[Chicken-Farmer]

I just ordered two of the knock down targets from newbold. one in a whiskey bottle shape and the other in a prairie dog shape. Anyone have any experience with these targets? Quality? the company claims that these targets can take several thousand rounds and keep on ticking. $16.00 for the target and $10.00 for the mounting bolts and knock down base. Lot less expensive than steel and claims to be safer as well.

[MatthewVanitas]

Been using my Newbold target for a few range sessions now, and have been quite pleased with it.

Pros:

Very light and easy to carry around.
Unlike my range's steel gongs, the NB goes crazy when even a .22 hits it, so any caliber will get a very visible reaction.
Their "self healing" property is for real. In many cases I can barely see a even a smudge where a .45 FMJ passed through.
No bounce-back or ricochet problems. This one is a big deal for me, as I've about gotten hit by a nitwit shooting a steel target ten meters away from the line. He peppered a wide swath of the line with bounced-back .40 slugs before I asked him to stop. Likewise, a buddy of mine one had a round ricochet over a _very_ large foothill and peg a man in the head at the Nature Center on the other side of the ridgeline. No serious injury, but Range Control was _real_ ticked until they decided it was a fluke. I would not have believed it if I hadn't been there myself.

Cons:

Not as cheap as I'd like for a chunk of plastic with a limited lifespan. I paid $27+ship for an 8" circle.

They are certainly not exaggerating when they say "don't use hollowpoint rounds". In a moment of idiocy I forgot that my .22LRs were hollow. The target is still okay, but every couple hollowpoints pushed a burr out the opposite side, but not cookie-cutter holes. I shudder to think what wadcutters could do to the lifespan of my target.

Overall, very pleased with this item. I found it easier to string it up and hang it from the target frame, rather than to the whole "bolting it down to a 2x4" like the instructions say. Plus 9/16 is a rather inconvenient size of bolt, my bit set stops at 1/2". In any case, this product gets my vote. -MV