Shooting Games

we put up bullseye rings (numbered) for each shooter. We walk around taking turns choosing the shooting location. Some shots might be taken prone, some sitting, some may have to be offhand if the vegetation is high. The shooter can shoot from any position he wants from that location. In the end, we tally the points, with a soft drink or dollar bill on the line. We have access to large pastures, so shots might go out to 500-600 yds (we have large bulleyes!), but the same thing can be done at shorter ranges. Lots of fun! Similar to 3-D archery.
 
I used to do a lot of 3D archery, been shooting traditional since before I was able to use a firearm. Some of the kids I grew up with were native from the White Mountain Res. In AZ. one game we used to play was to set a wand (usually a long stick with a rag tied to the end, and see how close we could come to it, from differant ranges. I was told that this was a very old game, played by Apache boys to learn the way of the bow. Apache bows are like many native bows very short, the anchor poing is the middle of the chest. Since the bows are relitivly low powered they can be fired very fast. I remember reading how the plains tribes could put four or five arrows in the air before the first one hit. I saw some of the kids i played with get two or three up fast like that. I read to much Robin Hood so thje bows i made were always made in the English long Bow pattern. The one I use now is 72"long with a 70Lb draw at 32" It is bamboo backed Yew. I have shot arials with it when i was still shooting a lot.
As far as firearms go, I try to make pracice as practical as I can. Small targets at unknown ranges rapid, or timed fire. Multiple targets ect. With my lever guns I will use 3Lb coffee cans mounted on a stick with the end towards the shooter. Set three or four at differing ranges say fifty seventy five and one hundred ans ten or fifteen feet seperated in a line then starting at the furthest or closest target shoot each can bottom in under two minutes open sights, 45-70 lever action the same thing can be done with any action type or caliber. The ranges can even be more suited to the chambering. Varment chambering can be done at say 100 150 200 and ect. Just be sure to use small targets 3-6inches in diameter. Heck party ballons full of colored water that will give a reactive aspect.
 
Onionskin - shooting flies

I had to try the shooting flies when I read Onionskin's post. I put up a scrap piece of white moulding and smeared it with syrup. Soon enough we had a few flies to shoot at. I was using my Crossman pump pellet pistol at 11-12 feet freehand. My dad watched in disbelief as I shot 3 for 3. As we worked on my house we kept an eye out for newcomers. I actually found it to be very entertaining.

Game 1 Growing up we used to shoot grasshoppers with our air rifles which was pretty good practice.

Game 2 Shoot walnuts. They are plentiful and cheap if you have trees and react pretty well to hits.

oxnam
 
Getting the grandaughter started, figured that reactive targets would be far better at holding interest than paper punching. Let her help with building them, and let her paint them up. These are for pellet guns, I have an older pump up Crossman that I can ready and set in the bags, she is eating it up.

BellaandTargets.jpg


Mechanism shown from the back.

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Modified the directions to have the target drop flat, by adding a 2" riser to the hinge location on the face plate.

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Set up copied below.

http://www.airguns.net/ft_woodfieldtarget.php
 
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At the range I go to, we set up a lot of steel targets, plate racks and a Texas Star (rotates once you start shooting the plates off.)

We start off shooting with 10/22's then go to pistols and revolvers then to shotguns. Makes for an interesting practice session.

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necco wafers are great targets



I thought I was the only one who did this. They make great little target. Nice puff when hit solid and they melt with the rain. Try tossing them into the air and shooting them with a BB gun.

Moth balls are fun, too.
 
Eggs are fun, and not too expensive when you buy them by the flat at Costco. Bend a coat hanger with a coil on one end to support the egg. Do a search for "egg shoot" for more info and pics.
 
This is "old hat" I'm sure, but my brother-in-law and I will throw a tennis ball out and we take turns shooting. You have to shoot before it stops rolling.
 
blow up some balloons and let the wind blow them. this works great with snow on the ground. great shooting practice.
Cracker
 
I've done the balloons with hellium and shotguns too. It's quite entertaining as the balloons with move in different directions without notice.

Also, if you can setup a rig, take 3 boxes, run a string through all three, and tie a balloon to the string in one of the three boxes. The idea is to practice stopping an intruder. The top box represents the head, middle box is center mass, & bottom box is the hips. You hang the string up in a stand or tree and have to hit the balloon (the shooter doesn't know which box it's in) before the boxes (perp) will drop to the ground.

I've also seen targets that have a full deck of cards on each side. You shoot the side the has the back of the cards showing and play blackjack, poker, high card, whatever.
 
A good fun drill with a centerfire rifle is the rifle bounce. You need steel plates 10-12" diameter, one at 100, one at 200, one at 300. It is a timed drill.

Start standing and hit the 100 from offhand once. You will hear the hit, otherwise, if you have a buddy watching with binocs, he can call out the hit. Step sideways about a yard and hit the 200 once from position of your choice. Move sideways about a yard again and hit the 300 plate once from the position of your choice.

You have only 6 rounds to complete the drill. If you hit each target once without running out of ammo then your score is your time. Otherwise it's a zero. A good time is 25 seconds or less. 20 or under and you're doing pretty darn well.

You can also do this with a rimfire using 4" steel targets at 33, 66, and 100 yards, or 3" targets at 25, 50, and 75. The offhand requirement for the closest target and the moving and changing positions really works your skills.
 
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