[PSG-1]

Greetings. This is my first post here. Very cool board, lots of good info.

Since I don't have a large piece of property, I do a good bit of rimfire shooting in my backyard, using 22 CB ammo. I have a steel bullet trap at 25 yards that I shoot into.

Yesterday afternoon, I was doing a little bit of shooting, using my scoped Marlin model 880 SQ. I was re-zeroing the scope, as it's been a while since I have shot it. The scope is a BSA 3-12x40. I usually shoot on 4 power, though, as the more magnification you use, the bigger the wobble area.

I decided to set up an interesting challenge. I used an NRA 10 meter air rifle target. I took a 1/4" diameter bolt, and used it to punch a clean hole right in the center ring of the target.

Into that hole, I placed a CCI 209 Shotgun primer.

My first shot was just a little low and right, so, I made a quick adjustment.

On the next shot, there was no doubt where the round hit, because it made a loud BANG!

I walked down to the bullet trap, to check out the target. Sure enough, The primer detonated, turning that little hole into a big one, with a nice burn mark on the backside.

I dug around in the trap, and found the remains of the primer cup, squashed by bullet and bullet trap impact.

Honestly, I didn't expect it to go off when hit. I knew it was possible, but I figured the round would likely glance it, or hit it and just knock it out of the paper.

Anyhow, I thought it was a neat challenge, considering that the primer is about the same diameter as the center ring.

 

[jodum]

Welcome to the forum. As you noticed, lots of nice folks here with lots of good info. As a youth, I used to put shotgun shells on the top of fence posts at about 50 yard and shoot at them with my 22 rifle. Usually I would just hit the edge of the shotgun shell and send it flying but occasionally I would hit the primer dead center causing the round to go off with a loud pop. It didn't take a lot to keep me occupied when I was a kid. Just give me a box of 22 rounds and I was good for the afternoon.
Again, welcome.

 

[thegrandenigma]

Welcome to the forum. It's a great place, lots of smart guys, and wise guys.

How about some pictures?

 

[Spence]

I decided to set up an interesting challenge.

Cool idea.

I'm from the black powder shooting world, mostly, and I've often wondered why I never see smokeless shooters put on what we call a novelty shoot. The average one is a walking course of 20-25 targets, all off-hand with iron sights and mostly at 25 yards, with the exception of the gong, which may be anywhere from 100-200 yards. Muzzzleloading rifles only, any caliber is legal. Depending on the shoot, either percussion and flintlock ignition, or frequently, flintlock only. Some of the targets are quite inventive, and quite challenging. Some are well known, some a surprise when you walk the line.

Shoot at the edge of a playing card, have to cut at least half the width.

Stick a double-bit ax in a stump, fasten two clay pigeons on each side, break them both by splitting the ball.

Hang charcoal briquettes on a string and break them. Wind blowing? That's just tough.

The same with eggs. Miss and you have to suck the egg.

Drill a 1" hole in a short section of board, glue a wooden kitchen match across the middle of the hole on the off side. Shoot through the hole and break the match. Any mark on the inside of the hole, no score.

Drill a 1" hole in a steel plate and weld a small shelf below the hole on the off side. Set a small plastic cup of flour on the shelf. Shoot through the hole and make the flour fly. Any sound of bullet striking metal, no score.

Stick a goose wing feather in the edge of a board, shoot to completely sever the stem.

And a really tough one... stick two 1-foot sections of 1/4-inch wooden dowel in the top of a block of wood in a V shape, spread about 45 degrees. Two shots to break both rods clean off. Must break both to score.

Ring an 8-inch gong at a far but unknown distance.


Win one of those contests and you'll strut a little, and rightly so.

Spence

 

[Old Grump]

My brother and I used to shoot the heads off of wooden matches stuck in the side of the target frame with his 1976 commemorative Ruger single six 22. Today we couldn't see the match but that was our challenge game.

Before I had to do all of my walking with sticks to keep my face out of the dirt my personal challenge match was to set up water filled milk jugs and 2 liter bottles of water filled soda jugs starting at the 25 yard line and one every 5 yards after that to the 200 yard line. It was a walking shoot and you had an unlimited number of shots but you couldn't pass up one bottle till after you shot it. You had to shoot while you were walking.

