Thread: What do you take to shoot at in the woods?

I'm new to all this, still waiting for my first handgun to come in. So I'm curious: when you go out to these outdoor areas to shoot (Browns camp, Salmonberry Rd, etc) what do you shoot at out there? Do you set up some kind of a stand and shoot at paper targets? Tin cans sitting on the ground? I saw one idea where a guy sets up a post with nails sticking out and puts potatoes on the nails and shoots at those. Pick up the bigger chunks when you leave and let the critters have the rest I guess. What else? With spring peeking its head out and a new gun on the way I am anxious to get out there!

Welcome to the forums. I usually shoot what is out there already. There are a lot of people who take things out there and leave it out there. I get lucky most of the time and find clay pigeons that people don't shoot and targets that people seem to not be able to hit. Unless you go to a spot where man has not stumbled upon, I then bring just a few pop cans and hang them on some rope in a tree so they reset themselves. Makes clean up a breeze as well instead of picking things up one at a time. Happy shooting!

I shoot a wire target stand I picked up for cheap awhile back. It holds a plastic yellow sheet you staple your target paper to. before that me & my buddies would make simple Knock-down stands out of scrap plywood, or pallets.

I have a small plywood stand I made to staple paper targets to. It's a rectangular board with a "kickstand" screwed to the back. It sits on the ground and doesn't need to be pounded in. I often shoot in a gravel pit and the ground resists posts or stakes. Once the board has the center chewed out of it, I build another. Cheap and easy.
I save soup cans. (the tin ones) They make fun, reactive targets. Clay pigeons I set on a backstop and have fun with, too.


No matter what, the only thing I leave behind are the clay pigeon chunks.
Don't forget to clean up after yourself.

I take clay targets for Skeet shooting. I figure they are a good size target and good visual. At easter I take eggs, they explode even when hit with a .22 so the kids get a kick out of it. Last but not least I take Tannerite targets that I pick up at the gun show. thay make a loud "BOOM", a flash and alot of smoke.

I take a Tarp. Set up shooting table on tarp in upper left hand corner. All brass flies right and to the rear. Easy clean up when all done shooting.
I take Trash bags to pick up ALL of my trash, plus some trash that Others have left behind.
I use a wooden target stand made from scrap 2x4's, and 1x4 uprights. i staple paper targets to the uprights.
I use clay pigeons, they are bio-degradable, so i leave them behind.
used milk jugs filled with tap water and add whatever food coloring to them.
Used Golf balls are fun. You can screw an eyelet into them and hang them from a string on your target stand or throw them on the ground and shoot em that way. find and collect them for another outing.
If you can get melons of any sort for cheap, take them, the make a good splat.

No matter what it is you take out there, PLEASE pick UP YOUR TRASH!!!!! not saying that you don't, but there are SO MANY irresponsible people that take trash out and leave it.

a BIG NO NO... Do NOT take out GLASS anything. It is so hard to pick up glass, and is dangerous to anyone or any animal out there. Please clean up....

Have fun, but BE SAFE!

Originally Posted by Old Hick

No matter what it is you take out there, PLEASE pick UP YOUR TRASH!!!!! not saying that you don't, but there are SO MANY irresponsible people that take trash out and leave it.

a BIG NO NO... Do NOT take out GLASS anything. It is so hard to pick up glass, and is dangerous to anyone or any animal out there. Please clean up....

Have fun, but BE SAFE!

^^^^ABSOLUTLY THAT^^^^^^

That tarp idea is brilliant.. Im going to do that next time

Not trying to thread jack WM36, but showing how to set up tarp and a couple target stands.

Thanks guys, the tarp actually works great. Easy to pick up tarp and funnel all brass into a box or bag to sort later.
Here is a picture of my boy shooting a few of rifles for a Class project several years back. It shows how the tarp looks. The class project was classified as a "Yard ornament" to be able to build it in school. He took "first" place LOL.
Then there is a photo of the base of our wooden stand, to show how simple it is...

Stay Safe.


Yes, the trash in the background in the below pictures which was not mine, Did get picked up as well.

Target Stands and Paper Targets. And several Large trash bags to pick up after the thoughtless ones that leave their brass and shot-up cans, bottles, electronics, and other trash. I guess cans are OK, IF you pick them up afterwards. I'm not a fan of clay targets. Someone above says they are biodegradable. Maybe so, but for months they contribute colorful graffiti to the area that is not attractive. I figure that if it would not be acceptable in my front yard, it's not acceptable in the woods. I'd like to see us, as shooters on this Forum, do all we can to educate this generation, and the next, to "leave no trace" of our visit.

Old Hick - not a problem. This is the kind of stuff I was looking for. I like the tarp idea too. Being on the lazy side, setting up a little in the beginning to save a lot more time at the end works great for me.

Some great ideas here. Thanks everyone!

I take some large cardboard boxes with stadia lines drawn on two sides with ink marker to sight-in guns. When one side is shot up just rotate the box to the next side. When done shooting use the box to haul some trash away! For my next trip I have a big bag of dried tortillas to shoot up at distance. They shatter when hit, and the critters clean it up after dark.......................elsullo

I have a basic checklist. It seems like a lot but I never go to an organized range. I make almost all the stuff I take too.

• Shooting table and stool (home made from 1 sheet of ply)
• pvc pipe and ply target stand
• targets I've printed out
• staple gun / extra staples
• sand bags
• cleaning / tool kit
• tarp (to lay on / catch brass)
• sun / rain canopy
• fold up rifle rack
• fold up rifle maintenance rack
• ballons
• tannerite
• garbage can (for mine and whatever else I pick up)
• reloading log
• rangefinder
• bino's and spotting scope
• muffs and ear plugs

If I want a fire, I throw in a few chunks of wood. Shovel, axe and bucket are stardard for traveling in the NF.

+1 on clay targets.

I'll add disposable rubber gloves to aid in picking up everybody else's trash.

My cardboard targets are fullsized DPSST silhouettes in home-made 2X4 stands. It's a lot of fun to engage multiple targets quickly, especially when moving and shooting from holster. It's just the sort of thing that makes most RO's turn white.

I took some 1X2 furring strips and with my brad nailer made a couple of "H" frames. Also added a rectangular frame that is supported by the H Frames. I can staple 8-1/2 X 11 paper targets I download and print, about 7 of them across. This gives me a nice lightweight, and inexpensive, target system that I can toss in the back of the truck. Quick setup and quick takedown.

Whatever I take comes home with me. And like others, I always seem to end up with trash from others. Hopefully those that "shoot and leave" will wake up to the fact that their actions are responsible for more and more areas closing down. Not so much the noise but the trash. They must figure that their Mother will be following them to the range too.

Whatever you shoot at....TAKE IT HOME WHEN YOUR DONE!!!!


Old Hick - nice setup...especially the tarp under the table!

I really like the idea of the tarp. Particularly when you are in an area covered in brass.

I made a little frame with a 4x4 piece of thin plywood or what every I have and staple targets to it. Then it is easy to put back in the truck.

I made some simple, foldable stands out of 2x2s. I made a channel which takes a ~30" sheet of plywood -- easy to replace.

I'm totally going to blow up some crackers next time I'm out. That's a great idea!

This on a rope makes picking up steel case ammo and shotgun shells a breeze.

Retrieving Magnet, 250 Lb. Pull, Harbor freight $15.



Retrieving Magnet, 250 Lb. Pull