Anyone here find shooting at paper targets boring?

I shoot BE, love the challenge, but I bought some falling plates (6) and a duleing tree 3/3 just for fun. Paper plates are fun too.
 
We just hosted a shooting party last week. All the non paper targets were bought at Dollar general for under $20 total. After confirming zero on paper the targets included:

- Three bags of plastic pirates (think army man size). The red ones were enemy the black ones were friendly.
- Several larger dinosaurs about 6" high
- Couple of decks of cards for the poker games
- Big bag of balloons inflated
- Large bag of lollipops
- Several space ships
- Sponge Bob

While most of the shooters were under 16 a couple of the older folk got into the act. A good time was had by all.
 
Shooting a poker game? How does this work?
attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • shrug.gif
    shrug.gif
    4.4 KB · Views: 173
It is the competition and challenge that is fun.
Just blasting a lot of ammo at stuff that blows up might be fun also but it isn't as challenging and proves nothing about your shooting skills.
That said, I always enjoy matches using novelty targets.
 
I remember when breaking and blowing up stuff was getting dull. If I had not been introduced to competitive shooting with those boring old paper targets, I would probably be playing golf by now.
Click to expand...

I played a little golf, it was somewhat different then normal golf.
We had a course set up, you could use any caliber handgun you wanted, I like my 45's best.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.hntercustoms.com
 
We shoot range trash, we pick up all the steel cased Brendan primed cases we can find and shoot them with .22's from ranges of 25yds to as far as you can see them..

This was done with a mossberg m44 US at 50 yds.
Peep sights.


72qgc2.jpg

invmtj.jpg
 
Shooting those 0.25" groups with a 22LR at 50 yds really get boring after a while.

Honestly, other than with 22's, I find shooting paper kind of unsatisfying after you are confident that the rifle is sighted in properly. With handguns, sometimes it's very frustrating to learn just how bad you are on paper. :)
 
I just change the face printed on the targets and it gets interesting all over again. In all honesty I shoot for extreme accuracy so dumping mags or lots of rounds at one time does nothing for me. Now, hitting a gallon jug at 500 yards gets me excited.
Click to expand...

That pretty much sums up my answer. I like knowing that I can hit a very small area target. It's fun to watch water filled jugs explode and all that. But picking up the trash afterwards isn't the most fun I've ever had. Shooting small objects like shotgun shells or necco wafers is fun if I hit them. But if I miss, I don't often know where the round went. With bulls, I know if I'm high, low, left, right etc.

I like extreme accuracy.

Oddly enough, even though I'm a really good shot, I've never been able to make a "smiley face" on a sillouette the way Mel Gibson did in Lethal Weapon. I haven't really practiced and maybe only tried a couple of times. But I figured if I can put several rounds into a quarter sized spot, I ought to be able to "draw" a smile and two eyes.


Sgt Lumpy
 
Sounds like some of you are ready for "The Game" - you know, where you get a half hour head start and they turn the hunters loose. :D :D

I've been shooting all my life and I still don't get bored shooting targets. Maybe because after all this time I'm still a lousy shot. OK, I can drawn and hit the 10 spot at 10 feet, no problem, but at 150 feet... maybe by the time I'm 100. :(

I like water bottles and melons though. Big splash.

And we just bought a whole bunch of tannerite! :D
 
Just blasting a lot of ammo at stuff that blows up might be fun also but it isn't as challenging and proves nothing about your shooting skills.
Click to expand...

You can make it as challenging as you want to.

Put gallon milk jug full of water at 400 yards and attempt to shoot it from field positions, under time pressure. That will tell you quite a bit about your practical shooting skills........

Try "the rifle bounce": 15 milk jug targets, 5 each at 100, 200, 300,. The 100 yard firing pt. has a 4 foot tall screen in front of it. The 200 a 2 foot screen ...... screens may not be touched. (For extra difficulty, separate the firing points by 100 or more yards!) Best time wins.
 
I'm still a lousy shot. OK, I can drawn and hit the 10 spot at 10 feet, no problem, but at 150 feet... maybe by the time I'm 100.
Click to expand...

Marksmanship isn't improved in years. It's improved in round count..:)


Sgt Lumpy
 
I get bored shooting at paper targets as well. Reactive targets are more fun. Competition is even more fun. Back when we had an IPSC club close by, the only time I shot paper was to sight in a new gun or new load.
 
I take clays and hang them on a cable at my range. It is fun to see the targets break apart, but even better shooting the center out of them!
 
I shoot paper largely because I don't have opportunity to shoot much of anything else, except the occasional unlucky waterfowl that passes my way. I've had a few opportunities to shoot steel, and I like the way it rings! Growing up, we'd take a few cans out and chase them across the pasture with .22s. If I had a pasture these days, I'd probably get one of these, just 'cause they look like fun!
 
I enjoy both personally, for long distance shooting I like steel, but for the sake of practicing accuracy and actualy marksmanship, I'll shoot at paper. I'm not the greatest shot, not by any stretch of the mean, but I think it's a point of pride to be able to consistantly hit a paper target with open sights at 100+yrds off hand. To make it challenging, I like to shoot in odd positions and from different stances at varying distances.

I typically do this while out in the desert where I setup my little "rat house" style shooting run, moving from target to target seeing how well I can place my shots when the adrenalines pumping and the hands are still shaking.

For range time, off the bench, I really enjoy shooting steel though.
 
Quote:
Marksmanship isn't improved in years. It's improved in round count..
Click to expand...

..... provided the shooter uses that ammo excerising skills other than turning money into noise.
Click to expand...

Absolutely that!

I listened to a pair of guys empty 30 round clips out of their M1A last week at the range. They were shooting fast enough that the ROs checked to be sure they weren't selective fire. Went on for over an hour. 30 rounds every few seconds for 15 minutes, then range break, then repeat about 3-4 times. I estimated they easily went through 2000 rounds.

3000 x current price of .308 = a very expensive noise maker.

They were shooting at sillhouettes at the 15 yard line.


Sgt Lumpy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top