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Thread: Best steel targets for air rifles

  1. #1
    Boolit Master Drew P's Avatar
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    Best steel targets for air rifles

    Getting into this side of things and wanting to set up a range. Wondering what people think are the best targets. I live shooting steel of course, but I’m open to ideas.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master GhostHawk's Avatar
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    Go to the nearest second hand store, buy half a dozen plain steel spoons. Lock a piece of rod in a vice, bend the spoon handle around the rod, cut off excess with hacksaw. Leave it a little loose. String 3 of these on a piece of threaded rod with lock nuts to hold them in place, or thin plastic tubing for spacers.

    Even my Hatsan 135 at close range does not beat these up much because they can give, swing. A good hit may spin it half a dozen times.

    A 4"x4" juction box cover for electrical wiring hung on a wire or string makes a good loud "DONG" when hit.

    Last you can get reseting silhouette targets for .22lr with 4 or 6 targets, once all knocked down a hit on a circle higher up resets them all.
    They are built to take hits from .22lr so airguns don't do much more than flake paint off.

    https://www.amazon.com/HIRAM-Resetti...5382517&sr=8-3

    Not bad for 20$
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  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The Spoon is a good idea and should hold up well being free swinging. Ive used electrical box knock outs. Hang them on 2 sash chains when they get domed turn them around. These can be hung from a wire realtor sign frame.
    Sometimes a paper target is handy. Brown wrapping paper butcher paper or the construction lining paper and a few packages of black pasters. You can make alot of aiming spots on a 3' X 3' piece.
    My kids also liked neco candy wafers, nice little cloud of dust when hit. Asprins when they got better. A small stand and lengths of dowel stood on it. Q tps make a fun challenging target.
    Pop caps make a nice target and they usually hold up to 4-5 hits.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Like the spoons idea, will be hanging some of them for “walkabouts”, thanks.
    Field target is a popular air rifle sport, very enjoyable. The targets are string resettable and require precision to hit the knockdown paddle cleanly. Not as cheap as spoons!
    Click image for larger version. 

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  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    Click image for larger version. 

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    Best is in the eyes of the beholder.

    17s hardly move the quadrants, the center gives a little swing.

    It works well with 25 grain pellets @ 935 FPS.
    To lazy to chase arrows.
    Clodhopper

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy Lostinidaho's Avatar
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    This is my shooting gallery made mostly from 1/8 steel.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO174i5cyTc

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    If using a fx Impact with an Element scope you'll 1/2" A500 steel.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by MT Chambers View Post
    If using a fx Impact with an Element scope you'll 1/2" A500 steel.
    And a wrecker truck to fetch, and haul home the buffalo that falls dead everytime the fximpact is fired.
    To lazy to chase arrows.
    Clodhopper

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I like the regulation airgun silhouette targets. Set them up on 4X4's. I like the sound of the pellets slapping steel. Chickens, pigs, and turkeys, make the slap, while the larger sheep targets go ding. Another fun target is empty shotgun hulls. They make a hollow sound when hit. They really fly when you hit low on the base wad.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

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    I like shooting Dumdum suckers at 25 yards. The sugar really explodes. I might have to find some of the nicco candies.

    I might have to get some cheap spoons.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy Hawks Feather's Avatar
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    Most of the .22LR swinging targets will work fine. I hadn't seen the spoon idea and plan to give that one a try. Depending on the size of targets you need you could also get some small pans when looking for the spoons.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lostinidaho View Post
    This is my shooting gallery made mostly from 1/8 steel.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO174i5cyTc
    Very nice, I really like the bell.

  13. #13
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    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
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    NECCO Wafers! They explode when hit.

    If you're really good try aspirins.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  14. #14
    Boolit Bub
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    This guy makes different versions and up to different power categories: https://www.rxtargetsystems.com/

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check