Good makeshift plinking targets?

V

Vegetaman

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Messages
1,082
Reaction score
424
I never know what to take to the outdoor range, so it usually ends up being tin cans and stuff like that which are easy to clean up. Sort of like this Mt. Dew can I used for practice this weekend.

tUK3ef3.jpg


(For the curious among you, this was shot with my 1911 using 230 gr. FMJ rounds)
 
Register to hide this ad
tops said:
How many times did you shoot at it?:D Larry
Click to expand...

Without totally embarrassing myself, let me just say... More than I should have. Especially for shooting from somewhere between 15 and 20 yards. :(
 
Vegetaman said:
Without totally embarrassing myself, let me just say... More than I should have. Especially for shooting from somewhere between 15 and 20 yards. :(
Click to expand...

Only training will turn you into a good shooter :) Being the best shooter at the range does not mean that you will be able to defend yourself in a real life situation :)
 
My favorite kind of shooting. :D I found the fruitcake pan in the trash can at the range one day. It had a couple of holes in it. I fixed that! :) I love chasing cans around...



(Beretta 92SF and a IWI Baby Eagle II, Both in 9mm) Took forever to get the lid to come off! :D
 
I use wooden garden stakes and paper plates. Super cheap and a decent sized target. Cans are fun if you can hang them from some rope.
 
Yeah, I made the mistake of just having the empty can sitting in the middle of the dirt mount. So I'd hit close to it and it'd "bounce", and I'd think I hit it. Imagine my surprise after dropping quite a few rounds and going over to it and seeing that there were only 3 bullet holes in it. Boy was my face red. :D
 
My all time favorite number one love to shoot it makeshift target is a plain old worn out harrow blade. I lean it against a old truck hub and spray paint the whole thing with flat white appliance paint. Then I step off 25 steps and have fun. After I've fired a group, I take a photo and spray the surface. I walk back to the firing line and fire some more. The axle hole makes an excellent aiming mark. If I fire and hear no ring sound and see no bullet mark, I know the round went through the axle hole.

This sort of target is ideal for shooting with just about any handgun caliber. I doubt there is anything anyone might be commonly shooting that will do anything but make a harrow blade ring like a dinner bell. The ones I shoot at are extremely heavy. I've not tried a rifle on them... yet. But I'm giving it a lot of thought. I figure a harrow blade at 200 yds. would be a lot of fun to shoot with a iron sighted military rifle... say a M-1 Garand or a Springfield 03/03-A3. Plain M-2 ball would probably not punch a hole in it since it is tempered... but possibly it might crack it.
 
at my club range we are only allowed to shoot steel plates hung targets. my buddies range one day we shot. 22's, plastic bottles after we drank them. then i came up up the idea to hang the bottle, and tighten the string in the cap. shoot the string, @ 15 yds. a lot of concetration, but it is best to shoot as soon as you think the string is there. had a reflex sight on.
 
Last edited:
My friends and I discovered hunting down the rouge Cheese-it with bolt action 22's @ 100 to be fun. Them we discovered M&M's with varmint rifles at 300 yards.........the lunch box can hold lots of targets, if you use your imagination! Ivan
 
Another idea is; drive short sections of 1/2" pipe into the ground, then using that like a golf tee put 69 caliber paint balls on them as targets. With a very good 22 and good ammo it will take a 100 yards, no time to get boreing, and 200 yards to be a challenge on a calm day. Another one is take a 2x4 and drill 1/8" holes about 2" apart, put strike anywhere matches in the holes. Start at 25 yards and light the matches, then put them out before they burn out, move to longer distance and repeat. It must be a very calm day, but 5 in a row @ 100 yards is doable. It most likely will take a real target rifle and Ely "Team" ammo or better, that was $8 a box before the crazy prices started. Kind of pricey, but very rewarding. Ivan
 
Ivan, I do the paint ball thing too, although not as far as you. I take cardboard and tape rows of paint balls on it and put it out at 50yds. Then starting on the bottom row shoot them with my 10/22. Lots of fun.
 
We use retrieved/free clay birds picked up from the brush area near the shotgun portion of a private range, place them on the pistol berm and have at'em at 30-60 yds out with different handguns. Fun to 'compete' with my shooting buddy, often one-handed. Miss alot, but have good days where we look pretty good.

Once we were there with a super-accurate CZ .22 rifle with a 20x scope on it. We stuck #209 shotshell primers into a cardboard backing and shot at them at about 50 yards. If not hit center, they wouldn't go off, but a good hit would make a nice 'pop' and result in a 1.5" hole in the cardboard.
 
Like the paint ball idea, will try it.

