Biodegradable Clay Pigeons ???

[1911user]

I know many experienced trap and/or skeet shooters read the shotgun section, so....

The gunclub I belong to is opening a regulation skeet range this month. Everything is built, wired, and ready to go. One of the discussions is what clay pigeons to allow if the brand/type needs to be limited. I understand they have to work well in the throwers, but are there other reasons to have an "approved target list"? Shooters will buy and bring their own targets.

I recall reading that the biodegradable clay pigeons would eventually kill all of the grass, but can't find reference to it again. It would be nice to know the truth about pigeon material and the effects (if any) on grass.

The 2 brands of targets I've seen for sale locally are Remington STS and White Flyer.

To keep this shotgun related, I'll try my 870 with a 20" deer barrel (IC choked) for fun. I can't afford to get too serious about shotgunning, pistol competition is expensive enough. However, for less than $50 a year plus targets and shells, I can shoot a round or 2 each month for not too much money.

 

[skeeter1]

I'm not familiar with bidegradable clays and their effect on grass, but I do know that conventional clays are toxic to hogs if there are any around.

 

[RobertF]

We have to use bioclays at our local ranges. Both of them have hearty green grass under the drop zone so I wouldn't call them grass killers. Both places use the White Flyers brand.

 

[1911user]

That's good info. There are no domestic hogs in the area and I'm not aware of any feral hogs. We do have plenty of whitetail deer on and around the range.

 

[Milkmaster]

Our local range has a graveled area where the clays land. Once or twice a year the bursted clays are scraped off the area into a pile that just kinda melts away after a while. I don't know what brand they are. They are flourescent orange.

 

[DWARREN123]

There are, I believe, at least one type of biodegradeaable clay on the market. I do not remember the name brand but I think they cost 2 or 3 times regular clays.

 

[RNB65]

If shooters bring their own birds, most will probably bring the standard Remington clays sold at WalMart (I've never compared them, but the Remmie's are probably made by White Flyer and loaded into Remmie boxes). Biodegradable clays are expensive and generally not available at retail outlets. I can't recall ever seeing a retail store selling bio clays.

The best (least expensive) route is for the club to simply buy standard White Flyers by the truckload from a supplier and charge a reasonable fee per round of 25 to cover the expense.

 

[RobertF]

Expensive? I pay $10 for 135 of the regular ones at Big5 and $11 for the Bio ones. I'm not worried yet about less than a penny more per bird.

 

[Dr.Who]

Being that the birds are made out of clay, wouldn't that make them bio-degradeable? The only concern would be the paint or the coating...

 

[average_shooter]

Regular "clays" are made with tar or asphalt, something like that. Generally not good food for the wildlife and not readily biodegradable.

 

[Doggieman]

normal clays will weather and "degrade" into a black spot after awhile (years) but I wouldn't call them biodegradable.

 

[RNB65]

I'm not worried yet about less than a penny more per bird.

Perhaps the price difference between regular and bio isn't as big as it used to be. But still, for active shotgun clubs that buy millions of clay targets per year, a penny a bird difference in price is a major chunk of change.

Dr. Who: No, clay targets are not made out of clay. They're made from petroleum pitch and are not biodegradable.

 

[Dr.Who]

So if "Clay" Bird are no longer made of clay, curious minds wnat to know why they are called "Clay" Birds?

I'm going to guest that back earily in the last century, they were made out of clay and where found too fragile and changed???? Just a guess...

 

[DWARREN123]

They were at one time made of clay and so are still called clay birds today. If you read the warnings on some, it says they should not be consumed by people or animals.
I would like to see decent ones made that are actually good for wildlife.

 

[Dr.Who]

How about pressed alfalfa. The cubed stuff we used for livestock was pressed under high pressure and extreemly hard. Bet it could work as a "Clay" Bird.... Use the right type of paint/dye and it would be very visable... Nothing like flying alfalfa.....

 

[BlisteringSilence]

Some Clays info

1911 User,

It's awesome that you're looking at getting into shooting clays. It is without a doubt my favorite activity.

Now, onto biodegradable targets.

First and formost, they are AWESOME! Finally, you can have targets that are safe around hogs and other wildlife, and go away on their own. That being said, these targets are actually WAY more dangerous to manufacture. Some of the precursor chemicals are pretty nasty.

Second, I don't know of any brands other than White Flyer that manufacture biodegradable targets. I don't know where you're located in Oklahoma, but the Central US plant for White Flyer is in Joplin, MO. I know the plant manager well (his wife bowls with my mother, has for years). My younger brother even did an internship with him when he was in high school.

So, if you're within driving distance, it would make sense to contact the sales rep for your area and ask if you could go and pick them up, thereby avoiding shipping costs. The targets come palletized and ready to load on a trailer, if you have the room.

Some other fun things: you can order clays from white flyers with custom "insides." The part in the middle of the clay, where the white flyer logo is, can be replaced with a custom design. I know that my club gets them for big shoots, and that the Grand American orders all their clays from White Flyer, with the custom insert. According to info I found on their website, they produced custom targets for 14 international shoots last year.

Now, for we sporting clays shooters, our options are limited. The only targets that are available in bio are standards and midis. Our rabbits, battues, minis, and rockets all have to be pitch based. I asked Gene about this once, and he told me it was a combination of limited demand, and difficulty in manufacture, especially for the rabbits.

White Flyer has great info on their website. You can check it out at http://www.whiteflyer.com/

White Flyer doesn't sell directly to the public, but you can call them at (800) 322-7855, and ask them for your local distributor.

Also, if your club is planning on having some competitions, perhaps some registered shoots, White Flyer is great about sponsoring events. You can ask your distrubutor for more info.


One caveat about the bio targets. As they get rained on, the orange domes bleach out to white before the collapse. Also, the targets smoke kind of a grey color instead of the black when you demolish them. Other than that, I've shot thousands of them, and I will state with authority that they break the same as a standard target.

Dr. Who: While pressed alfalfa is a good idea, making them fly and break the same as a pitch target is the challenge. They have to have the same weight, characteristics, everything. White Flyer is owned by Reageant Chemical Corporation, and it took them almost 10 years to get it right. That being said, I'll pitch the idea to Gene the next time I see her at a shoot. I'll split the royalties with you.

 

[1911user]

Good info all. Maybe our little skeet field will grow popular and it would become reasonable for the club to buy and supply targets. Until that happens, shooters will need to bring their own targets.