Reactive Rimfire Target Ideas?

Maser · February 23, 2012, 05:34 AM

So my oldest son is turning 6 in April and I feel he is ready for a Ruger 10/22 of his own. Lord knows he's had more than his fair share of experience with mine and I think he's clearly ready for an autoloader of his own now to go with his bolt action. Problem is we really enjoy our reactive targets and he has clearly gotten bored with the clays, suckers, paintballs, and water balloons we normally shoot. We need new ideas for fun reactive targets. Any help would be appreciated.

MTT TL · February 23, 2012, 06:54 AM

There are a number of spinners and similar type targets for sale on line.

What my boys like is taking out the older (carefully chosen) toys of their yesteryear. Nothing quite like scoping in Bob the Builder's little plastic pals to say goodbye to the pre-k days. They don't shoot anything collectable, expensive or what I think their kids might want years from now but everything else is fair game. Those have been some of our best shoots.

I would point out though that he might just be tired of shooting and want a break. Some kids are like that.

Uncle Buck · February 23, 2012, 08:27 AM

The spinners are great fun. For those who think they are the cats meow when it comes to shooting, try hanging a few plastic bottles from a string.
When you hit them, they fly around. The better the shooter, the smaller the bottles.

g.willikers · February 23, 2012, 12:48 PM

Maybe it's the shooting style, and not so much the targets, that is the cause of his boredom.
Static, slow fire can get that way, even with entertaining targets.
Can he do some run n' gun where you shoot?
Or some hunting or defensive practice, with targets at various distances and heights, using cover and such, without the running?

carguychris · February 23, 2012, 02:04 PM

Do you have Bois d'arc (aka Bodark, Horse-apple, or Osage-orange) trees in your area?

Bois d'arc fruit (aka horse-apples) are Nature's perfect .22LR reactive targets.

Unlike other fruit, they're cohesive enough that .22LR bullets don't blow them completely apart, but they're not so cohesive that the bullets just poke tiny holes in them; they come apart in good-sized chunks. Shoot them into progressively smaller and smaller chunks for added challenge.

Most property owners will let you take as many as you want because they're almost worthless as a food source for livestock or anything else. (Most animals won't touch them, and the ones that will eat them usually only do it after all other food sources are exhausted.) Did I mention that they're biodegradable, so there's no cleanup?

The only problem is that AFAIK they're out of season right now.

Ultravox · February 23, 2012, 02:10 PM

I have heard of using golf balls or tennis balls and chasing them around by shooting at them.

I was in the sporting goods aisle at WallWart the other day and they had spinners for cheap. They also had some cubes and other shapes that you can put on the ground and shoot at. You also have to chase them around.

jimbob86 · February 23, 2012, 02:11 PM

Easter Eggs.

We have a large extended family with a tradition of dyeing eggs ...... dozens and dozens of them: You can only eat egg salad so many times.

So, every Easter, in the afternoon, we have a second Easter Egg Hunt, with .22 hollow points.

Brightly colored, biodegradable, challenging, exploding targets. What's not to love?

Joe Chicago · February 23, 2012, 02:12 PM

Do your boys make plastic models? I used to shoot old tank models with a pellet gun to great effect when I was kid.

Rembrandt · February 23, 2012, 06:49 PM

Here's a few.....

Early arcade shooting gallery....

Falling plates....

Computer controlled Prairie Dog town.....

Bowling pin swingers.....

Scrap metal spinner.....

Maser · February 23, 2012, 08:54 PM

Thanks for the ideas guys. And no, it's not a case of my boy being bored with shooting in general, I know for a fact it's just the targets. Our normal shooting spot always has lots of trash laying around and when he gets bored with the targets we normally shoot, he will see something on the ground and ask if he can shoot it. I know how kids are. Wasn't long ago I was one myself. Kids do have a short attention span so it's no wonder why he gets bored with the same targets and looks to new targets.

Crunchy Frog · February 23, 2012, 09:59 PM

My club has a no metal targets rule. That even knocks out the off-the-shelf swinging targets that have metal frames or hinges. Targets on the ground are also discouraged if not prohibited.