On a good day I could be 2 or 3 bottles ahead of my position on a bad day I had to walk in tiny circles and shoot a jug from just a few yards away before I could continue my trek to the 200 yard line. Armament would be a 44 mag revolver in a offside holster, a 41 mag or 357 mag revolver in a shoulder holster and a 45 ACP in a strong side holster and lots of full magazines.

That made 25 targets and I allowed myself 100 rounds. Usually I didn't need all of that ammo but there were times I had to bring back half a dozen full bottles of untouched targets. For some reason I couldn't get anybody else to play that game with me.

Today on cane or crutches I do a shortened version of it, 10 bottles between my shooting bench and the 100 yard line. I shoot a bottle, walk up to that one and shoot the next bottle, I can't advance till I hit the next bottle but I'm standing still now when I shoot. To make it more of a challenge every other target is shot with the weak hand.

Funny thing is my score with the weak hand is better than my strong hand. I have to slow down and concentrate more so I actually shoot better. Changed my gun too, 22's, 38's and 44 spcl instead of the magnums and 45's. I reserve them for stationary targets from the shooting bench 40-100 yards.

Don't do it as much as I would like to but when I have company over I set it up and we give it a go. You should hear the excuses we have for why the misses weren't our fault. Us older shooters are a lot more creative than the younger shooters but they will learn.

 

[PSG-1]

Welcome to the forum. It's a great place, lots of smart guys, and wise guys.

How about some pictures?

Thanks for the welcome aboard.

I saved the target, with the intent of posting some pics of it on the net, so, I'll take some photos and post them soon.

 

[PSG-1]

Cool idea.

I'm from the black powder shooting world, mostly, and I've often wondered why I never see smokeless shooters put on what we call a novelty shoot.




Hang charcoal briquettes on a string and break them. Wind blowing? That's just tough.


Spence

I only own one black powder gun, a reproduction Colt 1861 Springfield .58 cal

Shooting it offhand, using a military leather sling, I can usually hit a 300 meter scaled AQT at 25 yards. That's comparable accuracy to any modern battle rifle, and that's with the round lead ball, not minnie balls!

However, I have at times loaded metallic cartridges with black powder.
I would often load my .45 Long Colt rounds with black powder, for shooting in cowboy matches, as it's more authentic.

I've even loaded 38 Special, 357 Magnum, and 9mm with black powder (using lead bullets, of course) Occasionally, I would slip one of these into my gun at a match, just to crack people up....it was always funny hearing about 5 normal shots out of a revolver, and then that last BOOM of black powder!

Out of all the shooting challenges you mentioned, the charcoal briquet shooting is the only one I have actually done. This was done at a cowboy action shoot rifle side match. They had charcoal briquets hanging from a board at about 25 yards.

Charcoal makes for a really good target, as it emits a nice black puff when hit, just like when you break the center of a clay pigeon.


I've heard of the axe blade with two clay pigeons, always wanted to try that shot.

 

[PSG-1]

My brother and I used to shoot the heads off of wooden matches stuck in the side of the target frame with his 1976 commemorative Ruger single six 22. Today we couldn't see the match but that was our challenge game.

Before I had to do all of my walking with sticks to keep my face out of the dirt my personal challenge match was to set up water filled milk jugs and 2 liter bottles of water filled soda jugs starting at the 25 yard line and one every 5 yards after that to the 200 yard line. It was a walking shoot and you had an unlimited number of shots but you couldn't pass up one bottle till after you shot it. You had to shoot while you were walking.

On a good day I could be 2 or 3 bottles ahead of my position on a bad day I had to walk in tiny circles and shoot a jug from just a few yards away before I could continue my trek to the 200 yard line. Armament would be a 44 mag revolver in a offside holster, a 41 mag or 357 mag revolver in a shoulder holster and a 45 ACP in a strong side holster and lots of full magazines.

That made 25 targets and I allowed myself 100 rounds. Usually I didn't need all of that ammo but there were times I had to bring back half a dozen full bottles of untouched targets. For some reason I couldn't get anybody else to play that game with me.

Today on cane or crutches I do a shortened version of it, 10 bottles between my shooting bench and the 100 yard line. I shoot a bottle, walk up to that one and shoot the next bottle, I can't advance till I hit the next bottle but I'm standing still now when I shoot. To make it more of a challenge every other target is shot with the weak hand.

