HYSKORE's Target Hound® and the Target Hound Max® portable target supports.
The Target Hound® is designed for standard 18” width NRA IPSIC / IDPA targets. While your typical target support uses 1”x 2” dimensional lumber for its uprights, the Target Hound® has 6” deep sockets that can accommodate both 1”x2” furring and the ubiquitous 2”x 4” stud. The 30290 Target Hound Max® can also accommodate both 1”x 2” and 2”x 4” lumber but more significantly as an added feature, the distance between the uprights can be adjusted from 3” to 28”. This is a major advance since there is a wide range of targets with widths extending up to 24” and this one fixture can accommodate all of them. One of the challenges that long range rifle shooters face is having a stable target support that can be placed at known distance ranges for sighting, calibration, and competition. With the Hyskore® Target Hound® portable target support (http://hyskore.com/products/30291-target-hound/) systems any shooter with a safe place to shoot can set up their own range in a matter of minutes and then at the end of the shooting session pack up just as quickly. The ability to use both 1”x 2” and 2”x 4” lumber has several advantages. The 1”x 2” lumber is lightweight and is the convention for this type of target support. It is perfectly adequate for supporting paper targets on cardboard backers. The ability to use 2”x 4” uprights opens up additional opportunity in that now the support system has enough structural integrity for hanging steel targets (Hyskore® neither endorses nor recommends the use of this type of target due to the potential for deflection and ricochets). The Target Hound® features 6” deep sockets to securely support the wood uprights. Both of the Target Hound® target stands are constructed from heavy gauge welded steel with a durable OD Green powder coat finish. The Target Hound® features 19” long angle iron supports which can be anchored to the ground using standard 3/8” x 8” lag bolts. If it’s desired to make the base more stable in windy conditions the base is designed so that two 2”x 4”s (4’, 6’, or 8’ long) can be bolted to it to give increased wind resistance.
The Target Hound® Max likewise is designed so that additional 2”x 4” supports can be easily added to increase the base radius. This feature eliminates the need for using heavy, inconvenient sandbags for stabilization.
Portable target supports are extremely popular for several reasons. According to Richard Mann https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2013/3/25/long-range-for-dummies/ “Whacking targets at stupidly long ranges has become the cool thing to do.” In order to engage in this type of shooting activity not only do you need the appropriate rifle, scope, ammunition, etc. what’s often left unsaid is the clear need for a target support system that can be deployed at the desired distance. Another consideration is that with a portable target stand the target can be easily located the desired distance from the shooting bench. This is much easier than locating the shooting platform 100 yards from a tree or fence post. Better yet, having 2, 3, or 4 targets each at a different distance is that much better. In many areas of the country staging permanent targets in an open area frequently conflicts with other activities such as agriculture. Portable target stands very effectively work around this problem.
Anybody who is familiar with the concept of near and far zero will appreciate the portability of the Target Hound® system for sighting in rifles. Clearly having a portable target stand at the near zero starting point and evaluating elevation at that distance and then moving the target to 100 yards and progressive distances down range the shooter can record the various elevation come ups. Better yet use 2 or 3 target stands one at each desired range. According to T.W. Batzel, Jr. http://www.chuckhawks.com/marksmanship_training.htm “I’m going to do that at 25 yards or so, to make it easier to get zeroed in. Then I’ll move the target back to the typical 100 yard distance and repeat the process.” Getting your first sighting shot on the paper at 25-30 yards is a lot easier than trying to do it at 100 yards.
In typical IPSIC competition hand gun targets can be located 10-30 meters from the shooter, shotgun targets 10-50 meters, and rifle targets 15-300 meters. Usually there is a multitude of targets and to keep competitions from becoming boringly similar the distances are usually varied from one competition to the next. Without appropriate target stands that can be moved accordingly this would be impossible. Utilization of wood uprights as opposed to steel uprights offers a tremendous safety advantage. Projectiles pass through the wood freely as opposed to becoming deflected by steel. Also when the steel upright is hit by a powerful bullet it frequently is damaged beyond repair. When a 2” x 4” or 1” x 2” is hit by a bullet (or multiple bullets) replacement is a simple process.