I bought one of the rubbery plastic targets that are designed to bounce around on the ground. A couple of bucks worth of pvc pipe yielded a frame that would slip into the standard target stands. I suspended the target by a string and made a metal-free reactive target that I don't have to chase.

rtpzwms · February 23, 2012, 10:26 PM

Eggs are great with a 22. I've also used the cheap hair color from the 99 cent store it sends a color stream into the air when hit. The small bag of flour is one that keeps on giving, it puts out a little puff each time its hit. The small color drinks in the plastic bottles can also be fun.

Qtiphky · February 24, 2012, 07:38 AM

You can make ice cubes with food coloring in them. No clean up necessary when done shooting and you're watering the range and keeping the dust down.

g.willikers · February 24, 2012, 08:18 AM

How about wood targets.
Wood is easy to work with, cheap and works quite well with .22s.
Even with centerfire, for that matter.
Just print out targets and paste them to suitable sized wood squares.
Either hang them to make swingers, so there's no need to reset, or use them like falling plates or silhouette targets.
There's no end to the possibilities without going broke.

plumbercrack · February 25, 2012, 03:29 AM

Must be a strong kid. A 10/22 is kind of heavy for a 6 yo. But try the impact rolling targets. They are fun even for us big kids. You might want to look into the .22s at walmart. I can't remember if it was Marlin or Mossberg that made a shorter more lightweight .22 for kids.

Vortexyz · February 25, 2012, 10:49 AM

old tennis balls make a great reactive target with .22s. They last a long time and move after every shot making it progressively more difficult. It's fun to start them at 25 yards and see just how far back you can keep rolling it. If you have two you can make it a contest.

Golf balls are also great, but they jump a lot farther than the tennis balls.

Vt.birdhunter · February 25, 2012, 11:14 AM

We have a RC 4x4 with a fiberglass snow-marker standing up about 2 feet as a target holder.
Tough to beat balloons/old t-shirts/targets tied to the stick running around your range on the fun chart.

If your hitting paintballs, try the plastic army guys (I get 50 for a buck at the dollar store, variety of colors for different teams)
Lots of fun taking out his "army" before he takes out yours.

smith357 · February 25, 2012, 12:41 PM

Charcoal Briquets, Necco Wafers, and paint balls.

highvel · February 26, 2012, 11:26 PM

I hang golf balls off 1/16" cable after a hit you have to let em calm down before the next shot, or shoot em as they swing.

farmall · February 28, 2012, 03:38 PM

One of my favorites (and I am a 6 year old at heart

) are condiment packages from fast food places, taped to a sheet of cardboard.
Cheap fun and excellent splat factor!

Dragline45 · February 29, 2012, 08:52 PM

I just picked up this AR500 steel plate for $25 with shipping from shootsteel.com. Handles everything from .22 up to .308. Punching paper gets old quick but I could shoot steel plates all day long. Although if you want something fun you and your son can both shoot get a dueling tree, or maybe set up a tic tac toe target so you can play and shoot.

Quote:

One of my favorites (and I am a 6 year old at heart) are condiment packages from fast food places, taped to a sheet of cardboard.
Cheap fun and excellent splat factor!

First person besides myself that I have heard of doing this, I agree it is alot of fun. Nothing like setting one up at 100 yards and watching it splatter through the scope, I have a deep hatred for ketchup

. Works best of you fold the pack in half before you tape it so it explodes better.

Miketodd04 · February 29, 2012, 09:22 PM

I saw a 3 gun course that part of it was made with those little "hug" drinks. You can buy them by the case for a few bucks. I got some and had a blast with everything from the dragunov and AR to the 22lr and 1911.

DaveyG · March 2, 2012, 08:31 PM

Check out MGM "auto poppers" they are rated for rimfire ammo and will last forever, I also have a spinner from a company called "metal spinning targets"
very well made, not sure where you are located regarding the shipping.

http://www.mgmtargets.com/
http://www.metaltargets.com/

February 23, 2012, 05:34 AM	#1
Maser Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2006 Location: Mysterious Cities of Gold Posts: 920	Reactive Rimfire Target Ideas? So my oldest son is turning 6 in April and I feel he is ready for a Ruger 10/22 of his own. Lord knows he's had more than his fair share of experience with mine and I think he's clearly ready for an autoloader of his own now to go with his bolt action. Problem is we really enjoy our reactive targets and he has clearly gotten bored with the clays, suckers, paintballs, and water balloons we normally shoot. We need new ideas for fun reactive targets. Any help would be appreciated.