Funny thing is my score with the weak hand is better than my strong hand. I have to slow down and concentrate more so I actually shoot better. Changed my gun too, 22's, 38's and 44 spcl instead of the magnums and 45's. I reserve them for stationary targets from the shooting bench 40-100 yards.

Don't do it as much as I would like to but when I have company over I set it up and we give it a go. You should hear the excuses we have for why the misses weren't our fault. Us older shooters are a lot more creative than the younger shooters but they will learn.

Match heads...now that's impressive. Especially with a handgun. The walking course sounds like a lot of fun.

As far as weak hand shooting, that's a very good advantage that you are scoring better with your weak hand. Because, a lot of people fail to practice with their weak hand. And that is a tactical error.

To me, there is no such thing as a "weak" hand. Only weak shooters, who do not practice. Now, I am right handed. I will NEVER be able to write with my left hand, it requires too much dexterity. But as far as shooting a gun, not a problem.

The only thing I have to remember when I shoot a pistol in my left hand, is that I have to use my right eye to aim, otherwise, my point of impact is off to the right. I can shoot with my left eye, but I have to work harder to compensate.

But as far as being able to operate the gun, and get nice groups, I'd say my left hand is just about as good as my right.

In cowboy action shooting, I shot as a "duelist" For those who don't know, that's where you shoot your left gun with your left hand, and your right gun with your right. But one gun at a time.

A gunfighter shoots both at the same time. I never attained this level, mainly because of the right eye dominance problem.

 

[geneus]

I like to shoot old spray paint cans. They make a mess but they go flying and you always know when you hit them.

They to expensive to just buy and shoot but seems like i can always find a couple around that the nozzle is plugged up or gone.

 

[PSG-1]

I like to shoot old spray paint cans. They make a mess but they go flying and you always know when you hit them.

They to expensive to just buy and shoot but seems like i can always find a couple around that the nozzle is plugged up or gone.

Yep, spray cans make really good targets. Even better if you set them next to a small fire, and shoot at them! (Don't try this at home, kids...LOL)

 

[PSG-1]

As promised, here are some pictures.


880 SQ with a before, during, and after target. Note the remnants of the primer lying on the right target.

A closeup of the primer placed in the target.

Here's the backside of the target after detonation. Note the detonated primer cup.

 

[CowboyGunNut]

Ya'll are making me jealous! This stuff sounds like a lot of fun, but the club I belong to has a strict paper target only rule. I do get to shoot steel at sanctioned cowboy shoots, but otherwise it's just paper targets. I don't have access to any private land, either.

 

[PSG-1]

Ya'll are making me jealous! This stuff sounds like a lot of fun, but the club I belong to has a strict paper target only rule. I do get to shoot steel at sanctioned cowboy shoots, but otherwise it's just paper targets. I don't have access to any private land, either.

Yes, unfortunately, most ranges have a paper target only rule. Not only is this to prevent sorry-*** people from turning the range into a dump (because those type will bring refrigerators, TV's etc), it is to prevent ricochets from steel targets.

The local county sheriff's gun range has a paper only rule, as does the range in Francis Marion National Forest.

I did have a membership in a neighboring county at a range, and that range allowed for steel targets. But that range is a PITA to drive to, through a bunch of traffic.

I found a new range that's about 45 minutes from where I live, and they allow for steel targets. And it's a private range, no crowds of knuckleheads with their reckless BS and vandalism (unlike the range in the National Forest)

Not only do they have a 25 and 50 yard pistol range, they also have a 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 yard rifle range, as well as sporting clays and an archery course.

I enjoy shooting at steel targets, personally. It was cowboy action shooting that got me into steel targets. I have a pretty good assortment of little AQT silhouettes, as well as 4 and 6 inch diameter plates. Along with the targets is an assortment of target stands that I fabricated. One of them, I designed it so that it can be broken down, but when it is fully set up, it has a total of 6 steel poppers, with 4 and 6 inch diameter.

They are designed to swing on cross bars when hit, so that they give with the impact, preventing a ricochet, but they do not fall over, so they do not have to be reset every time.

I also have a 4 inch plate that is an inch thick, also set up on a swinging target stand. That's my 100 yard target for rifles. Unfortunately, it isn;t armor plate, so, the rounds from the SKS, the AK, the AR-15, PSG-1, and the 300 Win Mag...really eat it up. I bring it home from the range, and fill in the craters using my MIG welder, then take it to the range and eat it up some more. LOL