Anyone shoot balloons?

[tnieto2004]

I was thinking about setting up balloons at different distances.. Anyone ever done this? Do they pop anywhere you hit them? I am taking some new shooters out and I am trying to think of something fun to shoot.. Thanks!

 

[PAC 762]

Yes, and I would not know if I hit one and it didnt pop.... the popping if usually the first clue that you hit . I would assume any bullet will pop a balloon with minimal contact.

 

[M39SKY]

I shoot balloons out in the desert. It's fun. I remember a show in History Channel where police rifle shooters would practice taking out the bad guy in a hostage situation by tying a red and blue balloon (helium filled) with a string in a remote control toy car so that they are floating at about the height of regular human head. Somebody operates the remote control from a distance while a shooter take a shot on whichever balloon was the designated bad guy. The balloons tend to move around and switch position, adding to the challenge.

 

[Slugless]

Balloons are fun. They pop when you hit them, no worries. Get different sizes for different distances/level of challenge.

The small "tactical", I mean "personal" watermelons, they turn inside out when hit by .223

Cheap glossy wall posters from wal-mart, shoot Johnny Depp as many times as you want.

Golf balls

Hang tin cans from a string

At night, a small propane cylinder hit by a pistol caliber tracer bullet.

Half stick of dynamite. Works best with old appliances.

and, last but actually first,

Beer cans.

 

[tnieto2004]

Ha! A lot of good idea's.. I think I will do balloons and beer cans .. Gotta get to work on those cans!! I'm only doing it for the kids!

 

[TauZero]

I love to shoot bowling balls. Don't be too close 'cause pieces fly 30-40 feet. A 7.62x54R will go right through one. It takes a lot of bullets to demolish one.

Cans of Silly String are great to shoot, too.

 

[Blarelli]

I don't like balloons. They will pop if you hit anywhere near the balloon, and kick stuff up. Get some of the hanging steel targets. A nice solid plink and swing for each hit.

 

[hankdatank1362]

Yeah I use balloons and bamboo skewers to stake them into the ground or a hill at different distances.


You should be aware that it makes one helluva mess to clean up afterwards.

 

[kBob]

My club was shooting a balloon stuck in a hole cut in an old Sillywet that was the size of the "A" zone. We were starting at low ready buzzer shoot one shot, balloon pops or it does not, and check the timer. Best time to break the balloon wins. 5 yard range.

Dr Martin Fackler was on hand for the event and he was fasinated and took pictures when a rather hot loaded 200 grain SWC from a .45ACP (1917 revolver) struck one side of the balloon and cut a notch from the carboard hole edge. there was about a inch and a half long smeer of lube and fowling on the balloon at that point. They let me do a do over after everyone else had shot. I then beat everyones time and the balloon flew to pieces. I could not take the prize from the startled extremely well trained and experienced second place guy though. We all had a good laugh when I showed them my spent case......from a shot round.

Col. Cooper had a set up in the early years that consisted of a teeter toter with a balloon tacked to either end. A few loops of copper or lead wire were made and one sliped over each ballon before tacking them on (a measured anount of water in each balloon works as well and may be safer) on the end of each teeter toter. When every thing is balanced and the tettertoter level two competitors fire on command. First balloon popped allows its end of the stick to point up first. some time they are still to close to call. Have Plenty of pre blown up and weighted balloons and several replacements for the teeter toter. Thing looks like a capital T with a ballon at the end of either arm. Up right is driven into the ground or set in a target stand base. Have an extra up right or three ready as well.

Shooting somethng like Ritz Crackers (TM) (everyting it better if it blitz through a Ritz!) or animal crackers can be fun. Debris is bio degradable.

Just be sure of your back stop and closely suppervise new shooters.

Eye and ear protection.

Shoot safe.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[acousticmood]

Tannerite.

 

[goon]

Yep, balloons make great targets. I have only seen one that didn't pop when hit with a .22. My GF shot it and it just slowly lost all the air.
For some reason, she just has a way of doing stuff like that.
But balloons still make great targets. You just have to pick up the peices.

 

[JonB]

Only during balloon season and after acquiring the proper permit. Not really into it though as it takes quite a few to make a meal and all balloons I have tried have a soft and very chewy texture with not much flavor.

 

[ArmedBear]

Balloons are great if you're shooting wax bullets, as in mounted shooting.

If you want something fun to shoot with smallbore rifles or accurate pistols, get some eggs. You gotta try it.

Unless of course you can't hit anything smaller than a balloon with a rifle.

 

[Obiwan]

Only with my kids...they ususally pop....but........

Sometimes the better made balloons will just slowly leak all the air out

 

[weaselchew]

Water filled balloons might be an interesting twist (or hydrogen )

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

and, last but actually first,

Beer cans.

I think I will do balloons and beer cans

Soda cans work equally as affective.

 

[Twud]

Can you still buy exploding target squares. They were a gas.

 

[Correia]

If you have the right kind of range, i.e. big honking desert with lots of wind, you can do balloon drag racing.

Two competitors facing downrange, with gusty wind blowing downrange (this is Utah, that isn't exactly rare) Two different color ballons. Let them go. Each shooter has a predetermined color.

For advanced shooters, tie the baloons together, one has to be hit, the other is a no shoot.

 

[JohnKSa]

Soda cans work equally as affective.

And are cheaper--I assume you're shooting them unopened.

Diet soda is better, the cleanup isn't sticky.

 

[ArmedBear]

Balloons in the wind sound like fun. We have a shooting spot like that. I'll have to try it.

 

[Correia]

Depending on wind speed, they can be really difficult targets.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I like to shoot the automobile peanut sponges. they dance all over and hold up for a lot of shootin.

 

[GigaBuist]

I can't remember where but I saw something once where they were tieing two balloons to an RC car. Like Correia said, one was a shoot and the other a no-shoot. Somebody would then drive the car all over the range while somebody else did the shooting.

Sounds like fun.

 

[Obiwan]

I shoot tennis balls with my AK's and AR's

Sometimes they bounce REAL high...it is fun to keep them dancing around

 

[LeibstandarteAdH]

Ive seen these stupid orange cube things that cost a lot of money and are sold as sniper pravtice targets. They are a thick blajackbuffer type stuff that just sends it flying and bouncing in random directions when hit. They can be hit many, many times before dieing. Maybe they arent so stupid after all...