Review: ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target

By Friedrich Seiltgen

Posted in
#Gear

In this article, Friedrich Seiltgen reviews the ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target designed for air guns. Used during the testing is a Springfield Armory M1A .22-caliber air rifle with H&N pellets — both of which were provided to the author by the company to facilitate this review.

The ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target caught my eye as a quick and easy expedient target for field use. The ROJO target was created by former NCAA Division 1 athletes who wanted a better practice target than the standard shooter tutors they trained with. Conventional targets are bulky and require more setup time, which means less trigger time.

Here’s the ROJO RJ4 target and Springfield M1A air rifle, ready for range testing. Both are covered in detail in this ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target review and stand out for their build quality.

The ROJO Tactical Target is 11.5 inches long, with a 4-inch target area, a 1.75-inch middle ring, and a red 1-inch bullseye. It’s made from ultra-premium high-tech polyurethane, and the target area utilizes a screen printing technique that remains visible and will never crack or peel. It is weatherproof, highly durable, and will last for hundreds of rounds, or even thousands, depending on the type of ammo used, as well as other factors such as range and velocity.

The ROJO team put their engineering backgrounds to use and designed this target to make skills shooting as quick and easy as possible. They wanted an easy-to-use, durable and practical target to help serious athletes take their shooting game to the next level.

Use of the target is simple: wrap the tail around a tree branch, hanger, or target stand to the desired tension, then insert the tail tip into the slot on the target arm. If you want to shoot at ground level, simply push the semi-rigid tail into the ground and start shooting.

A ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target is shown up close with many visible pellet marks and holes across its surface. The red bullseye and white printed rings are still clearly visible despite heavy use. You can see concentrated shot patterns, including some overlapping impacts where the target took repeated hits. The polyurethane material shows surface wear but holds its shape, with no major cracks or broken pieces. This photo is a practical example for the Rojo RJ4 Tactical Target review, highlighting real-world durability after extensive range sessions. — The ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target after a long shooting session, with visible shot patterns and heavy use. This shot is typical of what you can expect after testing durability for this ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target review.

The ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target is made from an ultra-premium polyurethane, and the target area uses a screen printing technique that stays visible and will last for hundreds of rounds, or even thousands, depending on what type of ammo is used, as well as other factors like range and velocity.

I thought what better way to field test the ROJO target than with a Springfield Armory M1A Underlever Pellet Rifle.

The Rifle

The M1A Pellet Rifle is a beautiful copy of the 7.62mm rifle. Available in .177 and .22 caliber, it’s manufactured by Air Venturi under a licensing agreement with Springfield Armory. This rifle is solid, weighing in at 9.9 pounds with a length of 45.6”, which is about one inch longer than the .308 version.

The spring piston operating system requires 35 lbs. of force to cock, and it’s equipped with an extendable underlever placed where the gas cylinder would be that extends about another 6” for more leverage for smaller-framed shooters.

A Springfield Armory M1A underlever air rifle is shown against a plain background, clearly designed for .22 caliber pellets. The rifle features a classic wooden stock, a metal barrel, and an underlever for cocking. The sights and trigger guard are visible, and the rifle has realistic details that match the original M14 design. This image helps illustrate the airgun used in the Rojo RJ4 Tactical Target review, especially for readers interested in realistic replica rifles. Useful for anyone wanting a visual reference for the Springfield M1A pellet rifle discussed in the article. — The Springfield M1A underlever pellet rifle chambered for .22 caliber pellets. This is the same airgun used for all the field testing in this ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target review.

The 18.9” barrel is rifled steel with a faux flash suppressor made of polymer. Sights are a rear peep sight adjustable for windage and elevation with a fixed blade front sight. It’s equipped with a two-stage non-adjustable trigger with a manual safety that’s a pivoting tab located on the front of the trigger guard.

[Be sure to read Dr. Will Dabbs’ Springfield Armory M1A underlever pellet rifle review.]

The rifle features a nicely finished wooden stock that matches the Springfield National Match version, a recoil pad with rubber insert, and a polymer upper handguard instead of the original fiberglass unit.

There are threaded holes on the left side of the action to attach an available scope mount. Although it’s non-functioning, there is a spring-loaded charging handle on the right side that adds to the realistic look and feel of the rifle.

