shooting targets
This is an Idea for shooting targets you can make in your spare time and hang from a tree or clothing line out in the woods or desert.
The idea is not mine alone, it is based on an article I read in "INFANTRY" Magazine while I was in the Army. It uses commo wire (or sturdy string) a balloon and old fatigues to create a target that gives a shooter instant feedback as to where he is aiming. In the Army they train you to hit the "CENTER MASS" of the target. This is the critical area of the human body, between the shoulders, below the chin and above the stomache. This is where you must aim all the time. Pop up targets will fall no matter where you hit them, so you don't really know if you are hitting Center Mass. With these homemade targets you can tell if you are hitting or missing the center mass. Misses will have no effect on the target, while a center mass target will make it fall to the ground.
Here's the Materials you need to build this target:
1. a piece of cardboard.
2. A wooden board.
3. Duct tape.
4. A balloon or surgical/latex gloves.
5. Commo wire or sturdy string.
6. Old fatigues or clothes, preferably a set of overalls.
STEP ONE.
Cut out this shape in a piece of cardboard and draw a face on one side. It should be shoulder width apart. Model it on your own shape or the size of the fatigues you are going to use.
STEP TWO.
Use a piece of wood, 2X2 is fine, that is a little longer than shoulder width. Its ends should extend into the sleeves of the fatigues you will be using. Drill a 1 inch hole through the center. (See Figure 2)
STEP THREE.
Place the wood board across the shoulders of the cardboard cutout on the backside. Make sure the hole is in the center of the cutout and is open to the top and bottom. Use Duct tape to tape the board to both sides of the cut outs shoulders. (See Figure 3)
STEP FOUR.
Now blow up a balloon or surgical gloves or latex gloves and tie of one end securely. Next get a good length of commo wire, light rope, or sturdy string (long enough to hang the target from something when you are done) Tie this securely to the tie off point of the balloon or gloves. You may tape it or glue it in place if you wish. It must be secure in order to support the entire weight of the target without slipping off. (see Figure 4)
STEP FIVE.
Now insert the wire through the hole in the board and pull the balloon tight, with the tie off part snug in the hole. Do not tape or glue the balloon in place. (see Figure 5)
FINAL STEP.
Place the fatigues over the target frame and button, staple, or tie with laces or string, so that it is secure. The target should hold the fatigues upright when held aloft by the wire. (see Figure 6)
When the shooter takes aim, he must aim center mass. Shots to any other part of the target (other than the wire) should just make the target dangle and dance. A center mass hit should pierce the cardboard and POP the balloon. The wire holding the target upright would then slip through the hole in the board, and the target will fall to the ground.
Give it a try. If you do so before me, let me know how it all works out.
