[Moparmike]

I want something that will tell me how I am shooting like paper does w/ rifles with out having to replace it every shot.

I have a big box of clays for reactive targets, but they need to be replaced every shot. It is really cool when they darn near turn into mist though.:cool: :D

Thanks,

[sm]

I use a pattern board first and foremost. I change a lot of paper.

I check loads, POA/POI, to see what a particular load does out of a particular choke ( fixed or screw-in), at various distances. I change a lot of paper.

Once that is determined, I then will use cardboard teddys, sometimes covered with silhouettes during a COF. I may use steel ...or both, depends on COF and what I'm wanting to do. I change a lot of cardboard too.
I have changed a lot of paper, I will continue to simply because after tens upon ten of thousands of shotshells...yeah its easy to miss with a shotgun and "all those pelllets".

Only and only after changing a lot of paper at the PB will I have a better chance of knowing what me, the shotgun, and it's load will do regardless of COF, steel,teddy, game, clays, hunting...

I also consider mounting an unloaded gun ,with or w/o dryfiring HD practice. Yep done as many as a 1k mounts in day, more sane like 2-500 for competition, regular stay in shape 50 -100 mountings. It would amaze people how much stamina, strength is gained by mounting a shotgun 50 times a day, just like dryfiring a handgun everyday, really improves the shooting, muscle memory and trigger control ...real good to know in a HD situation.

Big beliver in PB, dry fire/mounting a gun...real benefit...live ammo is good, the basics need to be developed very well first though...IMO

[Dave McCracken]

There's lots of options....

Without going to something like steel plates, poppers and droppers, a few styles of targets are easily available.

Cut large cardboard boxes into 8 1/2 by 11" pieces. Prop them up,hang them from trees, tape them to straightened out clothes hangers, whatever. These'll bang about when hit.

Use those clothes hangers to mount paper grocery bags. The side of one of these simulates the human torso. Again, these visibly move when shot. Neither of these holds together for more than a few shots, but last for more than one or two.

And plink old tin cans, plastic bottles, etc. These bounce around nicely. Of course, police all trash after.

One associate used scrap wood to make a target frame out of a chunk of 1X8" lumber mounted on rockers and weighted at the bottom. A solid hit with slugs or buck put the thing down, then it rotated back up.

Hope this helps, you should get some ideas pertinent to your training regimen.

And those clays do work. For static targets, use plenty of them on a berm. For a challenge, place them edge on....

[Al Thompson]

Paper plates stapled to a pece of lath. I usually staple them so that the wood is at one edge or the other.

Bowling pins are fun too - got to be very carefull of pellets bounceing back though.

[Tomac]

B27 silhouettes for patterning and empty gallon plastic milk jugs for multiple target training. I don't use bowling pins for shotguns anymore as the latest batch I got seems to have a much harder plastic coating the wood causing more severe pellet ricochets (just what I need, armored bowling pins returning fire!)
Tomac

[Smoke]

Paper plates work well. You can staple a fresh one over the used one and keep going.

[W Turner]

Al- I second the motion to watch for return pellets when using bowling pins. I found this out the hard way the first time I took my 870 out. I never realized just how tough that plastic coating on them was until I kept feeling a stinging sensation that day. :uhoh:

Mino