If you shoot often then you know that there’s a lot more needed in the shooting sports than just your firearm and ammunition. Especially if you shoot outdoors and at competitions, there’s a lot more gear that’s often needed. One of which is probably as essential as your gun itself. Targets. Unless you just shoot at tin cans all the time, your targets and target stands are pretty vital. I do a lot of shooting out in the desert, so I have to bring my own targets with me. I also have to haul them back as well, don’t litter boys and girls!
I’ve tried all sorts of target bases, frames, stands, spinner targets etc. But sometimes you want a target and stand that’s more versatile than the average fair you find at your local shop. Enter the Swivel Hip Target Stand.
At first glance it looks overly complicated, especially compared to some of the other target stands on the market. And honestly it is really over engineered, but that’s where it really shines. It holds two wood furring strips that you can staple your cardboard backing to like many other target stands, but it does more than that. Quite a bit more actually.
The Swivel Hip Target stand is made to be pretty much the only target stand you really need. Its major selling point is its ability to be angled and swiveled in almost any direction to fit on any terrain. Shooting on the side of a hill? No problem. Want your bad guy silhouette target to look like he’s peeking around a corner at your next shooting competition? Piece of cake.
The Swivel Hip Target Stand has five degrees of adjustment to help compensate for uneven ground surfaces or shooting setups. It has a really wide three-point stance and a very low center of gravity, making it very stable. No more stopping your shooting session to go pick up your target when the wind kicks up.
It holds two standard sized 3/4″ x 1 1/2″ furring strips which are held in place by two thumb screws. The stand also comes with a flat wrench which is used to take the stand apart and to loosen and tighten various bolts to change the angle of the stand. At the end of your shooting session the Swivel Hip stand also folds down making it easy to transport to and from your vehicle to your range.
Final Thoughts
I got to use the Swivel Hip Target Stand for a number of months and at many range sessions. While it does take a little while longer to set up than many other target stands, it does so much more. It’s a pretty strong stand as well, made of all steel construction, I actually hit it with a few .22lr rounds by accident and they did nothing more than scrape the paint and leave a little ding. Of course I don’t recommend shooting the stand itself.
The only downfall to the Swivel Hip Target Stand is its price, at $159 it will be hard for new shooters or shooters on a budget to stomach. But if you shoot often or do a lot of competitive shooting then the price is not really that much of an issue. Especially when you factor how much usage you will get out of it. I’m a fan of the saying “buy once cry once”, which pretty much means buy the best that you can afford. If you’re a serious shooter, or if you shoot outdoors often on BLM land, your own backyard, wherever, the Swivel Hip Target Stand is definitely worth a try. Check them out at swivelhiptargets.com.
Pros
– Large stable base
– Ability to be angled in various directions
– Breaks down for easy transport
– Sturdy steel construction
Cons
– Price
– Time consuming to set up and take down
Check out all of our past reviews at our Reviews Page.
Pretty interesting design, prob great for IDPA