What's good to shoot besides paper targets?

[xsquidgator]

I'm considering joining a local range (covered firing line, outdoors during daylight with berm backstop) and was wondering what to shoot, if I join? I'm used to indoor ranges with standard types of paper targets, and it's possible to continue to use that at this place. but, since it's an outdoor range and pretty laid back, you can shoot whatever you want pretty much as long as it's not glass and so long as all bullets impact the berm (no shooting at things on the ground in between you and the target area).

I was thinking maybe it'd be kind of neat to buy some bowling pins and do some of that, or maybe some of the metal targets that fall down when hit, or I don't know what else. Is there anything other than paper targets that provides some training or practice value? I was thinking of a few "science experiments" once in a while like the box of truth guys do, but I doubt there's much practice value in that.

I'm mostly interested in shooting my 380/9m/357 handguns, but perhaps also some 12 gauge and maybe 7.62x39 (SKS) rifle too.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[rocky]

pins are fun. reactionary targets are fun too. I shoot water jugs occasionally. Fruit can be spectacular .

[jarhead79]

Rocky nailed it. WATER JUGS. I've found that they're only fun with hollow points. FMJs just go through, but hollow points make 'em EXPLODE!!!!!

Have fun, either way.

[QKShooter]

THESE....CLICK HERE.

[buckeye .45]

Everything that has been said above, including the fruit and water jugs/whatever other liquid filled container is handy (I once recieved a free 12 pack of diet coke, and I dont drink diet, and had a good time shaking up the cans and using them as targets). I know that some bowling alleys will give away their old pins for free or very cheap. I have always liked using clay pigeons for target practice as well, you can tell when you have hit even with a rifle or pistol, and if you really want to try your skills see how many times you can shoot one pigeon until it is demolished. Car parts like doors are fun too,

Like the box of truth guys say "shooting stuff is fun." My advice would be to shoot as many different things that you can get for free/cheap as long as your range allows it.

[xsquidgator]

THESE....CLICK HERE.

That looks pretty neat. Unfortunately, when I re-read the range rules, they say no exploding targets!

[WJP9]

Every now and then I will blast watermelons....QK---those targets look FUN!

[Blackeagle]

Cans of tomato paste can be spectacular, especially when shot with high velocity rifle rounds (though your range might frown at the resulting mess).

[GoodSamaritan]

Two words Ceramic tile.

I have a truckload of the stuff, that I got for hauling it away, before I realized that there isn't enough of any one color to actually tile a room. You can keep setting up the pieces until they get to small to mess with.

Soda cans have already been mentioned. I grab the cheapest fizzy stuff I can find, and show up with a couple of 24 cases.

Shaving cream cans. It is a bit more expensive, but you can find the cheap stuff for 1$ a can all day long. They arent spectacular or anything but you can tell when you hit one well over 200 yards.

O.T. I may get called a liar for this (already have once) I know I would have trouble believing this if I hadn't seen it, but on a recent outdoor range trip a friend of mine tagged along. He was hitting shaving cream cans pretty reliably at 225 yards, with my mosin nagant 91/30 open sighted and using cheap surplus ammo.
All I could see at that distance, were tiny silver specs out in the grass. When he hit them though, there would suddenly be a visible white area that looked as if it had snowed.

[P-111 Pro]

Potato's are cheap fun, so are Ritz crackers. Dont forget Christmas tree bulbs. Tis the season.

[Double Naught Spy]

These folks have a target called the Shaffer Shifter...
http://www.evanstarget.com/prices.html

...that I really like. I have a couple up at my place. If you have a place from which to have a target swing like a pendulum (mine are suspended between two trees), it is a full motion target that moves in all three dimensions and its direction and speed of movement change with subsequent impacts.

[hsuCowboy98]

all the stuff above is fun.

Metal "pepper poppers" are great training too, as you can set the amount of force required to knock them down..though they are a bit pricy.

[PAPACHUCK]

Good use of cheap suckers from dollar store. You know the ones you buy indivadualy wrapped all in a row of plastic. I've seen them as cheap as $1 for 15 suckers.


Take a 2x4 and on the 2" side, drill 3/16" holes every 4". Nail board, hole side up across 2 trees. Insert in each hole 1 sucker with the flat side towards shooter.

Great for handguns, rifles, .22's, BB/pellet guns or even slingshots.

Kids love them.

[SIXTO]

clay pigeons, steel pepper poppers, balloons, empty shotgun hulls, spent brass, out dated eggs, cans of any kind. For the .22's, I tape several aspirins on cardboard, its a challenge.

Balloons are my favorite, they are great training.

[retsupt99]

I used to live WAY back in the woods. I would set up gallon water jugs with colored water...then you could see where you hit. A center hit would drain the red water down 1/2 way...easy to spot.

Can't really do that any more...too many people around...

Lots of good suggestions though...

Stay alert...stay safe!

ret