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Looking for suggestions for targets to set up for myself and training others.  Attached photo is an example of the type of thing I am looking for.  I discovered that empty pop cans on dowels hammered into the ground make for long-lasting pellet/bb targets.  They are cheap and easy to set up.  I have four of them lined up to use for drills.  Best of all, I can tell immediately from the sound and movement when I get a hit -- something that my eyes can't do with paper targets.  The other thing I like about cans on sticks over paper is that I don't have to mark my hits or change paper all the time.  That means more time shooting and no time walking up to the paper and marking or masking off holes.

 

Cans on sticks work great for pellets/bbs.  The only problem is that eventually the dowels start to wear down from hits, but I have been using the same dowels now for over four months without having to replace them.  I am looking for something similar I can use for pistol and carbine practice.  I am thinking the criteria are something along the following lines:

 

1.  Cheap.  I don't want to spend $150.00 on one (1) target.  Ammo and guns are expensive enough. Plus I am trying to get my family and friends excited about shooting and not give up because of the perceived cost.

 

2. Easy. Easy to make and easy to set up.  If I have to spend hours learning how to cut and weld battle-ship armor, that is way too much effort.  My goal is to come up with targets that motivate me and my friends to shoot more, not turn my garage into a US Steel manufacturing plant.  The cans-on-dowels are simple.  I can use a rock to hammer the dowel into the ground, then simply stick the used pop can on the dowel upside down.

 

3.  Transportable.  Something that will allow for multiple targets and their stands to be carried by a single person.  I can't convince my friends to lug 50 pounds of pig iron five times from the car and back to get in a little practice.

 

4. Compact.  Something that will fit in the back seat or trunk of the car.  The philosophy here is that the targets should not take up more room that the guns and ammo.

 

5.  Multiple Use.  Sure exploding targets are fun, but what do you do then?  Plus if you take 3-4 friends out shooting and they all start blasting tannerite, it gets expensive quick.  BTW, one of the things that gave me the idea for this post was seeing how much new shooters like to blast clay pigeons.  You should see the eyes of novice shooters light up after vaporizing some fake birds.  Instant converts.

 

6. Eco-friendly/Easy To Clean Up.  It drives me nuts to see people leave shot-up micro-waves and TV sets in the desert or forest.  It gives us all a bad name.  If I can lure my tree-hugger friends into the sport, that helps us all, right?  They can feel good at the end of the shoot when we pick up our brass and toss the cans into a recycling bin.  P.S. I make sure to tell my guests that we are shooting the biodegradable clay pigeons.

 

7.  Easy to see/hear.  The brilliant feature of the cans is that you get a loud metallic "tink" sound every time you get a hint. That means you don't have to walk past the shooting line to see how you shot,  and that means multiple friends can shoot at once or in sequence without having to stop shooting or walk to the targets.  The mathematical equation is:  instant feedback + more time shooting = happy shooters.

 

Did I leave anything out?

 

Do you think the same cans on sticks concept will work for pistols/carbines if liter-sized plastic pop bottles are placed upside down on metal rods?  Any other ideas to make target practice more fun?

post-46953-0-46193900-1401127011_thumb.jpg

Edited by Bretonmaitre
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2L soda bottles filled with spray foam. They're incredibly durable, and will take MANY hits, including shotgun blasts and still remain usable.

 

Roll them around, hang them, whatever you want. They're a great target, and VERY cheap.

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I've tried lots of different things and nothing satisfies like shooting steel.

 

I shopped around and found some 4" and 6" AR500 targets locally for cheap.  I got 2 6" and 4 4".  I use saw horse brackets to make stands from scrap 2x4s.  Total investment under $200 and I can shoot them forever.  Even AK hits barely scratch the steel.

 

The cost includes grade 8 bolts and locking nuts to attach the targets to the chains.  Normal bolts won't last and normal nuts with lock washers won't hold.  I could have welded but I like something I can change up if I want to.

Edited by Darth Saigus
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I've always wanted to setup a giant billiard table outdoors with big steel billiard balls and play with .22's.

Probably not a good idea.    smile.png

 

I saw some printable paper targets online that have games on them, that could make things interesting.

Bowling pins are fun too.

Edited by Spartacus
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2L soda bottles filled with spray foam. They're incredibly durable, and will take MANY hits, including shotgun blasts and still remain usable.

 

Roll them around, hang them, whatever you want. They're a great target, and VERY cheap.

 

Great idea. thank you.

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When I'm not shooting steel, I pick up the launched, unbroken clays on the way to the back of the range where I shoot.  Never any shortage of them and never any cleanup.  We always get several shots out of each clay as we end up shooting the shards.  

 

That said, I leave my steel and re-bar stands at the range.  Too much of a pain for me to take back and forth.  I like your can and dowel idea.  I will also try the 2L spray foam.