A Springfield Armory M1A air rifle is positioned next to a tin of .22 caliber pellets and a ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target. The rifle’s wooden stock and metal barrel are clearly visible, and the pellets are shown in an open container with several loose rounds nearby. The ROJO target is set out flat or propped up, displaying its red bullseye and target rings. This arrangement gives a straightforward view of all the gear used in the Rojo RJ4 Tactical Target review, making it easy to see what was tested. Useful for readers who want to see the combination of rifle, ammunition, and target used in the field tests. — The author’s set-up for field testing, with the M1A pellet rifle, .22 caliber pellets and ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target all laid out. This is the gear used for hands-on evaluation in the ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target review.

Due to the underlever action, the rifle is not equipped with the standard M1A sling. There are, however, sling options available specifically for this type of action. Even without the box magazine, the Springfield Armory M1A air rifle does a great job of matching the appearance and feel of the original. Perhaps a faux magazine is in its future?

If you are unfamiliar with an underlever rifle, the loading port is frequently called a “bear trap”. When loading the rifle on specific models, care must be taken not to touch the trigger, or the bear trap will close and give your finger a sound bite.

The Springfield M1A doesn’t have that issue as it features a cocking lever release that is located on the left side of the rifle where the bolt release would be on a standard M1A. It requires the shooter to press down on the release and move the cocking lever back into its bracket/firing position, which simultaneously closes the loading port. The velocity is rated at up to 1,000 feet per second in .177 caliber and up to 800 feet per second in .22 caliber.

Testing

I had never fired an underlever air rifle before, but the simple operation of the M1A air rifle got me in a rhythm remarkably quickly. As noted, the cocking lever requires 35 pounds to cock the rifle, and the extension is great for smaller-framed shooters. The length of pull was about right at 13”.

The author is pictured seated at an outdoor table, aiming the Springfield M1A air rifle toward a distant ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target. The table is used as a steady shooting platform, with pellets and shooting accessories laid out nearby. The author is focused on the sights, demonstrating a typical shooting position for target testing. In the background, the ROJO target is visible, set up for accuracy testing as described in the Rojo RJ4 Tactical Target review. This scene gives a realistic look at how the product was field tested with the actual rifle and target setup. — Testing in progress with the M1A air rifle and ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target. Shooting from a table is a simple way to check accuracy and performance for this ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target review.

I mounted the ROJO target to an old sign frame and left it a little loose so that it could spin freely when hit. I ran through some rounds of German-made H&N Barracuda 18 match grade .22 caliber pellets at different distances, and the ROJO target came out with marks on the screen printing, and a few small holes where rounds struck in the same place. The ROJO took a lot of punishment and was ready for more. It’s a great design that’s simple, quick to set up, and makes an excellent addition to your range bag.

The Springfield M1A finished with flying colors. It looks very much like the iconic M14, and it’s highly accurate out of the box, with an outstanding balance to it. The trigger pull and break were consistent and excellent for an air rifle of this type, and the spring piston provided plenty of consistent power to spin the ROJO target around several revolutions.

A close-up view captures the process of setting up the ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target, with hands securing the tail into its locking slot on a sturdy support. The screen-printed target face is clear, showing the bullseye and rings, while the background suggests a simple outdoor shooting range. The photo demonstrates the ease of installation as discussed in the Rojo RJ4 Tactical Target review. The setup looks straightforward, requiring no tools or extra hardware. This helps readers visualize exactly how to get the target ready for testing. — Preparing the ROJO RJ4 for live fire with a quick, tool-free setup. The ease of use is exactly what’s discussed in this article.

The Springfield M1A replica air rifle is a joy to shoot. With a price of around $250 for a rifle and ammunition, it makes an excellent choice to take to the field for hunting small game, pest control, or the backyard for some plinking time with friends and family. With the cost of .308 ammunition these days, it’s also an inexpensive way to train the next generation of shooters on the basics like the safe handling of firearms, aim small — miss small, sight picture, and the shooting sports.

So, with the excellent M1A Underlever Pellet Rifle and the ROJO RJ4 Tactical Target, you have the means to not only have a lot of fun trigger time but also tune up your shooting skills. Sounds like a great deal to me!

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