your favorite reactive target?

[almark]

35mm film canisters are pretty nice to shoot too. One of the nicer aspects is that you can fill em with water or flour at home and not have to worry about it leaking all over the place as you drive to the range. They do get a bit hard to see at long ranges though... perhaps a bit of orange spray paint would do the job...

[Hawgleg44]

Years ago, my friend and I were gunshop hopping, and he found a new Marlin 1895 .45-70 that he couldn't leave without. So, we picked up a few boxes of ammo and went out to the plains to try it out. From a safe distance (or so we thought), we started shooting at concrete blocks left out there from an old building. Most of them just fell over when hit by that big thumper, so we made several trips downrange to stand them back up. I took one shot at a block which had been hit several times, and it exploded like someone tossed a hand grenade at it! We were shooting from about 50 yards away and we both were hit by concrete pieces, along with his truck.

So, the old, solid concrete blocks are fun targets with a powerful rifle, but only at a distance of 100 yards or more. 50 yards is just too close, as we learned.

[too many choices!?]

Soda bottles and the like are great with froZen water in them. They jump and slide!

[saskuach]

Yeah, I try to make the gelatin more concentrated, but it depends on the size and what you're shooting with as to how it really behaves.

[Double Naught Spy]

http://www.evanstarget.com/pages/5/index.htm

My favorite reactive target is a Shaffer Shifter made by the folks in the link above. I have a couple of different sizes with different thicknesses to use based on the gun and caliber being shot.

The target is hung by a chain from a tree limb or cross bar. Mine are hung from about 15 feet up. To start, you simple start the target swinging, step back to an appropriate distance, and then shoot. As bullets impact, the swing will change in speed and direction. Since the target swings free, it continually changes position along 3 dimensions, mostly in distance from the shooter and laterally. However, because it swings at the end of a chain, it continually is changing elevation as well. While in motion, it will spin after being hit. Since it has target planes on both an X and Y axis, it is three dimensional. So, the spinning of the target does not preclude shooting at the target and the shooter does not have to shoot form a particular direction relative to the target. So the shooter can work on shooting on the move without losing a target face as can happen with simple flat targets when the shooter moves too far laterally.

As with the Temple Texas incident and the North Hollywood Bank robbers, shooters often talk about the difficulties in making head shot on moving targets. No doubt there is some very real concern in that regard. Those moving targets (heads) are apt to move in any axis and few folks have a way to shoot targets that would be comparably difficult short of simunition training. The shifter target is a pretty darned good training substitute.

One thing that I have found in introducing folks to the shifter targets for the first time is how difficult the targets seem to be to shoot by the new shooter, even if the shooter is experienced. This aspect indicated to me that concerns over shooting small moving targets (such as heads) is really very difficult for somebody who hasn't had to deal with that sort of moving target, such as folks who do a lot of typical IDPA, IPSC, or even 3 gun shooting. The frustration on the face of a shooter becomes readily apparent by the end of the first magazine. One friend in particular who could easily shoot inside a 6" circle of a stationary target at 10 yards blew threw 40 rounds of .45 acp with only 4 hits on the 6" shifter. After a quick break and reload, the notion of dealing with a small target in motion sunk in and he wsa able to hit about7 or 8 out of every 10 at 10 yards.

We also tried carbines at 25 yards. With an AR15, he did much better with his first couple of mags than he did with a pistol. By the fifth or sixth mag, he was doing extremely well. So I changed him over to a Beretta Storm carbine in 9mm and he immediately started missing most shots. What was the difference? Not the gun, but bullet velocity. At 25 yards with a .223, if your sights are properly on target and you are aimed anywhere other than the rear edge of the target, then the slug was able to travel the 25 yards and impact the target without the need for leading the target. With the 9mm round, it became necessary to am a couple of inches ahead of the center of the target so as to compensate for target motion and the much slower velocity of the 9mm round. Once he discovered the need for leading the target, his hit rate rose dramatically.

In timing the full lateral swing of the target from one side to the next, the target was traveling between 4 and 8 mph. It was closer to 8 mph when the target swung perpendicular to the shooter. When the aspect of the swing to the shooter changed, such as swing at an angle .45 degrees from perpendicular, the lateral speed from left to right was slower from the shooter's perspective, but the distance from the shooter was changing.