February 23, 2012, 06:54 AM	#2
MTT TL Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2009 Location: Quadling Country Posts: 2,780	There are a number of spinners and similar type targets for sale on line. What my boys like is taking out the older (carefully chosen) toys of their yesteryear. Nothing quite like scoping in Bob the Builder's little plastic pals to say goodbye to the pre-k days. They don't shoot anything collectable, expensive or what I think their kids might want years from now but everything else is fair game. Those have been some of our best shoots. I would point out though that he might just be tired of shooting and want a break. Some kids are like that. __________________ Thus a man should endeavor to reach this high place of courage with all his heart, and, so trying, never be backward in war.

February 23, 2012, 08:27 AM	#3
Uncle Buck Senior Member Join Date: June 21, 2009 Location: West Central Missouri Posts: 2,592	The spinners are great fun. For those who think they are the cats meow when it comes to shooting, try hanging a few plastic bottles from a string. When you hit them, they fly around. The better the shooter, the smaller the bottles. __________________ Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

February 23, 2012, 12:48 PM	#4
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Maybe it's the shooting style, and not so much the targets, that is the cause of his boredom. Static, slow fire can get that way, even with entertaining targets. Can he do some run n' gun where you shoot? Or some hunting or defensive practice, with targets at various distances and heights, using cover and such, without the running? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

February 23, 2012, 02:04 PM	#5
carguychris Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2007 Location: Richardson, TX Posts: 7,523	Do you have Bois d'arc (aka Bodark, Horse-apple, or Osage-orange) trees in your area? Bois d'arc fruit (aka horse-apples) are Nature's perfect .22LR reactive targets. Unlike other fruit, they're cohesive enough that .22LR bullets don't blow them completely apart, but they're not so cohesive that the bullets just poke tiny holes in them; they come apart in good-sized chunks. Shoot them into progressively smaller and smaller chunks for added challenge. Most property owners will let you take as many as you want because they're almost worthless as a food source for livestock or anything else. (Most animals won't touch them, and the ones that will eat them usually only do it after all other food sources are exhausted.) Did I mention that they're biodegradable, so there's no cleanup? The only problem is that AFAIK they're out of season right now. __________________ "Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules... MARK IT ZERO!!" - Walter Sobchak

February 23, 2012, 02:10 PM	#6
Ultravox Member Join Date: January 11, 2011 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 75	I have heard of using golf balls or tennis balls and chasing them around by shooting at them. I was in the sporting goods aisle at WallWart the other day and they had spinners for cheap. They also had some cubes and other shapes that you can put on the ground and shoot at. You also have to chase them around. __________________ Come check out my custom 1911 grips and other wooden items at my Etsy store.

February 23, 2012, 02:11 PM	#7
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	Easter Eggs. We have a large extended family with a tradition of dyeing eggs ...... dozens and dozens of them: You can only eat egg salad so many times. So, every Easter, in the afternoon, we have a second Easter Egg Hunt, with .22 hollow points. Brightly colored, biodegradable, challenging, exploding targets. What's not to love?

February 23, 2012, 02:12 PM	#8
Joe Chicago Senior Member Join Date: November 11, 2011 Location: Chicago area Posts: 277	Do your boys make plastic models? I used to shoot old tank models with a pellet gun to great effect when I was kid.

February 23, 2012, 06:49 PM	#9
Rembrandt Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2002 Posts: 2,108	Here's a few..... Early arcade shooting gallery.... Falling plates.... Computer controlled Prairie Dog town..... Bowling pin swingers..... Scrap metal spinner.....

February 23, 2012, 08:54 PM	#10
Maser Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 2006 Location: Mysterious Cities of Gold Posts: 920	Thanks for the ideas guys. And no, it's not a case of my boy being bored with shooting in general, I know for a fact it's just the targets. Our normal shooting spot always has lots of trash laying around and when he gets bored with the targets we normally shoot, he will see something on the ground and ask if he can shoot it. I know how kids are. Wasn't long ago I was one myself. Kids do have a short attention span so it's no wonder why he gets bored with the same targets and looks to new targets.

