well, I suppose there are a few ways you could do it. The main idea being to get it sprung so that it just barely hangs vertical. Could probably do away with the metal over the crossbar if you can get it sprung *just so* and the target moves from vertical with barely any force. It's probably too much mass to get it swinging the same way the chicken does, but it shouldn't be too hard to get it moving in a more satisfying manner.
I don't know if you'll get better results one way or another. I suppose you could use springs on the crossbar that twist, with enough pre-tension to help the bullet but not so much that it moves the target from vertical. Or perhaps add a support arm out the back off the crossbar and have it so the spring pulls backward on the target, with a spring stretched out that's just not quite strong enough to move the target from vertical, but once it gets hit with the bullet it'll help move the target a fair bit. And perhaps there are other ways, as well. But that's the general idea, have a spring under enough tension when the target's vertical so that it barely stays vertical, and when it gets hit the spring helps move it.
If you added a piece off the back of the crossbar to hold a spring, I imagine you could use a decent-length bolt to attach the spring and then adjust the nut to adjust the spring.
I have to wonder if the length of bar that you're hanging it from is too long to get decent movement. Have you tried a shorter length? Ray's targets use a pretty short bar.
http://www.raystargets.rgpservices.com/swingers.html
edit - I also think the additional mass of the counter-balance is hurting it. It's still more mass to get moving, even if it is a counter-balance. The counter-balance will help it keep moving longer once it's moving I guess, but to get it moving it is still eating up more energy.
I don't know if you'll get better results one way or another. I suppose you could use springs on the crossbar that twist, with enough pre-tension to help the bullet but not so much that it moves the target from vertical. Or perhaps add a support arm out the back off the crossbar and have it so the spring pulls backward on the target, with a spring stretched out that's just not quite strong enough to move the target from vertical, but once it gets hit with the bullet it'll help move the target a fair bit. And perhaps there are other ways, as well. But that's the general idea, have a spring under enough tension when the target's vertical so that it barely stays vertical, and when it gets hit the spring helps move it.
If you added a piece off the back of the crossbar to hold a spring, I imagine you could use a decent-length bolt to attach the spring and then adjust the nut to adjust the spring.
I have to wonder if the length of bar that you're hanging it from is too long to get decent movement. Have you tried a shorter length? Ray's targets use a pretty short bar.
http://www.raystargets.rgpservices.com/swingers.html
edit - I also think the additional mass of the counter-balance is hurting it. It's still more mass to get moving, even if it is a counter-balance. The counter-balance will help it keep moving longer once it's moving I guess, but to get it moving it is still eating up more energy.
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