reactive target suggestions

T

tpende

Guest
just like everyone else i get sick of putting holes in paper fairly quick. so im always trying to come up or find good reactive targets. i happen to be a metal fabricator/machinist by trade so it comes in handy for the swingers & dingers.

im just looking to get a bunch of good suggestions together for long range reactive targets.

im sure a bunch of you guys have used these but for those of you who havent though of it. those mini 8oz short pop cans work GREAT! even out to 400 my .223 manages to turn them into mini grenades. plus if you do the math they cost about the same as the round you fire at them.

BTW i was lucky enough to peg 6 in a row in under 2min. with my single shot. ive got a vid of it. ill try to get it on youtube for you guys to enjoy sometime soon.
 
Reactive targets

I would get some AR500 steel and cut it into different shapes to represent different "targets" such as ground squirrels, gophers, bowling pins, Mullah's, etc. For the most bang-for-the-buck, have them on bases with a spring and hinge so they can fall back a bit, then spring back to the upright position.

:cool:
 
Steel, balloons, clay pigeons, cup of flour/lime, eggs, fired brass?...
 
Mike Gibson Manufacturing (MGM)

Makes reactive steel targets for rifles. I have self righting poppers and spring loaded prarie dogs from him. Had them for years. I have them at 300 & 400 yards and they have lasted through many rounds of 22-250 to 300 Weatherby fire.

Fun to shoot, Good service

http://www.mgmtargets.com/
 
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ive made a few different siloutes out of high carbon steel (rhinos, the mud flap chick, ect.) and some 1/2" thick 4inch rounds and a swinger with a 4inch round pendulum. i think ill have to try the sprng loaded variety. my only problem with steel is i cant always tell exactly where i hit it at, and walkin 400 with a can of spray paint every 10 shots gets to be a bit much. i may try to do a one 1.5 inch hole in the center kind of another spring loaded "bullseye flap" behind it
 
tpende said:
just like everyone else i get sick of putting holes in paper fairly quick. </snip>
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Now that's funny! :D
Considering where you’re posting, its like walking up to a group of teenage boys and saying “ya know, just like you guys, I get tired of thinking about cars and girls, girls and cars, cars and girls….” LOL

I did plasma cut some spring loaded prairie dogs and a rabbit last year and everyone enjoys shooting at them (some people I know will not shoot paper). I’ll see if I can post a picture or two of the design later this evening.

Jim
 
Perhaps you should have posted in this forum....
General Discussion
Firearms topics not related to Benchrest

:)
 
forgive him............

..............apparently he has never experienced what happens to a sane,rational person once they get 5 shots to go though the same steenkin hole.........life is never the same again :)
 
I don't really get tired of it. I just get tired of doing it poorly.
Putting holes in paper is what we specialize in. I don't think we could have a BenchRest match without it.
Unless of course we came up with some new precision target material. Then we would sit at the bench all day and put holes in that.

But if you are still interested in reactive targets, they have some in Afghanistan that are real reactive and you get paid to shoot at them. All you have to do is ante up and sign on the line.

Ted
 
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Charcoal briquettes poof pretty good. A 20 lb bag is about $6.
 
Mothballs are my favorite reactive target (I know it's hard to catch them with their legs apart). Off center hits result in chips, but center hits give you a big puff of white powder. I use them with rimfires as well as pellet rifles. I don't shoot them often, but they are a nice change from paper occasionally.

Carl C
 
hahahahahah it took me 3 months to catch that one.


oh yeah fruit works pretty darn good too. kiwi
 
If the ingredients in the binary reactive targets are legal to mix on-site and use as a target, I wonder if a non-commercial version of the same product would still remain legal to use for a target. They are pretty expensive to purchase, but the ingredients can be had very cheap.
 
Mirage416 said:
If the ingredients in the binary reactive targets are legal to mix on-site and use as a target, I wonder if a non-commercial version of the same product would still remain legal to use for a target. They are pretty expensive to purchase, but the ingredients can be had very cheap.
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Yeahhh, it's legal. I know the guy who makes them. They're mfgd here in my area.

Cold packs and ground AL or Mg............. perfectly legal reactive targets and truly HE reactive!

You say "very cheap"....... care to share source info? I buy the cold packs at a medical supply warehouse, case price.

al
 
alinwa said:
Yeahhh, it's legal. I know the guy who makes them. They're mfgd here in my area.

Cold packs and ground AL or Mg............. perfectly legal reactive targets and truly HE reactive!

You say "very cheap"....... care to share source info? I buy the cold packs at a medical supply warehouse, case price.

al
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Al,

Cold packs are probably an expensive source for AN. You want to buy hydroponic fertilizer in bags, in prilled form. It would be 34-0-0 for pure AN, and make sure it is pure. I haven't looked in a while, but you could get 20lb bags of ammonium nitrate prills on eBay for about $50 over a year ago. That's actually high if you consider that agricultural AN goes for about .50c/lb.

The prill form keeps it from absorbing moisture quickly, as it is highly hygroscopic. You powder the prills with a cheap electric coffee grinder right before mixing and use. It will not store over a day without being completely sealed after grinding.

The binary reactive targets you purchase actually are very weak if you consider the speed of the detonation wave in them.

If you wanted something a lot more powerful, you would use 75:20:5 AN/Pure nitromethane/aluminum powder. The 5% aluminum powder will help sensitize the mixture. Aluminum also lengthens the pressure pulse and gives you a thermobaric boom. So if you can alter the ratio to 70:20:10 with more AL powder and still get it to detonate, the shockwave will be noticeably more thunderous.

It is not dangerous to flame, only strong impact from a bullet. It would just burn vigorously if ignited. The AN is not dangerous while grinding, until mixed with the fuels. Weigh them and put them together in a zip-loc bag, kneed it well for a few minutes with your hands. Stuff the bag tight into some sort of disposable tupper-ware container to shoot, so the air is out and the density is consistent.

Start small (1/4lb) and put it at least 100 yards out.

Be safe and have fun. ;)
 
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