Reactive Targets

I like Stoned Wheat Thins held on a line with paperclips. Just right for 25-50m offhand, or out to 150m off the bench.

The current project (soon as I'm on dry land, 4 weeks to go!) is a realitively simple dualling tree. I'm going to offset the plates though so they will only be half exposed on the "scored" side.
The idea is that you can flip someones plate back to slow them down but its going to be much harder then if you just shoot yours quickly.
I'm planning on 3" square plates which will then be 1.5x3" when flipped. About right for pistols at 10-25m, rifles offhand at 60-80m and off the bench out to 150-200m. I like to keep trees very challenging otherwise they just get to be all about the speed.

The next project (serious design phase) is a horizontal dualing target when the plates stay down until it's reset with another round. It lets you have an easier time keeping track of who won.

Otherwise I'm working on a mechanical, resetting target that pops-up a new target each time one is shot.
Thats a ways in the future and definately an ambitious project. Probably the most difficult part will be trying to keep some randomness in the order they are exposed.

Cheers,
Grant
 
I like Stoned Wheat Thins held on a line with paperclips. Just right for 25-50m offhand, or out to 150m off the bench.

The current project (soon as I'm on dry land, 4 weeks to go!) is a realitively simple dualling tree. I'm going to offset the plates though so they will only be half exposed on the "scored" side.
The idea is that you can flip someones plate back to slow them down but its going to be much harder then if you just shoot yours quickly.
I'm planning on 3" square plates which will then be 1.5x3" when flipped. About right for pistols at 10-25m, rifles offhand at 60-80m and off the bench out to 150-200m. I like to keep trees very challenging otherwise they just get to be all about the speed.

The next project (serious design phase) is a horizontal dualing target when the plates stay down until it's reset with another round. It lets you have an easier time keeping track of who won.

Otherwise I'm working on a mechanical, resetting target that pops-up a new target each time one is shot.
Thats a ways in the future and definately an ambitious project. Probably the most difficult part will be trying to keep some randomness in the order they are exposed.

Cheers,
Grant

Let's see some pics when your done!
 
Jesus the ones on our land are a little more cunning than that haha.

I recommend you take a drive around the block early on garbage day, you'd be amazed at the "reactive targets" you can collect that people are just throwing away! Reactive microwaves! Reactive Tvs! Reactive printers!
 
In addition to some of the swinging targets shown above, we use tin (steel) cans hung from stings. Pop cans are aluminum and don't give much resistance to a 22 going through them. The steel cans dance much more.

Usually we are shooting offhand at them at ranges from 25 to about 60m. We use all sizes so if someone isn't a good shot, they aim for the bigger cans (don't we all like big cans?? :cool: )
 
Excuse my lack of knowledge on hunting gophers but do you just leave the gophers there after you have blown off their head lol? I've never been gopher hunting and I'm not even sure we have gophers here in Manitoba(Winnipeg).
 
paintballs on golf tees, especially with a white sheet draped behind.
soda crackers are cheap and fun to shoot. and the birds and animals eat the mess.


loud gongs at long ranges. the wait between the bang and the gong is amusing.
 
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but figured it’s a good place to share a simple reactive plinking setup I made for my kids, since I already took pics for an EE ad.

It’s a little pricey to make (around $25 per pop-up target, times 3) — plus the 2x6 to 2x4 sawhorse brackets — but with a can of orange paint it should last a long time.

Love the convenience of spring-loaded self-resetting targets. I also find it’s worth the time to set up a variety of different “stations” — balloons, clays, cans, fruits/ vegetables — so the kids can switch from one to another to another.

I made a similar but bigger setup that’s at a friend’s rural property — it has a duelling tree attached to the frame which the kids love.

For transport, I attached some velcro straps to the back of the targets to hold them flat, once everything is broken down.


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The home range has a list of things members are not allowed to shoot. Tracking down an older member and getting the tale of how various things got listed has proven quite entertaining.
 
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