Reactive Targets

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GusPup13

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I joined very recently and enjoy target practice. I live in Nevada so lots of open country to do some shooting. I don't like leaving a mess and was wondering what types of reactive targets everyone uses. I mostly use pistols, and I found an interesting site for a new target stand and system, but wanted to see what else was out there.

Fyi the target stand i found was at Tatertargets.com. I think the moving target looks fun. In general they have an interesting concept.

Thanks and I'm happy to see what people say.
 
That looks good, I like the idea. I posted this link a few months ago giving details of something I built for my grandson. I specifically wanted something for a BB gun and it needed to be very light so I used PVC pipe. All of the commercial targets I found were too heavy and a BB wouldn't have moved the target.
A very similar design could be made using 3/4" steel pipe for more powerful guns for a lot less than they are charging for those. You can buy threaded sections of pipe in various lengths. It is just a matter of buying the lengths you need, some elbows and T's and screwing them together. No special tools needed.

https://thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/target-stand.845257/
 
Cheap and easy? A simple box frame with plastic bottles hanging down from a string - Really last a long time with .22 and small cartridges.
A lot can also depend on where you live. When I lived in Carson City, the city owned shooting park was great (except for the buttheads who shot glass bottles all over the place.) but you could shoot golf balls out to 300 yards
 
This place rocks. Just a couple of hours and already great responses. I appreciate it!
 
i bought 2 brackets off ebay for 3/4 emt and six 10 inch hooks( shorter hooks are less expensive) , you can buy gongs with one hole(they call them half gongs). it works good but the gongs overlap after some shooting. this is easily remedied by getting one inch steel collars so they stay put. the hooks and bracket cost me slightly more than 60 bucks, the collars for a set of 10 from amazon $18 plus.(you need the one inch collars as the 3/4 emt outer diameter is 0.9 inch) gongs buy what you want. emt 3/4 5 foot is about $20 for 5 pieces.

held well even to 44 mag at 25 yrds.check out video at 14:00 where shooting footage starts. the top bar flexes but holds. the big gongs are 10 inch 3/8 think ar 500 so are heavy with 4 of them. still very easy to disassemble.


 
easy said:
Try charcoal briquettes. They go poof when hit and there is no clean up. Environmentally friendly carbon chips and dust returned to the Earth. As a bonus, they are just about the size of a squirrel head.
Click to expand...
Homemade small blocks of ice work as well also.
 
Back when there was an abandoned gravel pit that we use to be able to shoot in we use to take 1gal empty paint cans and fill with water then freeze. Hang'm out and they were great fun. Also use to take plastic bags and stuff them with newspaper then soak them and the paper would swell and the bag would be tight.
 
I'll have to try the charcoal tip.

I like using shotgun hulls. They're reactive and small enough to make it challenging. Plus, it lets me "recycle" them instead of tossing them in the trash.
 
These are some great ideas. I do like the thought if moving targets in general, to practice for those squirrels.
 
I was suprised to see something about tater targets, so I wanted to jump in here (been lurking for a while). I actually have a tater target stand and I even bought what they call the "Running Tator". I already had some gongs, but my old stand was getting pretty beat up, so I decided to give them a try. The gongs work great on this setup. The "Running Tator" is a real treat, and it can also be set up as a spinning target which is pretty cool. I also like that the app can be used as a score keeper. I went out with a couple of buddies and we set up a pretty cool course and had a fun time battling each other. It was fun to see where our score came in each time. Sadly my buddies had all the top 5 scores, but I'm going to get some practice in over Memorial. Next time they won't be so lucky!
 
I recently used oranges for .22 plinking. Not as reactive as some of the stuff I saw mentioned here, but they're easy to see and biodegradable.
 
GusPup13: That looks like fun. If you're near an Academy Sports (possibly order?) a 5", $25 plastic sphere, which has a hole drilled on the side.
Tie about 36" of weedeater 'thread' on it and stake it into a berm where you can see dusty impacts from any misses, helping us to correct aim.

It's fun to watch these jump into the air when an AK hits them. Or a handgun up closer. They survive dozens of hits, whether fmj or jhp bullets. Keep a can of spray paint handy for when they become camouflaged with dried mud.
 
My greatest fun is shooting steel; if you can afford it, and they're very pricey and heavy (not the most portable in the world, you will need a truck with a full-size bed), the racks of falling plates (typically six on a rack) plus an independent stopper plate are awesome -- if you have two racks, two shooters can go head to head, one rack, go against a timer. The "dueling trees" are a lot of fun, a bit more portable, but also expensive for a good one (AR 500 is the standard).

My cheap alternative is a piece of six-foot 2x44 laid across a couple sawhorses, with nails coming up from the bottom to place the potatoes on. If you're not gonna leave the taters for the wildlife, a can of orange spray paint helps older eyes see 'em. Never used the charcoal briquettes, but that seems like it'd be good fun with some .22 handguns or the 10/22.

Finally, I love Tannerite. Literally a one-shot deal, so maybe cost factors in for some, but place a small jar out a hundred yards and see who can hit it with iron sights -- great explosion. Prize for the person who nails it.
 
A friend made a rack with 2x4, about 6' tall, maybe 8' wide, hangs several golf balls (drilled through) on a couple feet of string. Really good for sharpening up handgun aim and a .45 really bounces 'em around. Great for informal competition.
 
Last one I hung up at the farm is the loudest target I have shot at. Doesn’t react like knock down targets but you can tell when you hit of miss it.

 
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