February 23, 2012, 09:59 PM	#11
Crunchy Frog Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 591	My club has a no metal targets rule. That even knocks out the off-the-shelf swinging targets that have metal frames or hinges. Targets on the ground are also discouraged if not prohibited. I bought one of the rubbery plastic targets that are designed to bounce around on the ground. A couple of bucks worth of pvc pipe yielded a frame that would slip into the standard target stands. I suspended the target by a string and made a metal-free reactive target that I don't have to chase.

February 23, 2012, 10:26 PM	#12
rtpzwms Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2010 Location: OTS Posts: 1,035	Eggs are great with a 22. I've also used the cheap hair color from the 99 cent store it sends a color stream into the air when hit. The small bag of flour is one that keeps on giving, it puts out a little puff each time its hit. The small color drinks in the plastic bottles can also be fun. __________________ Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.

February 24, 2012, 07:38 AM	#13
Qtiphky Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2008 Location: Upper Michigan, above the Mackinac Bridge Posts: 568	Ice cubes You can make ice cubes with food coloring in them. No clean up necessary when done shooting and you're watering the range and keeping the dust down.

February 24, 2012, 08:18 AM	#14
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	How about wood targets. Wood is easy to work with, cheap and works quite well with .22s. Even with centerfire, for that matter. Just print out targets and paste them to suitable sized wood squares. Either hang them to make swingers, so there's no need to reset, or use them like falling plates or silhouette targets. There's no end to the possibilities without going broke. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

February 25, 2012, 03:29 AM	#15
plumbercrack Member Join Date: October 21, 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 98	Must be a strong kid. A 10/22 is kind of heavy for a 6 yo. But try the impact rolling targets. They are fun even for us big kids. You might want to look into the .22s at walmart. I can't remember if it was Marlin or Mossberg that made a shorter more lightweight .22 for kids.

February 25, 2012, 10:49 AM	#16
Vortexyz Member Join Date: January 26, 2007 Location: Blacksburg, VA Posts: 89	old tennis balls make a great reactive target with .22s. They last a long time and move after every shot making it progressively more difficult. It's fun to start them at 25 yards and see just how far back you can keep rolling it. If you have two you can make it a contest. Golf balls are also great, but they jump a lot farther than the tennis balls.

February 25, 2012, 11:14 AM	#17
Vt.birdhunter Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2009 Posts: 637	We have a RC 4x4 with a fiberglass snow-marker standing up about 2 feet as a target holder. Tough to beat balloons/old t-shirts/targets tied to the stick running around your range on the fun chart. If your hitting paintballs, try the plastic army guys (I get 50 for a buck at the dollar store, variety of colors for different teams) Lots of fun taking out his "army" before he takes out yours. __________________ Maintaining a constant state of cat-like readiness and a heightened state of suspicious alertness.

February 25, 2012, 12:41 PM	#18
smith357 Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Posts: 270	Charcoal Briquets, Necco Wafers, and paint balls.

February 26, 2012, 11:26 PM	#19
highvel Senior Member Join Date: January 21, 2010 Location: Powhatan VA Posts: 633	I hang golf balls off 1/16" cable after a hit you have to let em calm down before the next shot, or shoot em as they swing. __________________ Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.--Mark Twain "I have opinions of my own 'strong opinions' but I don't always agree with them."--George Bush

February 28, 2012, 03:38 PM	#20
farmall Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2004 Location: Beatrice Nebraska Posts: 613	One of my favorites (and I am a 6 year old at heart) are condiment packages from fast food places, taped to a sheet of cardboard. Cheap fun and excellent splat factor!

February 29, 2012, 09:22 PM	#22
Miketodd04 Member Join Date: June 15, 2007 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 98	I saw a 3 gun course that part of it was made with those little "hug" drinks. You can buy them by the case for a few bucks. I got some and had a blast with everything from the dragunov and AR to the 22lr and 1911.

March 2, 2012, 08:31 PM	#23
DaveyG Junior Member Join Date: October 9, 2008 Location: CT Posts: 8	Check out MGM "auto poppers" they are rated for rimfire ammo and will last forever, I also have a spinner from a company called "metal spinning targets" very well made, not sure where you are located regarding the shipping. http://www.mgmtargets.com/ http://www.metaltargets.com/