Bell target query

[mel h]

I've been collecting bits and pieces together for a while and am now ready to start my bell target project. I've seen a few in the flesh and looked at loads of pictures online, made a few sketches and have various ideas going round my head.
I've seen some where the pellet strikes a swinging lever arrangement (which I think I prefer), and some with a plunger, Is there any preference or standard?
Is One inch, Two inch and Three inch, normal for the rings or do they go higher?
Mel.

[DCL_dave]

I made a bell target for our club, it is left outside in all weather and has been in use for about 3 years now with no probs bar needing the occasional drop of oil.

From memory, it is a simple heavy steel plate of about 8mm thick with a hole through which you shoot, at the back is an alarm bell with a simple upside-down mounted L shaped lever made from some heavy 2" angle iron, a hole drilled though the angle and a bit of rod so it hangs there on two brackets welded either side of the hole....shoot through the hole, hit the lever which pivots on the rod and hits the bell giving a nice audible ding...it is a very simple yet bombproof design.

I'm going to the club tomorrow so if I remember I'll take a few pics, a picture says a thousand words as they say...

[deejayuu]

"I'm going to the club tomorrow so if I remember I'll take a few pics, a picture says a thousand words as they say..."

Yes please!

[Josie & John]

Hi Mel,

The graduations you mention are standard. As for preference, both plunger actuated and 'straight through' targets had/have their fans. The former requires a good hit with enough residual energy to release the mechanism and is not quite so forgiving of 'edged' shots. The latter can result in higher scores if the club rule is any slight ding counts as a 5. The fairest way is to score each pellet as soon as it has been fired, using the central dimple but this is not always practical and can be time consuming. Some 1930s shooters moved away from bell targets completely on the basis that 'edged' shots could potentially score higher than they ought to. These shooters scored on paper using the same dimensions. If everyone in the club uses the same target and scoring, all well and good but if two clubs within a league use different mechanisms, scores will not be consistent.

Hope that helps.

Kind regards,

John

[DCL_dave]

Pics, as promised, hopefully you can see how this simple target works...

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/y...psdepvyvf1.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/y...psqcw9em15.jpg

http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy29/davidclawrence/SN852959_zpsxuqvsw4o.jpg

http://s774.photobucket.com/user/dav...tml?sort=3&o=1

As you can see it is not a standard sized bell target, the hole through the front is 3/4" and it is usually placed at 23 yards on the plinking range. The one moving part, the upside-down L shaped hammer/lever, is actually quite heavy for what it is, the pivot hole is drilled through the angle so that the hammer is angled backwards...partial/edge shots do not have the momentum to lift the hammer onto the bell...seems to work well anyway.


Acording to my club mates, I made this at least 4 years ago so it has stood the test of time, all weathers, and the the constant hammering of up to 12fpe airguns quit well with no signs of cracking on the bell (which is what seems to happen if you the shot strikes the bell directly...) I bought a proper TR Robb bell target face plate awhile ago and plan to fit it to the face of this target.

[Phil Russell]

I have a (very) home made one in the garage. The front plate is a 41/2" 3mm steel square with the regulation bell target hole in the middle (3/8" ??). The rings have been cut into the surface of the plate at regulation distances to about 1/2mm deep. The bell is a cheap handbell from Poundland (£1) supported behind the plate such that a pellet through the plate dings on the bell about 2cm from the edge. Works well for 6ft lbs and below but I would never trust my bell with full power rifles. Variations have been a plunger or swinging arm to ding the bell or even a plunger to make an electrical contact and so cause a light to shine. All just fun projects for wet Sunday afternoons.
I believe if you search the web you may well find a fully detailed design to make your own official bell target.
Cheers, Phil

[mel h]

Thanks everyone for the replies. The photo's from Dave are proof that a simple system will probably last for ever and be quite adequate, I've got lots of ideas going round in my head at the moment, together with plenty of time to spare so I'm thinking of something a bit more advanced with a nice little flag that pops out of the top.. I'm leaning a little more to the central plunger idea, as opposed to the swinging bar / pendulum that I first thought of.

Dave, that's some interesting old machinery you have there.

Mel.

[DCL_dave]

Dave, that's some interesting old machinery you have there.

Mel.

Cheers Mel, must admit that I'm a sucker for any old cast iron machinery and such like...I just muck about though, don't really know what I'm doing with it...

[deejayuu]

Luv it. Simple and effective. I'll get my saw!

[mel h]

Cheers Mel, must admit that I'm a sucker for any old cast iron machinery and such like...I just muck about though, don't really know what I'm doing with it...

Know the feeling well.

Mel.