When I was younger, we'd buy a pack of Necco wafers, candy stuff about an inch in diameter. Stick "um in cracks, in boards. or tree trunks. Melt away in the next rain, so didn't have to clean up.

Or maybe the varmints/deer would eat them.

Haven't seen them in awhile, are they still around ?
 
I fill up coffee creamer bottles with water and freeze them. They are about the size of bowling pins and can withstand several rounds. If you remove the caps and labels, there is little mess to clean up afterwards.
international-delight-creamer.jpg
 
I left off the Necco wafer idea. We use hot glue and dark colored paper for Necco wafers at 100 yards and do the same for aspirin at 25 and 50 yards, put 20 on 8.5 x 11 construction paper, then go after them with 22's. The reason you use a dark background is not only to see them to aim but also when you hit one, it leaves a little cloud. Run through a page or 2, and you'll never see an aspirin again without smiling!!! I do really want to encourage all of you to try the Cheeza-its at a 100 yards, once you start hitting them then you'll go after the crumbs. I once had a box of stale frosted mini wheats, on the berm they show up well, these were smaller than normal about 5/8" square. With a direct hit, they also leave a small white cloud. You will have a riot, clean up is no big deal (ants and such do all the work) and you become a much better shot, then as you get better, you don't quit when the breeze starts and you get better and better. If you are shooting small objects at 50 or more yards, you need to bring a shooter with a decent spotting scope, that way you don't need to buy one. Have a great time! Ivan
 
If you're shooting iron sights try thumb tacks at about 5 yds. and call your shot. The Neco wafers work very well. Try lolly pops at 25 yds. Get the ones about an inch in diameter and stick them in a board. Charcoal bricketts at 25 yds hung from a board on string and call your shot. In my muzzle loading days we played split ball at about 7 yds. Put a double bited ax blade in a heavy piece of wood and a pair of clay birds to the side and split the ball on the ax. All of this is off hand you understand.

Almost forgot: for those of you who get frustrated at your computer CDs that are no longer needed are great. Kinda messy to clean up though. My club once made a bunch of money at $5/shot on an old monitor. That was messy also but fun.
 
Last edited:
Did your repressed.....

-rags- said:
My favorite kind of shooting. :D I found the fruitcake pan in the trash can at the range one day. It had a couple of holes in it. I fixed that! :) I love chasing cans around...



(Beretta 92SF and a IWI Baby Eagle II, Both in 9mm) Took forever to get the lid to come off! :D
Click to expand...

Did your repressed hostility toward fruitcake come into play here????:D
 
Sheet of plain white paper, spray it with sugar water, stick on tree or other backboard, set back and wait for flies to land on it. Shoot the flies. My cousin and I used to do this all the time with our .22's.
 
winner

foxeye said:
Sheet of plain white paper, spray it with sugar water, stick on tree or other backboard, set back and wait for flies to land on it. Shoot the flies. My cousin and I used to do this all the time with our .22's.
Click to expand...

bunch of great ideas - but IMO - hands down winner is the flies on sugar paper:D
 
Old Corp said:
We use retrieved/free clay birds picked up from the brush area near the shotgun portion of a private range, place them on the pistol berm and have at'em at 30-60 yds out with different handguns. Fun to 'compete' with my shooting buddy, often one-handed. Miss alot, but have good days where we look pretty good.
Click to expand...

This works pretty well; haven't done it in awhile but a good way to go. I always forget about this.
 
If your wife can wear 8" stiletto's, it's kinda fun to cut them down an inch at a time. Course ya have to know her speed/pace and ability on the turns.:eek::D:);):rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
We use a 4 x 4 about for feet long off the scrap pile at the cabin. Holes drilled about 6-8" apart stick golf tees in and shoot my old shag balls. We can shoot up to about 75 yds, anything you think you can hit it with off hand only no rest.
 
foxeye said:
Sheet of plain white paper, spray it with sugar water, stick on tree or other backboard, set back and wait for flies to land on it. Shoot the flies. My cousin and I used to do this all the time with our .22's.
Click to expand...

THIS I will try!:D:D:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

CyberPunkSpartan
L Frame Grips
Replies
28
Views
1K
S&WshooterFIN
S&WshooterFIN
chief38
Got a HUGE thrill out at the range today!
Replies
0
Views
480
chief38
chief38
S
My new PSA H&R M16A1
Replies
16
Views
1K
ameridaddy
ameridaddy
chief38
A short post with over 50 years experience with phosphor bronze cleaning brushes
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Lou_the_welder
Lou_the_welder
I
Winter Maintenance
Replies
4
Views
532
jeffrefrig
J

Latest posts

Back
Top