Building an Indoor Moving Target Range

Part II - The Moving Target System

 Pat's bowhunting Tips


To See Part I - The Backstop Click Here


 Components  What I Used
Motor  Dayton Gear Motor
Model 2Z803C
52:1 gearing
1/15 hp. 1.3 amp
27 in. lb torque
Speed Control Special Potentiometer matched to gear motor
Cable 1/4" O-Ring Cord
Target Various Sized Balloons

*Note - You must use a gear motor. With a gear motor such as the one listed above, you can vary the speed down to a crawl. A regular motor would burn out at those slow speeds and could become a fire hazard.


  1. Mount the Gear Motor on a support beam or make a sturdy drop down from a rafter. You need to run a 14 ga. wire to a special potentiometer which allows you to vary the speed of the motor. Attach a 3" pulley to the drive shaft.
  2. Measure the correct distance of 1/4" O-Ring cord and glue the ends together with super glue so they are flush and look like one continuous cable. You can find O'Ring cord at any machine or manufacturing supply store. They will cut it to length. Once measured, cut and glued, stretch it across the front of your target by looping it around the pulley at the motor and a 3" ball-bearing pulley mounted opposite side of the backstop.
  3. Take an ordinary Fishing leader and simply loop it around one side of the O-Ring Cord and clip it to itself (as shown). This is important. If this is not held on loosely as shown, it will wrap itself around the cord as it twists and get tangled in the pulleys.
  4. Cut off the other end of the fishing leader and attach an alligator clip to it. This will be used to quickly change balloons which are the targets.

 

5. Purchase a bulk bag of Balloons in various sizes. The 12" size is great fun and you will pop lots of them. As you get better at moving targets, you can simply purchase smaller sizes like 9 and 6" until the ultimate - water balloons - which are about 2" in diameter.

 

 

By using smaller diameter balloons and adjusting the speed at which they are moving - you have a great moving target system for very little money!

- Missing is half the fun! 

Video Demonstrations

Watch Pat demonstrate the system on a 10" balloon

 Windows AVI (450k)

Watch Pat demonstrate the system on a 2" water balloon

Windows AVI (800k)  

 

Full System Design and Demonstration using a 10" and 2" balloon in RealVideo. You need the RealPlayer to view this

moving target System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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