What are your favorite targets?

[Larry (Omaha)]

I'm slowly working on building my own shooting range and I'm needing some inspiration. What are your favorite targets to shoot at while on the woods walk or other shooting range? I'm a farmer and I have access to a decent amount of junk steel laying around, so materials shouldn't be a problem. I'm decent with a torch and a welder so anything is on the table- knock down targets, swinging targets, slot shots, anything. Thanks in advance!

Woods walk targets I have shot, that are a challenge for me: A coiling vertical snake, a horizontal trapeze, a doughnut shaped (with clean hole in center) steel plate that must get a resounding sound or knock down. I can never hit center of a target unless it has a hole in the center.
Larry

 

[TarponStalker]

YOU'RE IN LUCK!

It's an election year. WAIT what does that have to do with target shooting, Dave?

So two days AFTER election day is TARGET STAND DAY..... You have to check your local jurisdictions but, most states require that election signs posted along the public right-of-way must be removed by the candidates within 24-48 hours after the polls close. BUT THEY DON'T in many cases. What this means is that after the legal time period, the signs posted along the roadway (NOT in somebody's yard) must disappear, and you can help yourself.

SOME are the weaker H shape, and you don't want those. Look for the ones that are shaped like a ridge pole and two upright poles... П ..., These tend to hold the bigger signs and are much more sturdy, and in fact, will hold a 6" steel plate suspended from above. We have polling places at our schools, so often the school grounds folks gather up those, BUT they don't go beyond school property to do so, and that's where I score mine.

You can hang clay pigeons, or make your own reactive targets from Ship's Biscuit dough to hang from these as well.

I like AR-500 steel plates, since when I bought mine they were pretty inexpensive, and with soft lead BP projectiles they will last forever. Mine were 1/2" thick and IF one also might shoot something modern and high powered, that would be the way to go, otherwise 3/8" AR-500 is fine for just BP.

Boiler plate is also good for the guys cutting out their own reactive "clang" targets. Other steels often don't work well, and cast iron, like an old griddle, nah, a .530 round ball will grease right through something like that...

LD

I keep a “vote for me “ sign in my truck at all times. It’s easy for me to tape a paper target to it and shoot.

 

[Ninering62]

i have been tripping over one of these for years just outside my storage shed! today it finds a new meaning in life!

Cool!

 

[Ninering62]

Here is a target we like a lot because I can reclaim almost 100% of my lead using this system.
Works on a standard T Post
And it it reactive with a good CLANG when hit.

Nice job there.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Started with 45 caliber, 70 grains of holy black and a 405 gr pill.

A bud slaughters hogs every August. Went up there with the unmentionable rifle

Blew chucks for 35 feet. We were at 20 feet :-(

Now we go up there with flinters and all of us fire at once. Not as dramatic as above, but lots of fun.
Wear a rain coat.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I'm slowly working on building my own shooting range and I'm needing some inspiration. What are your favorite targets to shoot at while on the woods walk or other shooting range? I'm a farmer and I have access to a decent amount of junk steel laying around, so materials shouldn't be a problem. I'm decent with a torch and a welder so anything is on the table- knock down targets, swinging targets, slot shots, anything. Thanks in advance!

One of the funnest shoots that I recall, was a woodswalk where all the targets were firewood logs. These logs were about 8 to 10 inches in diameter, 16 to 18 inches in length and had been debarked, and painted half red, and half white to make them a bit more visible. Some targets were yellow, and were no shoot targets.

It was shot as a team, and the guys that you went on the woodswalk with…was your team. Each team was competing against other teams.

You’d come to a shooting station, there’d be a firing line, and around 10 to 15 targets, at various distances. sometimes yellow no shoot targets were mixed in and time was added to your score for any no shoots that were knocked over. Each team was scored on the amount of time it took them to clear the station of all its targets. Some stations could be completed in one sweep if everyone hit, others required reloads to complete.

Once the targets were all down, shooters setup for the group that was following and onto the next shooting station.

I think there were 8 stations…some had lots of targets, other stations had only a few, but at each station there were always a couple that were very challenging to shoot and hit.

