie Hill FastTrak rig out of the gravel. Although I am a bunch lighter now I am not really “smaller” where it counts. On my hands and knees my back is at 29”, in a plank position I am still nearly 20”, so a two foot tunnel is a “crawl on your belly like a rep=i=tile” trip for me.

I don’t worry any about the gun falling out but I do have some concerns about where the muzzle is pointing. I don’t give a hoot about “PC” but I think the real reason we abandoned the really low height was the safety issue. A middling tunnel with shooting points keeps the gun where it belongs and presents plenty of challenge for shooters of all shapes and sizes.

David C

[JFD]

The condition of a lot of our knees is why I wouldn't shoot a match with a 2' high CT. That's the only thing that would make me turn around and go home. Surgery is expensive, especially for no reason in a sport that is supposed to be about shooting challenges, not obstacle courses.

Driving away shooters isn't good business.

[Joe4d]

seems like obstacle and port builders allways penalize taller people, I can only remember one and only one obstacle that penalized short people, I wouldnt care much one way or the other as long as the prop height advantages or disadvantages were spread out. Course I guess I need to quit complaining, as another thing I have never herd or seen was the comment, "NO you cant help build the stage or design a COF"

[ima45dv8]

I'm with you, Joe, but don't try it.

I set up a stage for Area 6 two years ago that 'favored' taller shooters in one spot, and a couple of the Little Folk threatened to arbitrate and have the stage thrown out. I don't know it they would have won the arb, but the mess it would have caused just wasn't worth it. We modified the stage to ensure it wouldn't get tossed.