I know beer bottles have been used for many years as targets, but after my last time out shooting I got thinking. The IDPA target is about 18" across the body and 6" across the head. A beer bottle is about 1" across the head and ,depending on brand, 2.5"-3" across the body. These are both roughly a 1:3 ratio with the IDPA target being 6X larger. So would it be accurate to say that shooting a beer bottle at 10' would the same as hitting a IDPA target at 60'? Beer bottles are great reactive targets but clean up can be a pain. I also want to make up some IDPA targets and cut out the A zone and blow up a balloon and clip it into the hole. I think that would make a great reactive target to practice on.
IDPA Target vs Beer Bottle
- Thread starter kngflp
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KaceCoyote
Member
I think it could be more effective to shoot the smaller target, at IDPA range..but thats just me.
Vern Humphrey
Member
Why not just duplicate the IDPA target on your computer (I used Microsoft Power Point) and print the targets out? That's much safer (no bits of glass flying back toward the firing line), easier to clean up, and more responsible.
Justin
Moderator Emeritus
Shooting glass is a bad, bad, bad idea.
But you already knew that.
But you already knew that.
Please just make sure you clean up all your mess and don't shoot anywhere somebody else can see you. It's not a very good image for shooters to have some bubba out there bustin' beer bottles that he presumabably emptied prior to shooting them. I get really tired of cleaning up our range and coming back to find some slob shooter had to break a bunch of glass and trash it up for everyone else. Leaving little or no trace is the best way to preserve our shooting areas for future use. I'm sure you clean up after yourself but unfortunately a lot do not. Maybe you could market one of the polymer "cube" targets in the shape of a beer bottle to help your practice.
mustanger98
Member
Well, I've shot beer bottles- longnecks- at 50yds because they were handy, and I've shot bowling pins at 15-25yds. If you're practicing for 1shot knockdown at speed at IDPA distances, I'd say bowling pins would be the ticket. Be careful though; they say the pins can charge when they're wounded. I've also busted rocks and clay birds on the 100yd line with a .45; it ain't easy but it can be done on a good day.
Kramer Krazy
Member
www.letargets.com
I started buying targets from Law Enforcement Targets ( www.letargets.com ) a couple of weeks ago. Currently, my favorite two are the ones of the guy holding the kid hostage (LE-25) and the other one holding the woman hostage (LE-10). I get to practise doing head shots, and the one holding the woman has a gun on you, so I like shooting his gun/hand. These are also neat targets for 100+ yard ranges for "sniper" shots in these hostage situations. LE Targets has so many cool targets.
You can see the "Decision Making Targets" here: http://letargets.com/html/split_second.html
I started buying targets from Law Enforcement Targets ( www.letargets.com ) a couple of weeks ago. Currently, my favorite two are the ones of the guy holding the kid hostage (LE-25) and the other one holding the woman hostage (LE-10). I get to practise doing head shots, and the one holding the woman has a gun on you, so I like shooting his gun/hand. These are also neat targets for 100+ yard ranges for "sniper" shots in these hostage situations. LE Targets has so many cool targets.
You can see the "Decision Making Targets" here: http://letargets.com/html/split_second.html
Harold Mayo
Member
I think that we're all forgetting that you can't drink an IDPA target prior to shooting it.
If you drink enough beer prior to shooting the bottles, I would imagine that hitting the beer bottle at 10' might be more comparable to hitting the IDPA target at far MORE than 60'....
If you drink enough beer prior to shooting the bottles, I would imagine that hitting the beer bottle at 10' might be more comparable to hitting the IDPA target at far MORE than 60'....
Don Gwinn
Moderator Emeritus
Shooting glass may be a bad idea with a GUN, but beer bottles are nearly perfect slingshot targets.
20cows
Member
And then you SHOOT the little people?
erik the bold
Member
Send the bottles to any recycling state and use the profits to pay for targets. Michigun will give ya $0.10 each!
Michigun will give ya $0.10 each! 
armoredman
Member
Reactive, environment friendly targets that don't cost a fortune? Wheat cakes, baked in shapes? Flour cakes, same way? Leave 'em fer the birds to dispose of.... Animal crackers are very challenging targets....
Animal crackers are very challenging targets....SLCDave
Member
I've shot clays at 100 yards with my XD40, but I won't tell you how many shots it took me to hit it... 
mustanger98
Member
MtCowboy:
SLCDave:
This is why I usually say when I hit stuff like clays at 50 or 100 yards I was having a good day that time. The 16oz Coke bottle (plastic) at 50yds took me four rounds because I put the first three into the creekbank under it, saw the mud splatter and raised up a little. Same story on the clays at 100yds- when the see dirt fly, you can adjust your sights. I don't go at this as a "drill" per se, so much as I just go out and see what I can hit. It's mostly just to relax and have some fun doing something that'd drop some people's jaws.
SLCDave:
This is why I usually say when I hit stuff like clays at 50 or 100 yards I was having a good day that time. The 16oz Coke bottle (plastic) at 50yds took me four rounds because I put the first three into the creekbank under it, saw the mud splatter and raised up a little. Same story on the clays at 100yds- when the see dirt fly, you can adjust your sights. I don't go at this as a "drill" per se, so much as I just go out and see what I can hit. It's mostly just to relax and have some fun doing something that'd drop some people's jaws.
HankB
Member
Failure to clean up the shards can be a pain, too . . . especially for anyone wearing thin-soled shoes.
Were do you all find bowling pins...ebay?
The glass was cleaned up and taken away and I don't drink however, I never thought about it from someone elses perspective some people may jump to the conclusion that I had just downed the 30 or so bottles.
I was refering to the IDPA target just for its size, all of the bottle busting was done with a rifle from about 25 yds.
The glass was cleaned up and taken away and I don't drink however, I never thought about it from someone elses perspective some people may jump to the conclusion that I had just downed the 30 or so bottles.
I was refering to the IDPA target just for its size, all of the bottle busting was done with a rifle from about 25 yds.
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