Give me ideas for cheap reactive type targets that don't litter the range.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Give me ideas for cheap reactive type targets that don't litter the range.

Posted: 8/21/2005 3:59:14 PM EDT

I know people use cheap soda cans, clay targets, etc... I want something for use in a sandpit that will move with every hit, but not spray soda or leave pieces of waste everywhere.

I've been toying with hanging a 2 liter bottle from a miniature hangmans type gallows made from two 2x4's, that I would just pound into the loose sand with a mallet when I set up. That, or a sawhorse, with 2 liter soda bottles stuck on pegs.

I'm opting for 2 liter soda bottles as I have quite a few, and can still recycle them afterwards. Plus I'm looking for a target about the size of a raccoon, as that's a common size for vermin I might dispatch.

Just scattering them on the ground doesn't always give me positive feedback, as anyone who plinks knows, alot of the time sand from a hit in front of the target can spray it and move it eventhough you were low.

I'm not a big fan of metal plates, as I've seen someone else using them and having the ocassional ricochet.

Any ideas appreciated.

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:03:31 PM EDT

[#1]

I like what you have allready said. I may try those ideas!

Empty soup cans work ok, I know thats a litte smaller than you want, but they move when hit.

I'll be checking back to see what others suggest.

Great question!

Travis

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:05:14 PM EDT

[#2]

Me and a few friends would get a bunch of 2 liter coke bottles, fill them with water and add food dye. We always used purple. Freeze overnight. Take to the range in a big cooler. Cut off the plastic bottle and leave the ice block out as a target. Ice is pretty cool when it explodes.
No mess to clean up later.

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:05:36 PM EDT

[#3]

Balloons.

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:08:14 PM EDT

[#4]

I like eggs.

One of our local groceries had them $.09 for a dozen, good cheap fun. Potatoes are also good because the animals clean up the mess.

Apples sometimes are cheap enought to use as targets, just not the way William Tell did.

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:13:47 PM EDT

[#5]

Ice.

either buy blocks or make them with cut open 1 gallon milk jugs.
CH

ETA:
MIssed 50cals post.

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:30:50 PM EDT

[#6]

Apples. Real cheap, move when you shoot them, and chipmunk food when you're done.

A .22 will splatter an apple quite nicely when used correctly.

ETA: SS109 beat me to it!

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:47:51 PM EDT

[#7]

Charcoal briquettes work really well. They turn into a big puff of dust when you hit them.

Posted: 8/21/2005 4:56:07 PM EDT

[#8]

Small/medium sized rodents.

Check your local pet shop for mice/hamsters/guinea pigs.

Secure them down with a few feet of paracord and a stake and fire away.

If you're cost conscientious, breed them yourself.

Posted: 8/21/2005 5:04:57 PM EDT

[#9]

We used to get obsoleted bowling pins from the bowling alley. They can take a ton of punishment and react well to shots. If you can't find a willing donor try making your own square ones out of treated lumber 4X4s cut to 18"

One of our range instructors was a smart ass though. He would tell you the clock doesn't stop until you clear ALL the pins off the two by four. What he DIDN'T tell you was that he screwed it to the board with a drywall screw. Pretty funny when it happened to someone else.

Posted: 8/21/2005 5:06:52 PM EDT

[#10]

"Necos" candy wafers.

Posted: 8/21/2005 5:23:57 PM EDT

[#11]

An officer friend of mine and I used to have "Potato Wars".

We'd buy a 10lb bag of potatoes and split them up. then we'd spray paint our respective "Troops" (lol) either Day-Glo orange or green and place them on the range at "around" 100 yds and race each other to see who could shoot the other guys spuds first.

It colors-up the range for a few days but the bakers rot in place 'till the next time.

Posted: 8/21/2005 7:17:46 PM EDT

[#12]

I like Ritz crackers or what ever other kind of cheap cracker I can find for the plinking with the pistol. Not enough left to worry about for 'littering' at the range and heck even the birds would have to work to get a meal out of the remains

Posted: 8/21/2005 7:31:31 PM EDT

[#13]

Just a hint: reactive targets are not always the best for training.

If you have a paper target you get to see how good or bad you're doing.

I've noticed that people don't try as hard when they are plinking at bottles, etc.

I think of it as mostly a way of having fun and keeping from getting stale with the paper targets.

Posted: 8/22/2005 7:35:49 AM EDT

[#14]

Metal Spinners?

Posted: 8/22/2005 7:43:14 AM EDT

[#15]

Tannerite leaves no mess, and actually helps clean up some of the mess left by others

Posted: 8/22/2005 7:53:23 AM EDT

[#16]

Posted: 8/22/2005 7:57:25 AM EDT

[#17]

scrap pieces of lumber

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:01:54 AM EDT

[#18]

Bird seed bells. When you hit them they blow up. Birdseed goes everywhere, but the birds come and clean up for you.

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:06:09 AM EDT

[#19]

I use those little Daisy brand shatterblast targets. I don't know what they're made of, but when I go back a week later the pieces are all gone. Bowling pins would be a good. I have never tried the ice idea, but I think I just might. MJD

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:07:40 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Bird seed bells. When you hit them they blow up. Birdseed goes everywhere, but the birds come and clean up for you.

That is an excellent idea! Are those expensive?

I'm ALL ABOUT clean shooting when in the desert - I hate these asshats who shoot up old washing machines and beer bottles and leave them there as though the desert enjoys that garbage.

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:15:33 AM EDT

[#21]

.

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:18:59 AM EDT

[#22]

Illegal aliens work wonderful.

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:21:51 AM EDT

[#23]

Bowling pins work great

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:23:25 AM EDT

[#24]

Lid from a spackle bucket.

