Need ideas for fun shooting. SE Iowa

[IA_shooter]

I really want to get some shooting in and I need some ideas for fun shooting/practice shooting. I have a nice place nearby (family ground) to go shoot anywhere from 100 to 600+ yards and am wondering what you guys might use for fun target practice, fun shooting besides paper targets? Shooting at paper targets gets a little boring and there are no ranges remotely close to me where I can shoot at any real distances.

I considered using balloons/water balloons but I don't want to leave the mess of the popped balloons out where I'll be shooting. There are cattle that are in the fields at different times and I don't want to leave anything that's not organic behind. Maybe buy some cheap fruit? Any other ideas?

I suppose I should just get another Foxpro and go after some coyotes just for fun but I'll bet they'll be tough to call into any open areas, which there isn't a lot of, especially in my neck of the woods (SE Iowa) this time of year and I doubt I'll get many opportunities to even take a shot.

 

[Immike]

Chicken eggs are challenging and extremely visible on most backgrounds. We take them out and warm them up until they are room temperature and dry of sweat. Then take monofilament and tie a knot in the end and hot glue to the pointed end of the egg. Hang them out from sticks at any distance with dirt behind them so you can see your misses. The small, highly visible egg seems to make people focus more than paper. Clay birds will work too.

 

[IA_shooter]

Eggs and clay birds are great ideas. I'll bet I could drill a small hole in the clay birds and attach them to a target backing easily enough.

 

[Immike]

Eggs and clay birds are great ideas. I'll bet I could drill a small hole in the clay birds and attach them to a target backing easily enough.

They are pretty brittle, try placing 2 nails under them.

 

[DaveC]

I like to hot glue paint balls to a cardboard backing. Aim small….

 

[Nomad47]

 

[Immike]

I like to hot glue paint balls to a cardboard backing. Aim small….

I am going to have to try that one!! Thanks.

 

[doc gordon]

soft drink bottles (plastic ) filled with water and a little powdered pigment , non-toxic , can add fun ! van dyke taxidermy supply sells this very reasonably priced . also try amazon on this site .gal. milk jugs do good at 1000.

 

[vmaxpro]

I love blowin up tomatoes!

 

[bobm]

Nomad47 is on the right track...metallic reactive targets. Get your self a set of the official NRA small bore animal swinger targets and learn to shoot standing up. To quote a friend "like God intended a man shoot". I did this 30 years ago and am still shooting smallbore and highpower metallic silhouette often today. It will not take long to get proficient at shooting offhand. It is an addicting game so be prepared to upgrade firearm and optics quality as you get better. Go to the NRA website for more info on this game. Iowa has no active rifle silhouette that I know of, but you could be the driving force in making that a reality.

 

[riverwolf1]

100 yards .22 its hard to beat paintballs sittin on top of a golf "T", our local club also has an egg shoot annually where they shot several different firearms!

Factory centerfire @ 200 yds
Custom centerfire@200 yds
pistol @25 yards
.22 factory rimfire @ 100 yds
.22 custom rimfire@100 yds
All other rimfires @100yds

we make wire stands and the egg sits atop the stand and our target frames are drilled to accept the wire.

 

[tinkerer]

Nomad47 is on the right track...metallic reactive targets. Get your self a set of the official NRA small bore animal swinger targets and learn to shoot standing up. To quote a friend "like God intended a man shoot". I did this 30 years ago and am still shooting smallbore and highpower metallic silhouette often today. It will not take long to get proficient at shooting offhand. It is an addicting game so be prepared to upgrade firearm and optics quality as you get better. Go to the NRA website for more info on this game. Iowa has no active rifle silhouette that I know of, but you could be the driving force in making that a reality.

I actually bought a set of half size 3/8" thick AR500 silhouettes and welded a set of corresponding round targets on the bottom so when I shoot the silhouette, it pivots back and come back to the top. The bottom round target does not move so if I hit it, no go.

Easy and reactive. You pick the range and spread them out. Thinking about another set so I have variety at every range.

Get creative.

Larry
Tinkerer

 

[savagedasher]

In Florida we shoot swinging gongs with great success. We trued balloons then clay birds. both were a lot of work. Ar 500 bolted to a swing arm hold up well. We shoot 5'' at 565 yd 8'' at 1000 yd. You can make them any size or shape you want. Good Shooting Larry

 

[vmaxpro]

100 yards .22 its hard to beat paintballs sittin on top of a golf "T", our local club also has an egg shoot annually where they shot several different firearms!

Factory centerfire @ 200 yds
Custom centerfire@200 yds
pistol @25 yards
.22 factory rimfire @ 100 yds
.22 custom rimfire@100 yds
All other rimfires @100yds

we make wire stands and the egg sits atop the stand and our target frames are drilled to accept the wire.

That sounds like a damn good time

 

[stinnett1981]

I also have family hunting ground and like to try new shooting ideas. I like to set up multiple steel gongs at 100, 200, 300, 500 and 600 yards. Using a FFP scope and I try to shoot all 5 targets as fast as I can with a bolt action. I usauly make all 5 shots under 25 seconds. Lots of fun! We shoot tennis balls, eggs and ballons too.

IA shooter. This is the game call I bought http://www.allpredatorcalls.com/foxpro-hellfire-digital-caller-with-75-custom-calls-tx-9-remote-hf1/ I also bought the mojo critter decoy http://www.allpredatorcalls.com/mojo-critter-predator-decoy-hw5121/ Only used them once, but took a coyote in 15 min. The call has a usb connector and mp3 player. Download any call you want to it.

 

[riverwolf1]

Our egg shoot draws between 75-90 shooters, there are guys that drive from Riggins Id.to shoot this match! $15.00 entry fee includes lunch, and a $5.00 rentry fee for each category after your first entry. Everyone has a great time and we do it primarily for the junior shooter's. The top junior for the shoot gets a new Ruger 10/22, the adults ( big kids) get cash for their win in each category! I am here to tell you that eggs at 200 yds with a littlte wind going is a challange, likewise the .22 at 100 yds gets tricky too. After your intial sight in your only allowed to shoot 10 rounds at the eggs and you shoot 3 times, 5 eggs each time, the most eggs with the fewest shots wins!

 

[kochie]

I live in SC Iowa and have steel too shoot out to about 400 yards good to here about different ideas . Not any 1000 yard ranges wry close .

 

[David Milisock]

It's best if you don't want non-biodegradable remains to use eggs or tomatoes. Take the eggs on out to 300 yards and tomatoes to 400 or more. After that you're pretty much stuck with lopes/melons and steel.

 

[mattri]

Golf balls make a nice white cloud when hit.

Not sure exactly where you are or how far you want to travel but High Lakes Alliance around Afton has gongs out to 800 yards and does fun shoots throughout the year.

 

[SecretCode]

Don't overlook old bowling pins. Any bowling alley will either give away the old ones or sell them for a buck a piece. If you're shooting smaller calibers at farther ranges you get to find out where to place shots for easier knockdown.