Convenient reactive targets for centerfire?

K

Kayser

New member
I love my Garand, but shooting paper at 100 yards is pretty boring. I would love some sort of reactive target that doesn't involve lugging 70 pounds of armor plate around.

I've tried balloons, but they're just way too easy to hit. So I end up spending way more time blowing them up and tying them than shooting.

I've seen a couple of centerfire-rated targets on the internet here and there but they're pricey and don't really float my boat.

So, suggestions? Someone here must have a clever idea for a reactive target that is a.) challenging to shoot (say, 4"?) b.) is easily visible and c.) either resets itself or requires minimum fuss to reset. And I suppose I might as well throw in d.) sits reasonably far above the ground so that I'm not just shootin clods of dirt.

Thanks!
 
Eggs are a target that will test your marksmanship at 100-200+yards..

Clay skeet/pigeons normally thrown for shotgun trap shooting are always a good time. I think Caldwell makes several stands/holders that would do the trick for you.

You could also use a set of wooden sawhorses to hold the clays up. Drill ten or so 1/2" holes in the top 2x4, then put 3" lengths of 1/2" dowell rods in the holes, lean the clays up against the dowell rods, shoot, repeat. Carry a few extra dowell rods to the range to replace the one's you'll wind up shooting.

Save your empty soda pop bottles and cans, fill them up with water, freeze them, put 'em in a cooler to transport and set them up at whatever range you like. Just be sure to clean up after yourself and make sure your range allows such targets.

Staple some wood scraps to a paper plate or pie plate, hang them from a stand. They should swing back and forth when you hit the wood. For that matter, you could just hang up some 2x4 scraps or cut-up wood pallets from a stand and do the same thing...

For 50yd .22LR and .17HMR targets I've put metal thumbtacks into a piece of cardboard. Shoot the thumbtacks out the other side.

If you, your neighbor, buddy, etc are replacing a floor, save the ceramic tiles and shoot them (if allowed by your range).


For glass and plastic, be sure to lay down a big tarp around the target area to help make cleanup easier/quicker.
 
Not reactive, but you can download some of the "dartboard" targets and play with your friends, it's fun, especially if you've ever played darts.
 
Go to Targets From U.S. and get one of their AR 500 steel flipping targets for $22-100 plus shipping. I bought three of the 2.5" flippers on a special that was running, now I'm just waiting for delivery. I'm hoping they will be in soon so I can review them. They will make you a 2.5" ($22) all the way up to 8" ($100) round flipping target, best thing is you can walk these out since they are self resetting. I think the 4.5" flipper would be perfect for what you are wanting and will probably cost around $60 with shipping. They are made out of 1/4" plate so they probably will not weigh 70 lbs if you stick with the 4.5" or smaller flippers.
 
I don't get the "70" lbs. of armor plate...

Steel (and you really must have AR500 at that short a range with a 30.06) has always been the reactive target of choice, and the size you'd want at 100 yards isn't going to be heavy to lug around.

I don't believe 1/4" plate- even of AR500- is going to be adequate at 100 yards with 30.06 ball ammo. I would use minimum 1/2", but you might be able to get away with 3/8" . When shooting steel plates, it's important that the bullets not deform or crater the steel surface- both for longevity of the target, and safety for you...

100 yards is really the bare minimum for steel and a powerful centerfire like the .06- especially with hardball. Always suspend the plate(s) from the back side, so that they'll hang naturally with the top edge angled forward, and deflect the shrapnel downwards into the dirt.

I bought a bunch of mine from a guy at the Hide that makes them, Wideners also has a good selection:

http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=1020

I always try to size them at the minimum I'd want to make a hit challenging, those 2-1/2" mentioned above would be perfect at 100 yards- provided you've got the eyeballs to see them if you're shooting irons at 100 ;)
 
OLD GOLF BALLS

We used to take a bag of golf balls and a sand wedge shooting. Hit the ball way up in the air and try to hit it with a shotgun
 
Coyotes? Jackrabbits?
Click to expand...

Waaahhhh.....
I'm calling PETA!

Good idea, tho...:)

I think it's a Hornady Superformance commercial that shows a PDog going airborne and doing flips after getting nailed...

My younger son and I always laugh hysterically when we see it...wonder if that means we're sick...
 
Golf balls are great. Except a lot of the time if you hit them they fly so far you never see them again.
 
Blocks of ice are fun. Big upside is that there's no cleanup.

I also like to freeze bits of twine inside of ice cubes and tie them up on the range. Fun to try to hit those with a .22. You can add food coloring to make them easier to see.

Golf balls are also a hoot. They bounce around a bit when you hit them.

Been trying to light a strike anywhere match for years, never got it but I've shot more than a few in half.

Last trip to the range, there were a bunch of rusty old shotgun hulls laying around. They stand up nice on top of a target stand.

Going to have to try paintballs taped to the target, I like that one.
 
Try the sugar waffer cookies. I just set them up on the ground or use clothes line clips to clip them to nylon string. No clean up, very reactive and you can snack while you shoot.

Another favorite is to buy abundle of metal surveyor flags from Lowes and then some orange ping pong balls. Heat the wire end in a candle and poke it through the ping pong ball; only thru one side. Make a bunch and store them in a5 gal bucket. At the range/field just place them all over sticking the end in the ground. They're soooo much fun but be sure to clean up the wires.
Gideon
 
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