anyone out there have ideas for reactionary and / or moving targets?
My PD range officers and I are looking into cheap reactionary targets for pistol and carbine use.  We have one designed from the Maryland Shooters page (thanks guys) and it works great.  I saw some cool pics of the Florida Defensive Carbine Club monthly shoots and they had some great looking stuff.
How'd you build them?
FDCC guys can you give me any tips.

Our range really needs the help.  We have a few poppers and one "real" pop-up reactioanry target, a set of "glock" plates (not for AR's), and of course standard bad guy cardboard.

thanks

I have seen it on TV, some police depts use ballons tied to remote control cars. Looked like it works pretty well. Also looked like fun. Just a idea!

Check out [url]www.mgmtargets.com[/url] for a ton of different steel targets.  They've got auto-resetting poppers, poppers that activate silhouettes, swingers, falling plates, etc.  All in 500 Brinell armor plate and at least some are rated for rifles.  

I think it was the MD AR15 page that had an article on reactive targets with balloons.  I've seen the helium balloon on an RC car trick too.

Bowling pins & water-filled jugs/cans always react.  

We had a "running" target at one range I shot at.  Had a cable strung across the back of the range with a target frame on a pulley.  I think we used a door with rope tied to it to trigger it.  Go through the door and the runner took off.  

Another range had a runner on a cart & track, but it kept falling off the track.  Nothing like panning with the runner and having it come to a dead halt just as you pulled the trigger.

the rc car trick works really well for rifles.

i also read an article at work that simulated vicious animal engagement.
1.  balloon is tied to string.
2.  balloon is set down range about 30 feet.
3.  string is run in between shooters legs
4.  on the go signal range officer or other pulls string real fast.

the balloon will bounce and wobble side to side and close distance fast.  you shot it balloon pops.
**Remember to have shooter stop firing about 5-7 feet, or other safe distance, in front of himself so he doesn't shot his feet.
*only drawback is you get one round on target and its dead...a pitbull may need a couple.

please keep the ideas coming for CHEAP movers and reaction targets.

thanks

Silhoutte plates mounted on a pole, that can swing back and forth horizontally are put between two windows at a reaction range down here.

When you pop one, it swings into the other guys window, who has to pop it back.

There is also a walk thru with spring loaded popups triggered by different means, usually by a set of control wires/cables ran through conduit to the range operators table.  He has a row of strings/wire in wooden dowels in little slots that he pulls at the right time, and that pulls the wire/string just enough to release the spring and pop up the bad guy, or bystander target.  Works great.

The national gaurd training center down here uses motion sensors and electric eyes to activate little solenoid spring popups.  You break the light beam, sends a current to the little thingy that releases the keeper on the popup.

Hope these help.

I read one of these posts where someone said something about a balloon attached to an RC car.  This is a fine idea but what if you hit the car?  There's a lot of money down the drain.  What's wrong with filling those balloons with hellium?  My friends do this for fun using 10/22s.  It would be a bit more expencive with your AR-15 but it will still give you the fun plus working on your accruacy.  The balloons do not go streight up.  Try it some time and see how good you are.  It's a hoot!!!

there was special on tv about police snipers.  they used helium ballons attached to RC cars in order to keep moving them around (ie someone walking back and forth.  the balloon was on about 3 or 4 feet of string.  probably no chance of hitting the rc car.

unless you had a shotgun or something   :)

Actually, I think on the show that the RC car method they had 2 balloons attached. One for the BG and the other for the hostage. IIRC it was for a police sniper training.

I have my own range in my field with target benches @ 25, 50, 100, 170yds.  There are rock piles all over the field so that is what we put on the benches to shoot at.  They stop the bullet, make a puff of dust and fall over, plus there free.  What more could some one want.  See my below sign off.

try www.metaltargets.com i have had really good luck with mine.