One idea I've had but not done yet is to fill a soccer ball with a hardening foam the paint it orange.

Posted: 8/22/2005 8:30:44 AM EDT

[#25]

Fruits and veggies are great. I have in the past done a pumpkin shoot. The week after halloween some places are happy to have you haul them away,and any place that has them will be happy to have you haul the ones that are starting to go soft .
You have to pick them up but I get a kick out of chaseing golf balls around on a range with a scoped 22
My club has an enclosed 50 yard pit (two side berms ,flat floor , and a slopeing backstop 80 ft high) when you tag the golf ball or hit directly under it it will scoot op the berm or backstop and then roll back down (moveing target ! ) Anything less than a center hit drives it in crazy directions,lots of fun,a coffee can 1/2 full provides hours of shooting and will all fit back in the can for a trip to the garbage .
Years ago I went to an Easter shoot ,the targets were eggs glued to strings and hung from a gallows smacked together out of junk 2X4's. This was a man on man shoot with .22 rifles offhand at 50'. An egg is a hard 50' target when you are trying to go fast. We had considered going a shorter distance but the yolks flew 30 or 40 feet so we held to the 50. Same shooters that usually shot at 8" steel plates at 75 ft (22 rifle)
Word was the raccons were knee deep at this range for about a week after we smashed 30 dozen eggs

Posted: 8/22/2005 9:19:49 AM EDT

[#26]

My favorite, frozen water balloons. You could peel them to keep the range clean.

Posted: 8/22/2005 9:23:15 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
I like eggs.

One of our local groceries had them $.09 for a dozen, good cheap fun. Potatoes are also good because the animals clean up the mess.

Apples sometimes are cheap enought to use as targets, just not the way William Tell did.

eggs stink when they rot

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:09:10 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Bird seed bells. When you hit them they blow up. Birdseed goes everywhere, but the birds come and clean up for you.

That is an excellent idea! Are those expensive?

I'm ALL ABOUT clean shooting when in the desert - I hate these asshats who shoot up old washing machines and beer bottles and leave them there as though the desert enjoys that garbage.

Last time I bought them, they were on close out 5 for $1. I bought all they had (60). They lasted about 2 range trips.

You could probably make them yourself with some thin wood glue and a mold or two.

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:23:33 AM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:
Fruits and veggies are great. I have in the past done a pumpkin shoot. The week after halloween some places are happy to have you haul them away,and any place that has them will be happy to have you haul the ones that are starting to go soft .
You have to pick them up but I get a kick out of chaseing golf balls around on a range with a scoped 22
My club has an enclosed 50 yard pit (two side berms ,flat floor , and a slopeing backstop 80 ft high) when you tag the golf ball or hit directly under it it will scoot op the berm or backstop and then roll back down (moveing target ! ) Anything less than a center hit drives it in crazy directions,lots of fun,a coffee can 1/2 full provides hours of shooting and will all fit back in the can for a trip to the garbage .
Years ago I went to an Easter shoot ,the targets were eggs glued to strings and hung from a gallows smacked together out of junk 2X4's. This was a man on man shoot with .22 rifles offhand at 50'. An egg is a hard 50' target when you are trying to go fast. We had considered going a shorter distance but the yolks flew 30 or 40 feet so we held to the 50. Same shooters that usually shot at 8" steel plates at 75 ft (22 rifle)
Word was the raccons were knee deep at this range for about a week after we smashed 30 dozen eggs

+!
Usually take a cheap bag of oranges or granny smith apples. VERY 'reactive'. No cleanup required, critters take care of it for you.

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:24:43 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I like eggs.

One of our local groceries had them $.09 for a dozen, good cheap fun. Potatoes are also good because the animals clean up the mess.

Apples sometimes are cheap enought to use as targets, just not the way William Tell did.

eggs stink when they rot

just for a day or two, in the open. And they're downrange, anyway.

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:29:44 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
Ice.

either buy blocks or make them with cut open 1 gallon milk jugs.
CH

ETA:
MIssed 50cals post.

+1 on the ice. Yogurt containers work great too. Very impressive when hit. If you're looking for small targets, use ice cubes.

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:33:00 AM EDT

[#32]

kittens?

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:35:06 AM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
Bird seed bells. When you hit them they blow up. Birdseed goes everywhere, but the birds come and clean up for you.

And when the birds show up, you have even more targets!

I think I'll pass on cracking a joke about killing two birds with one...nahhhhh

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:37:46 AM EDT

[#34]

I've used clay pigeons. The only downside is figuring out how to secure them.

Posted: 8/22/2005 11:42:16 AM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
I've used clay pigeons. The only downside is figuring out how to secure them.

we usually just toss them onto the berm..... that way they're slightly angled so we can see them.

Posted: 8/22/2005 12:27:46 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
Small/medium sized rodents.

Check your local pet shop for mice/hamsters/guinea pigs.

Secure them down with a few feet of paracord and a stake and fire away.

If you're cost conscientious, breed them yourself.

Damn, I'm not a member of PETA, but I would even think that was cruel. Shame on you.

Vulcan94

Posted: 8/22/2005 12:29:05 PM EDT

[#37]

I can't believe TANNERITE has not been mentioned yet...

Posted: 8/22/2005 2:14:52 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Small/medium sized rodents.

Check your local pet shop for mice/hamsters/guinea pigs.

Secure them down with a few feet of paracord and a stake and fire away.

If you're cost conscientious, breed them yourself.

Damn, I'm not a member of PETA, but I would even think that was cruel. Shame on you.

Vulcan94

Okay... forget the securing them with paracord and a stake part.

Posted: 8/22/2005 2:18:28 PM EDT

[#39]

taggage

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Give me ideas for cheap reactive type targets that don't litter the range.

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