Hello everyone! I'm looking at starting competition shooting and was wondering on how I can make my own targets to practice on. Not just any target with a paper on it, but something creative that will test my accuracy while I have fun. I have some ideas, but wanted to know which materials are safer to use and stuff like that.

Thanks

Excess garden vegetables keep my kids entertained. Although seasonal, they provide an inexpensive, reactive target.

Tennis balls are cheap and fun. I picked up some steel targets from Wideners recently and made some swinging targets with them. These have been a lot of fun, but not necessarily cheap (at least in the short run). I want to get a good quality dueling post.

Remember, all steel targets are not equal both in longevity and safety. Overkill in terms of harness is not a bad thing. Mine have soaked up many LSWCs and a fail amount of jacketed .45 ACP with no signs of dents or deformation. Dents result in stuff coming back at you.

Chubbs

Eggs, Necco wafers, clay pigeons, Tannerite (always a favorite), ketchup/salsa packets, man the list is endless.

Tomatoes are my favorite. They are extra fun to throw up and shoot with a shotgun. Larry

Golf balls are fun to shoot

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In dog years I'm dead.

Milk bottles filled with colored water can be fun. Charcoal briquettes (I spray paint mine with surveyors orange marking paint). A ballon tied to a stick. For more of a reactive target challenge try tying a ballon to a string on a breezy day.

As DeadAye said, try a few golf balls. You will REALLY be suprised how far you can "Drive" a golf ball with a 22.

Class III

I save "tin" cans, at least those that are easy to rinse clean at the kitchen sink, accumulating them in plastic grocery bags hung on the knob of the pantry door. They're great plinking targets, especially with .22 rimfire, bouncing and rolling, spinning and jumping --- great reactive targets, and, free!

I get the cans congress kicks down the road. There is a lot of them and they are already clean. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

For inexpensive targets I go to Staples and buy their cheapest copy paper and some Post-Its. Put a Post-It in the center and one at each corner. At our range it's paper only but I've seen shot-up fire extinguishers, propane jugs, metal plates, beer cans, etc, etc. One thing to remember, if anyone mows the area around your targets consider the mowers tires, they don't like sharp objects.

One that I found this past year was coffee creamer bottles i.e: International Delight. You will need to remove the label (makes a mess if you leave on), then fill about 3/4 full with water and place in freezer. I use a small wooden stand and place them like a bowling pin shoot. They withstand several shots from 45acp and 9mm, and are still recycleable.

Found the first time I shot them that the plastic lables make a mess, as well as the covers, so I remove both to eliminate extra mess at the range.

Wal-Mart paper plates (250 pack) cut out center circles and make stencil bullseye masters, 1"-2"-3"-4".

Paint the other plates with bullseye size of your choice and distance, I use Florescent Orange spray paint.

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NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

All great ideas. I will be picking up materials tomorrow after work and going shooting on Saturday