Shooting practice is a crucial aspect of honing your marksmanship skills, but it can become monotonous over time. To make your shooting sessions more enjoyable and effective, consider creating your own DIY shooting targets.
In this blog, we'll provide you with easy ideas for crafting shooting targets that are not only fun but also improve your accuracy and precision. Let's dive right in!
DIY Shooting Targets
Having your own targets made from household objects is not only fun but also economical. Here are 8 DIY shooting targets to improve your shooting skills:
1) Tin Cans
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Tin cans make excellent targets since they react to impact and let you know right away if you hit or miss. Put them in a straight line to practice speed and aim, or place them one at a time to improve accuracy. To create a more difficult target for shooting practice, you could even arrange them into a pyramid or hang them.
If you don't have any tin cans at home, you can always buy them in bulk on Amazon, such as the ones from AUTORIND. These are available in packs ranging from 12 to 50 cans. Depending on how you want to arrange them, choose the appropriate set.
2) Golf Balls
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Do you have any unused golf balls laying around? Although golf is enjoyable, do you know what's better? Shooting at them. To make the shooting more difficult, hang the golf balls or place them on a golf tee. When using the latter method, make sure that there is no wind.
3) Balloons
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Balloons provide interesting shooting targets that are inexpensive and easy to make. They make great unexpected moving targets since they are light and will move with the wind. To make practice harder, draw marks on the balloons and try to aim at them.
While balloons are excellent for practicing precision shooting, if you plan to use them for an extended period, you should buy a portable air pump like the one from AGPTEK to save time. You can also use water balloons for added fun or consider buying specially designed water blast targets like the ones from GoSports Outdoor Shooting Range.
4) Old Campaign Signs and Lawn Signs
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You can also make shooting targets out of old campaign signs and lawn signs. All you need to do for this DIY shooting target is to paint the surface with your desired target design in mind.
This target calls for a little ingenuity, but there are a ton of online resources you can use to paint your own target. Remember to wait until the paint is dry before shooting at it to avoid any paint spilling.
5) Old Tennis Balls
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Nothing surpasses an old tennis ball for practicing shooting. They are bright and fairly responsive to strikes. Better yet, you can keep firing at the same ball since they have a long bullet absorption life.
6) Fruits and Vegetables
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Fruits and vegetables are usually enjoyable to aim at if you want a reactive target. You can use any fruit or vegetable including pumpkins, watermelons, apples, etc. To get varied outcomes, experiment with different calibers.
7) Milk Jugs
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Milk jars make excellent reactive targets, just like fruits. Set them out at a distance, spray-paint them in vibrant colors, and then shoot at them to watch the jug burst.
If you're concerned about the scattering of glass shards, consider using similar alternatives like the Do-All Outdoors' Bottle Targets. Made from polyethylene, these targets are designed to withstand multiple rounds and offer a safer experience.
8) Bale of Hay With a Post-It Note
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A bale of hay is an excellent choice when looking for a sturdy backstop material that also functions as a homemade frame. Hay is a bundled-up plant material made of herbaceous plants. Since they already have a solid shape, all you need to do to shoot at them is attach a target, like a post-it note.
Items To Avoid When Using DIY Shooting Targets
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Not everything in the house can be a target. When using DIY shooting targets, there are a few things you should avoid.
Avoid firing at non-target materials like glass, metal, concrete, pebbles, and targets that have sharp edges. All of these substances have the potential to cause the projectile's jacket or core material components to disintegrate and fly back at you or sideways into areas that you don't want them to.
How To Build a DIY Target Stand
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While we're talking about DIY targets, it might be a good idea to make a DIY PVC target stand to hang your targets on. Making your own target stands is a fun hobby you can do away from the shooting range and it can save you money. You can use this PVC stand to hang steel targets, a steel plate, paper targets, or your own DIY targets.
For this DIY target stand, you will need eight pieces of black ABS pipe measuring 1.5 by 24 inches. You can either get this size precut, or you can purchase a long piece of pipe and cut it yourself. You will then need two black ABS connector "tees" to support the parts of the vertical pipe that support the target. Additionally, you will require four black ABS "elbows" to join the base's corners to make the square. Last but not least, you'll need two 58-inch-long hardwood furring strips.
You can find all these items at your local hardware store. Once everything is put together, hang your targets, and you are ready to go. For a ready made option, consider going for the Caldwell Ultimate Target Stand
Summary
Shooting practice doesn't have to be mundane. By crafting your own DIY shooting targets, you can add excitement and entertainment to your range time. So, gather your materials, get creative, and take your shooting practice to a whole new level!
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