 

I've seen people using a shepards hook that you use to hang plants for steel and other hanging targets. 

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When I'm not shooting steel, I pick up the launched, unbroken clays on the way to the back of the range where I shoot.  Never any shortage of them and never any cleanup.  We always get several shots out of each clay as we end up shooting the shards.  

 

That said, I leave my steel and re-bar stands at the range.  Too much of a pain for me to take back and forth.  I like your can and dowel idea.  I will also try the 2L spray foam.

 

I've seen people using a shepards hook that you use to hang plants for steel and other hanging targets. 

 

 

You mean like this one. A RR tie plate is hanging off it. That's taken thousands of shots.

 

IMG_2299_zps697ecd34.jpg

 

DSCN1131_zpse6eba702.jpg

 

DSCN1129_zps7eb37b41.jpg

 

DSCN1128_zps7370bd67.jpg

Edited by Yeoldetool
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When I'm not shooting steel, I pick up the launched, unbroken clays on the way to the back of the range where I shoot.  Never any shortage of them and never any cleanup.  We always get several shots out of each clay as we end up shooting the shards.  

 

That said, I leave my steel and re-bar stands at the range.  Too much of a pain for me to take back and forth.  I like your can and dowel idea.  I will also try the 2L spray foam.

 

I've seen people using a shepards hook that you use to hang plants for steel and other hanging targets. 

 

 

You mean like this one. A RR tie plate is hanging off it. That's taken thousands of shots.

 

IMG_2299_zps697ecd34.jpg

 

DSCN1131_zpse6eba702.jpg

 

DSCN1129_zps7eb37b41.jpg

 

DSCN1128_zps7370bd67.jpg

 

Yes sir!

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I use a rail road tie plate, and a stand similar to a sawhorse, I started with a wooden one, then made one out of re-bar, I use old steel wire coat hangers to hand the steel, just bring extras and a pair of pliers to the range.

 

The plate itself weighs about 20 lbs, and I can get mine for free, it's taken hundreds of rounds from 7.62x39, x54r, and 5.45x39, it's just now on it's last legs. (I can see some pretty big cracks going along the back side) Usually anything under rifle ammo won't even mark it, .44 mag will, but it's barely noticeable.

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On Ebay you can buy AR500 armor plate targets fairly cheap. Some places have charts as to what each thickness can take.

 

Something surplus like the rail road tie plates are nice if you can find them, they are a fairly high carbon steel.

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go to garage sales, you can pick up all sorts of targets super cheap, elmo dolls, lawn ornaments etc.....  a lot of garage sales have FREE boxes.

 

I have used x-mas tree ornaments, I find them at garage sales for like 50 cents a box. get  some string and tie them to a frame of a political sign at different heights. when you shoot one the pieces are so small you don't have to worry about picking them up.

 

the other thing I use is wallpaper, I find brand new rolls at garage sales for like  a dollar. make a silhouette template from a piece of cardboard roll out the wallpaper, and just spray paint the stencil on it. after you do a entire roll you just roll it up, and you'll have silhouette targets 'till the cows come home.  

 

you can also cruise your neighborhood the night before garbage pick up day, I bet you can find a lot of things people throw away you can shoot at.  

Edited by Matthew Hopkins
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Clay pigeons are cheap , reactive, and visible. You can mount them in a number of ways from putting them in trees to using fancy stands made for them. There are targets made to insert them and then you can just prop them up on the ground or on a hill.

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Thanks Patriot.  That's EXACTLY what I am talking about.  What kind of foam should I be using to fill the bottles?

Spray foam insulation. fill partway up and allow to set up, then add more. If you do it all at once, it takes FOREVER to cure...if at all.

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If you live near tracks, you can usually find the tie plates in the ditch or laying on the railbed.  Local rail-link told me they were fair game, so I grabbed a few when I picked up some used ties.  I used them for bases for my jackstands, but will definitely grab a few for gongs.

 

For cheap targets, cardboard works good.  Couple with a few political sign holders, and you can cut the board in most any shape.  Local range frowns on B27's at long ranges, so I simply cut a 16"x24" rectangle and paste a 6"/12" black party plate for the head/vital area.

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If you live near tracks, you can usually find the tie plates in the ditch or laying on the railbed. Local rail-link told me they were fair game, so I grabbed a few when I picked up some used ties. I used them for bases for my jackstands, but will definitely grab a few for gongs.

 

For cheap targets, cardboard works good. Couple with a few political sign holders, and you can cut the board in most any shape. Local range frowns on B27's at long ranges, so I simply cut a 16"x24" rectangle and paste a 6"/12" black party plate for the head/vital area.

 

I went to the local rail yard and the boss there gave me a piece of rail and a ton of spikes I was going to try to get into black smithing. He told me taking anything off the tracks or from near them is highly illegal and that cops and rail police look for people near the tracks because of "terrorism"

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