The shifter target is a nifty target to have for fun plinking and for defense shooting drills. The one limiting aspect is the need for having a location and materials from which to hang the target. I used trees in two different ways. The first was to simply hang the target from a high limb about 10 feet from the tree. The second was to string a chain between two trees that didn't have limbs suitable for hanging. So, the target was hung by a single chain attached to the chain strung between the trees.

[oldgunnut]

Get a good supply of balloons.
Get a shoe box (or similiar size).
Stand box on end so lid faces away from you.
Cut a hole from the top end down large enough for a piece of string only.
Inflate balloon, tie string to it, place in box with string pushed through hole.
Tie the hole to your favorite target stand.
Tape target over the shoe box with the head where the balloon is.
Shoot target in the right spot, balloon pops, target falls to the ground.

Try with larger boxes, and go for heart lung shots.
Try different sized balloons. As long as they are bigger than the hole.
Try hostage targets.
Try animals.
Almost endless fun.

[1BadF350]

My favorite was a fully charged 5 pound ABC fire extinguisher. Incredibly reactive when drilled dead center with a .270. That yellow powder really is impressive when you hit the thing.

[Duxman]

Back in my grandma's farm we had an old barn that was just abandoned. It was full of bats, and they just hung there upside down during the daytime. Perfect reactive target. They fall when you hit them. And if you hit a bunch, it would result in a massive flight of bats - during the sunlight hours.

Rats were also a common pest, and since they were the size of cats: Perfect reactive target. They hide, so stalking them was much fun. And they do pose a threat - rabies when they bite, so there is a small element of danger. Plus they ate the crop - rice and corn, so you are doing something good for the farmers.

I heard that cans of Spam make a big spat when hit. Have not tried this yet. Nice idea with the shoe boxes and balloons.

[1BadF350]

Oh yeah cans of SPAM are great. Point blank with a 12 gauge load of number 8 shot is cool. I'll bet at 100 yards with a .22-250 would be cool too.

[Randy in Arizona]

About 25 years ago I went to a shoot in Arizona that had 70% Dynamite as targets. Two sticks held together with silver duct tape. Good aiming point, rather obvious when you connected!

[XDoctor]

Very few of my reactive targets are ever environmentally friendly. We have six big blue tarps to catch the mess most times.

Top Ten Reactive Targets.
10. Stuffed Animals
9. Plastic Easter Eggs
8. Clay Pidgeons
7. Computers
6. Any wood furniature
5. Cantelope
4. Spray paint.
3. Light Bulbs
2. CO2 Bomb. (see instructions below)
1. Expanding Spray Foam


Take an empty 2 liter soda bottle and put some baking soda in the bottom. Add vinegar, cap tightly, give a few light shakes and move away from the bottle. These are grossly dangerous, I don't suggest making them. Ever.

[ScoutinStAugustine]

I take a bunch of water balloons and fill them up to different sizes, then freeze them. Put them in a cooler when you go to the range. The balloon slides off easily, and in one piece, and when you hit 'em with a hollow point, even a .22, there's a shower of ice. I recommend that you shoot no closer than about 20 yards.

[MartinR]

- Ice cubes

- potato chips

- posts (2x4, 4x4, small trees, etc) - shoot in half

- metal plates (sized for range and firearm) set so you don't have to re-set them.

[Dre_sa]

spray paint cans! with a .22
also water melons with a 30-06

[chopstick1]

I like using large plastic/rubber dinosaurs you can buy from the dollar store. they're large and can really take some punishment!! even multiple .308, .223, .45 rounds. also at the range here we have a 50m little backstop, I set up those old green army men we had when we were kids and play sniper with a .22. free aol cd's from walmart is always a great idea. try building a pvc pipe target frame then hang the cd's. it costs around $4.00.
if you have some time and range space you can make a reactive moving target. use a furniture mover (basically a square with 4 free spinning wheels at each corner). attach rope on the 9 and 3 oclock (opposite) sides. set the target 20 ft or so in front of you. on the 9 o clock side run the rope in a 45 degrees angle towards you though a screw eye (dug into the dirt) about 10 ft away, then 45 degress to you attach it to your left hip. do the same with the right. now when you move to your left, the target will move to your right. of course someone could be behind you pulling on the rope while you're doing this too. try it at night with light for more fun!

