What Is Your Favorite Target For 22LR?

RedNeck Jim

RedNeck Jim

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Curious what you like best to shoot at... be it paper, steel or otherwise? I am adding targets to my home range & am looking for something different. I do have a paper target holder, so I am also interested in your favorite paper targets.

I personally prefer reactive steel targets, especially ones that don't require a manual reset. Yes, I am lazy. However, I currently have a plate rack that requires me to pull a cable to reset & that isn't so bad.

Right now, a moving target interests me greatly & the Whirley-Gig seems interesting. Trouble with it is all the time required to reset.

So I'll start it off. My favorite target is something we made that mimics the Action Target Bullseye. It provides instant feedback on dead center hits as well as misses further away from center.

2round.jpg
 
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Majorlk said:
Anything reactive except glass. Paper is for sighting in and formal bullseye competition.
Click to expand...

Any specific reactive target you like best?

Also, I might add that I shoot my bolt action (CZ 455) as well as my pistols (Buck Marks) on this range. I agree paper is only good for sighting in the 15-22, however I enjoy it more for the bolt action. That gun is so accurate, shooting steel is not much of a challenge.

With the 15-22 & pistols, I train for self defense, where anything within 3-4 inches is just fine. Steel is perfect for that. With the CZ, I train more for a hunting scenario ( I don't currently hunt anymore), where accuracy is critical.
 
I like a steel plate at 40 yards and out. That's usually too far out to see holes in paper, but you can definitely hear the ping when steel is hit. 3/16 in thick mild steel is all you need for 22's
 
I like reactive targets. But, I usually only shoot at paper targets. I would love to make a dueling tree. I am just not sure how I would get it to the range with my Jeep.
 
I use a 6" Model 17 on pasture poodles.
 
Mike McLellan said:
They're just tin cans on the riverbank, but they bounce and spin around, making them a lot more fun than paper.
Click to expand...

What a great idea! I will have to set one up myself. THANKS!

You using wood dowels? I think I'll use rebar since mine is a permanent setup.

My concern is, does the 22 punch cleanly thru or does it leave metal shards? Shards would be a no go for me.
 
RedNeck Jim said:
Any specific reactive target you like best?

Also, I might add that I shoot my bolt action (CZ 455) as well as my pistols (Buck Marks) on this range. I agree paper is only good for sighting in the 15-22, however I enjoy it more for the bolt action. That gun is so accurate, shooting steel is not much of a challenge.

With the 15-22 & pistols, I train for self defense, where anything within 3-4 inches is just fine. Steel is perfect for that. With the CZ, I train more for a hunting scenario ( I don't currently hunt anymore), where accuracy is critical.
Click to expand...

Jim, I have an old gong that I use. I just bought another one from the fellow that made your targets. I like gongs, tin cans, blocks of wood, bars of soap, potatoes,fruit ... That sort of thing. One thing to try, if you are brave, is to take four soda cans and put them one on top of the other. Shoot the bottom one and then (try to) hit the rest before they hit the ground. I used to be able to do it 30 years ago, not so much now. :D

BTW, no shards on the tin cans, but you can get the sides of the can peeled back nicely.
 
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RedNeck Jim said:
I have the Action Target dueling tree, and while not lightweight, I can easily throw it in the back of my pickup. Their stuff is 1st class!
Click to expand...

+1 on the Action Target dueling tree. It's 35lbs., and a bit of a hassle lugging downrange, but BY FAR my favorite range target.
 
I sometimes use balloons or ketchup packets stapled to a piece of cardboard. I don't blow the balloons up very big at all to make it more challenging, but having someone call out a color to hit makes it even more fun.
 
RedNeck Jim said:
What a great idea! I will have to set one up myself. THANKS!

You using wood dowels? I think I'll use rebar since mine is a permanent setup.

My concern is, does the 22 punch cleanly thru or does it leave metal shards? Shards would be a no go for me.
Click to expand...
I attached pop cans with wire so they swung below my paper target stand in a row. No shards.
 
I've always thought of 22's as precision instruments, so I shoot more paper than anything.

In the world of reactive targets, I've mostly used improvised things: shotgun hulls, shards of clay pigeons.

For introducing people to shooting, clay pigeons or small metal gongs or 'chickens'
 
DelFuego said:
I like reactive targets. But, I usually only shoot at paper targets. I would love to make a dueling tree. I am just not sure how I would get it to the range with my Jeep.
Click to expand...

I have this "Rimfire Dueling Tree", it has two bolts that hold the upper onto the bottom, just unbolt and load in your vehicle (my car trunk). Here's the link:

Action Target - Rimfire Dueling Tree

NOTE: Do a "youtube" search on it, there's a guy that does a review on it and had a discount code of 10% off.

I've had my now for about a year and shot it all the time. It'll last forever (just spray new paint on the paddles).
 
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I have been using a few of the "self healing" spinner targets of late. The smaller ones (5" tall) at 50 yrds with open sights is a pretty good challenge.

An even better challenge is 2.5"-3.0" high plastic cowboy and indian figures, staple-gunned to a cardboard box at the same 50 yrds., with a red dot or no more than a 4x scope.
I have an Ultra-dot, match dot on my 15-22 and even the smallest sized dot covers the figures at that distance. Big fun!
I bought 250 figurines for $4.75 on Amazon, two bags actually, for under $10. That's a lot of shooting.

Another target that I have been wanting to try is the small "sampler" sized baby powder bottles that they give you at hotels/motels.
I imagine HP ammo would give a little "reactive" action.
 
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I enjoy a variety of targets; if you want cheap precision and you're shooting at 25-50 yards, you might try paintballs on top of golf tees. The golf tees help from a sight picture. I typically hot-glue to golf tees to cardboard, and use painters caulk to adhere the paintball to the golf tee. It's reactive like the ketchup packet... :) See thumbnail for an example.

I also like aluminum cans (look for the 8-oz Dr. Pepper/Sprite cans! Nice targets at 50 & 100 yards). No metal shards - bullet goes clean through. Also, consider plastic bottles. I prefer not to hang them on dowels/rods; when you hit a can/bottle that isn't attached, it moves. This means that you have to adjust your sights to hit it the next time. If you're shooting something that ends up not moving much (even if it's reactive), then you aren't changing your sight picture.

I also shoot clay pigeons, but at 4", it's a pretty easy target even at 100' (IMHO). This weekend, I plan on going out and trying these, designed for pellet/bb guns, but at 2", should be a much more interesting target....

Amazon.com : Daisy Shatterblast Refill Disks (60 pack) : Airsoft Targets : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IMC-pMgsL.@@AMEPARAM@@51IMC-pMgsL

Lastly, these are messy and not as cheap as I would like. But when I shoot with my son, it's a "blast". Highly recommend it.

Rimfire Exploding Targets

Here's a quick video showing what it'll do:
Rimfire Exploding Target, 40 yards
 

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