Along with some other friends who enjoy firearms and history, Zach Martin and Konner Hafner of Rock Springs love hearing bullets wallop a hardened steel target.
“Everybody loves that sound when you smack the steel. It’s so satisfying. It’s like, ‘Oh Yeah, I hit it!’” Martin Told Cowboy State Daily.
He and Hafner are part of small, informal group that likes to collect and shoot vintage military firearms, such as the Soviet M44 Mosin Nagant or the legendary U.S. infantry rifle, the M1 Garand.
But they were having problems finding a place to shoot, particularly in the evenings after work. There’s a steel plate target set up near town at the base of White Mountain, and the local shooting range also has lanes for rifle shooting.
The problem is, those targets are all oriented in a way that the setting sun is in the shooter’s eyes during evenings.
There are also some parcels of public land near town where shooting is allowed, but those are frequently full of junk and litter left behind by irresponsible people.
So Martin, an engineer, and Hafner, who is the band director at Rock Springs High School, took it upon themselves to clean up a spot east of town and set up a hardened steel target there. And they’ve left the target, which cost more than $100, out there so others can enjoy it too.
“We’re just trying to give back to our community a little bit and trying to provide an opportunity for people to shoot responsibly,” Martin said.
Cool New Rifle, Nowhere To Shoot It
A little while back, one of the friends found a 1903 Springfield rifle that was in great shape, setting the group abuzz with excitement.
The 1903 Springfield was a rugged, reliable bolt-action rifle chambered in .30-06 and carried by U.S. troops in World War I. It also saw service early in World War II before it was largely replaced by the semiautomatic M1 Garand rifle.
The friends were eager to go run a few rounds though such a great historical piece, but ran into problems.
“So we went to shoot the steel plate (at White Mountain), the only problem was, it was late in the day and the sun was right in our eyes. It made shooting the target very difficult,” Martin said.
“We could have gone to the shooting range south of town, but the lanes also look directly west into the setting sun. We’ve had that problem several times because my friends and I all work day jobs and we usually end up going in the evenings after work,” he added.
Taking The Initiative
Compounding the problem is the messes that are frequently left behind on public land when people make targets out of cans, bottles and even broken-down household appliances.
“I hate it when I go out into the desert and there’s just garbage laying around everywhere,” Martin said. “Some of those places will end up full of shot-up washers and dryers, microwaves and gigantic piles of other crap.”
So he and Hafner decided to invest in a bright yellow A500 steel plate target, and some poles and chains to mount it on.
A500 steel is specially hardened to take hits from high-powered rifles. Most bullets pancake and shatter when they strike it.
“If you’re trying to use something like a .30-06 on regular steel, the bullets just rip right through it,” Martin said.
Once they had the plate, poles and chains, they set about looking for a place to set the target up. They finally found a spot with a southeast-facing view to keep the evening sun out of shooters’ eyes.
It also met their safety requirements.
“It’s got a nice backdrop, and there’s a high berm there, so you’re not going to have an issue with ricochets, either,” Martin said.
They cleaned it up, set up the target and enjoyed firing off a few rounds at it.
It’s a good spot for beginner or casual shooters, Martin said. The maximum distance to the target is roughly 150 yards.
“For us, when we’re testing out those old rifles, they might not be all that accurate at longer distances,” he said. “We also thought it would be good for people who are teaching their kids to shoot, because at 150 yards, they’ll be able to get more hits and not get discouraged.”
‘Please Don’t Shoot The Chains’
It felt nice to do some good for the community and promote responsible shooting, Martin said.
“We just thought it would be nice if we could provide a place where people can do quick shooting excursions close to town,” he said. “It should also help cut down on the littler problem. People won’t have to bring out cans and bottles and stuff to use as targets, because there’s already a target out there.”
They’re also trying to set an example.
“It hope this catches on and become a trend in other Wyoming communities that need something like this,” he said.
He and his friends also hope their donation to the community is treated with respect and that nobody steals the expensive target.
It’s important that shooters do their best to hit only the steel plate target, not the poles and chains used to mount it.
“There’s always some kids who might be tempted to try shooting the chains,” Martin said. “So when we posted on social media to let people know about the target, we put in there ‘please don’t shoot the chains.’”
Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com
Konner Hafner, a high school teacher from Rock Springs, likes collecting and shooting vintage military firearms – such as this 1944 M1 Garand U.S. infantry rifle. He and his friend Zach Martin set up a steel target east of town on public land, so everybody can use it. (Courtesy Photo) 
Zach Martin, an engineer from Rock Springs, likes collecting and shooting vintage military rifles – such as this Soviet M44 Mosin Nagant. He and his friend Konner Hafner set up a steel target east of town on public land, so everybody can use it. (Courtesy Photo)
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