That was one of the most fun target shoots I have ever done…hands down.

 

[Capnball]

You"duewer1, post: 2119856, member: 53494"]
I'm slowly working on building my own shooting range and I'm needing some inspiration. What are your favorite targets to shoot at while on the woods walk or other shooting range? I'm a farmer and I have access to a decent amount of junk steel laying around, so materials shouldn't be a problem. I'm decent with a torch and a welder so anything is on the table- knock down targets, swinging targets, slot shots, anything. Thanks in advance!
[/QUOTE]
Wow, the we possibilities are endless. You'll only be limited by your imagination. Check on YouTube, the theres guys making all kinds of stuff. It would be fun to see what you come up with. I made this PVC/wood arrangement where I could weight the bottom with sand then use cheap wood (replaceable) frame for the top. It's way down at the 100 yard mark.

 

[Josephg]

Bullseye targets.

 

[hrt4me]

We use steel targets for our woods walks. They hang on a T Post on a back angle to deflect frags and a short chain section gives them amazing reactivity. The single mounting point enhances harmonics so the steel rings like a bell.
Here is a video of one of our plates being shot with a 12 ga slug @ 25 yards. Gravity holds the target in place very nicely.

I have ordered several dozen of your targets over the years, yours are by far my favorite

 

[Mad L]

I shoot 99% on Public Land so not leaving foot prints is concern for me (apparently not for others) so I stick pretty much to paper target and steel I haul out and bring back.
To mix it up I like hanging water bottles, Frozen with food coloring, the frozen bottles Explode where just water tends to just get holes. Then I can go for the Top of the bottle usually still hanging.
Clay pigeons are abundant around here, they fly in by flock and seem to leave their females behind to nest so I always have a good supply on hand.
Gluing a clay to pie pan makes a good hanging target and I can still see it further out, add a little wind for extra challenge.
Then, if somewhere that others have already littered with glass, I find china tea cups hanging from string a nice change up too.

 

[Rob M.]

Steel plates ! If ya walkntrain tracks youll find em for free . The tie plates they mount railroad tracks onto are awesome targets and youll find discarded ones along R.R. tracks , some times in piles ! . Got the holes to hang em in there already too . Sounds great when ya hit em !!

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

I love shooting steel...and in this case -- steel and aluminum...

 

[Eutycus]

Steel plates ! If ya walkntrain tracks youll find em for free . The tie plates theybusevon railroad tracks are awesome targets and youll find discarded ones along R.R. tracks . Got the holes to hang em in there already too . Sounds great when ya hit em !!

That's the ones with square holes isn't it?

 

[Gtrubicon]

I have a couple of worn out chainsaw bars that hang vertically, they are around 2.5” wide and 20” tall. They make a good target in the mix of steel plates of various sizes and clay pigeons. I also like to refill the small water bottles and shoot them too.

 

[snakebit]

Big heavy antlered whitetail bucks standing broadside, strutting Toms with rope beards, young fat squirrels on hickory limbs....... sorry, got carried away for a minute

 

[Rob M.]

Yes Sir . Those holes are handy , ive used rope and shot the rope by accident , LOL ...loggin chain works good ...dandy targets and make a great sound when hit.

That's the ones with square holes isn't it?

 

[Rob M.]

Big heavy antlered whitetail bucks standing broadside, strutting Toms with rope beards, young fat squirrels on hickory limbs....... sorry, got carried away for a minute

Thanks a lot ! Its midnight and now I'm.hungry !!

 

[snakebit]

Thanks a lot ! Its midnight and now I'm.hungry !!

I was just thinking I still have a couple sticks of summer sausage in the chest freezer left from last year's buck. Not doing me any good there! I suck at life!

 

[Rob M.]

I was just thinking I still have a couple sticks of summer sausage in the chest freezer left from last year's buck. Not doing me any good there! I suck at life!

Ah man !! Belly is rumbblin now !!

 

[snakebit]

Ah man !! Belly is rumbblin now !!

Mine too. Guess I'll have a couple pork chops in a can.