[big daddy 9mm]

this is the most funny thing I have ever heard! I would love to do the comp monitor idea! let us know how it works if you get a chance to do it. this is really stupid but if you get about 4 decks of cards and rubber band them very tightly together and shoot it with a 9mm, the result is very entertaining. I think shooting cats is going to far. I have personally shot 4 cats so I do know how it feels. I only shot them because they were trying mess with 'our' cats. And you dont 'mess' with our cats . they were very good shots ( 3 of them) I did not find it amusing though. the last time was right before dark and I hit it with my 22 rifle in the back end and it just ran away but his rearend was going side ways as he ran and I felt so bad that it was not a clean shot. it was in the winter too so my hands were ice cold. Please know that I am not a greeny by any means but if a cat is not messing with you dont mess with it. only a sick and evil person would shoot cats out of pure entertainment. perhaps someone should shoot you to show you what it feels like. I am sure that it would burn like hell

[claude783]

I usually pick up baby food jars at garage sales. They can be filled with dyed water. Cheap, make a nice reactive target.

Have also taken zip lock bags and filled them with flour, duct tape to a steel plate (have a 4" thick plate) when hit with a high power, the flour really puts on a show!

[Capt. Charlie]

Uh, Duxman, you might want to think twice about the bats. Several species are on the federal endangered species list, and game wardens know that. Also, not trying to sound like a tree-hugger here, but each bat eats several thousand mosquitos a night.... including the one with West Nile that's targeting you

[almark]

Anybody ever shot one of those "snap-lights" (chemical glowsticks) at night? I'll bet the spray would be impressive.

[Ac1d0v3r1d3]

...the computer monitor thing, no good. they're full of poisoness chemicals. bad for the envoronment and bad for you. Unless its one of those LCD flat screen ones, and in that case i'll take it off your hands...for a nominal fee

[Malamute]

Rocks. Out to several hundred yards they show hits well, particulary with high power rifles. Even 22's show hits when conditions are good, and dry dirt around them show where your shots go when you miss. We shoot pistols out to about 300 yards at rocks and steel plates. Weed stems, sticks, empty rifle and shotgun shells, things thrown in the air where safe, scrap wood blocks, trash at the landfill, old cars,........

Running rabbits with pistol or rifle are good, as are squirrels and grouse (sitting in trees), and with an added bonus of being able to eat the targets after you're done. Cottontails are good, deer and coyotes are good practice too. I eat the deer, I don't eat Jackrabbits or coyotes. Some guys like jacks tho.

Clay targets are very good, particularly in the air. As in with a shotgun. I'm not really a shotgun person, liking rifles and pistols more. But the shotgun shooting I do when visiting family is very good practice, and a lot of fun. For those that haven't tried skeet and sporting clays shooting, it ain't as easy as it looks. Trap isn't as interesting to me, I like the crossing shots and more movement of skeet and sporting clays. All this translates well to rifle and pistol shooting, the lead needed to hit moving targets. We also like to do unusual stuff, like the thrower sends a bunch of targets in a flury, the shooter doesn't know when or how many. I do this with my model 12 winchester with about 6 rounds in the gun. Starting with an unloaded gun when the target is thrown is good practice too, or one in the gun, but two or more targets thrown. Left handed shooting, shooting other guys guns (like every shoots the guy on your right's gun), shooting as they come over your head from behind, laying on your back on the ground, etc are all good games. Follow the leader is good, first guy makes the rule for the shot, everyone else has to make the same sort of shot.

After practice of the sort afforded by these things, the "headshots" discussed so often don't seem that tough.

[racinstylez]

When I was a kid and had my .22 rifle we use to live on a big farm land about 10 acres up in Buckhead, GA. I would line up a set of used beer bottles and shot em off the fence. I would also hang old soup cans from the trees in the wooded area way behind the house and pretend I was a spy or something and shot em jumping around and what not. I use to love going hunting for squirrels or rabbits as well. I wouldnt eat em, but my next door neighbor would give me some money for them. So that was my cash for more ammo. I miss being a kid

[Webleywielder]

I shoot bullets at Oreos and surplus fruit (grapefruits/oranges) because they are spectacularly biodegraded.

I shoot comments at TFL because some create spectacular responses.


"In a world devoid of semiautomatics, a properly set-up Webley is the ultimate full-size self-defense handgun."

[Ohio Annie]

The wounded ones ooze green sap and cry piteously so one must shoot them again. I shoot them on the tree with a .410 and on the ground with a pistol.

[hso]

Squeeky rubber dog toys! Cheap and amazingly durable.