Ping Pong Balls Are A Hoot!!

[COSteve]

So we go to the range on Saturday and Peter takes along his Savage bolt .223 with 4-16 optics along with my leverguns and the M1 and M1A. I had found some old Ping Pong balls in a bag so I threw them in the range bag. Anyway, it was a bit gusty so we figured that precision shooting was unlikely and that left us with my favorite, plinking.

After awhile, Peter took the Ping Pong balls out to the 200 yards target stands and set them up as targets. Ping Pong balls are only 1.5" (40mm) in diameter and made of celluloid so 200 yard shots are therefore all sub MOA ventures. It turns out that when struck by a 3,000fps bullet, they sort of explode with very little residue left. He laid out 5 balls and proceeded to hit them one after another taking only 6 shots to hit all 5. I was amazed.

I took some others and set them out at 100 yards and gave them a go with my 24" Rossi. While it took me 4 shots to hit the first one (just missing on the first 3 shots), I did manage to to hit all 3 balls with less than the magazine full (14 rds). Not bad for a tang sighted 357mag levergun in the hands of a old eyed gent starring hard at 65 years old in 4 months. If you can find some old balls, you've got to give them a try. It's tons of fun to shoot reactive targets and really satisfying to hit something that small out at 100 yards without optics, especially if you're shooting a pistol cartridge.

BTW, that Mossberg 30-30 continues to impress. From the bench I could keep the shots well inside a paper plate (5"-6" groups) at 200 yards in some really gusty wind conditions. Not precision shooting for most people but for my skill level and eyesight, I'm very happy with it.

In addition, Peter is becoming quite fond of it too. His consistent 4" groups at 200 yards were impressive in the wind conditions as the Winchester 150grn round nose aren't famous for their precision or wind bucking abilities. He hasn't been that keen on leverguns, trying my Rossi carbine a bit but really preferring more modern designs but each time he shoots the 30-30, he says he likes it more and more.

[AJMD429]

Earlier this year before the stupid white chicken we have decided to teach the others to sit on TOP of the coop at night, and we had 25 chickens instead of 6, we used to shoot eggs at 100 yards (that's as long a range as we can really set up at our place). It was nice, biodegradable fun...!

We can't sell eggs at the farmers markets anymore due to stupid FDA 'cooler' requirements (no longer legal to use a styrofoam or other type cooler - has to be a specific kind of electric one ), but we usually keep lots of chickens for bug-patrol. We give lots of eggs (maybe a dozen a day average) to neighbors and to the local food pantry, but occasionally we get behind in our deliveries and don't want to deliver old/questionable eggs, so they either go to the dogs (hardboiled with rice ) or to the shooting range.

[hightime]

Sounds like good fun.

Owen

[JerryB]

Steve, old men can have fun too. Try some golf balls, after a hit watch where it lands and do it again, lotsa fun.

[Pitchy]

Cool, have to try it someday using my 1894 30-30

[COSteve]

Steve, old men can have fun too. Try some golf balls, after a hit watch where it lands and do it again, lotsa fun.

That's what gave me the idea, however, not being one who takes to the links, I don't have any laying around like I do ping pong balls.

[Paladin]

Sounds like fun, Thanks I will give it a try.

[J35]

Earlier this year before the stupid white chicken we have decided to teach the others to sit on TOP of the coop at night, and we had 25 chickens instead of 6, we used to shoot eggs at 100 yards (that's as long a range as we can really set up at our place). It was nice, biodegradable fun...!

We can't sell eggs at the farmers markets anymore due to stupid FDA 'cooler' requirements (no longer legal to use a styrofoam or other type cooler - has to be a specific kind of electric one ), but we usually keep lots of chickens for bug-patrol. We give lots of eggs (maybe a dozen a day average) to neighbors and to the local food pantry, but occasionally we get behind in our deliveries and don't want to deliver old/questionable eggs, so they either go to the dogs (hardboiled with rice ) or to the shooting range.

We always boil the xtra's and feed them back to the chickens shell's and all, we smash-mash the heck out of them first.

It's their favorite treat.

Have fun-- J

[JerryB]

Steve, I have to set the record straight!!!!! I don't want anyone here thinking that I am a golfer, Heaven forbid, my grandson got a bag of balls from a man at church.

[Blaine]

There are always enough empty shot shells left around for great targets.....chunks of clay birds, too.....I can usually hit the clay birds with the MKII Target about 3/4th the time, and about 1 for four with the Single Six....

[1894c]

COSteve--first it was clay pigeons, now its ancient old-growth ping-pong balls...where is this "FUN" all going to end...wait till
the environ-ping-pong-maniacs find out...doom...(really sounds like a neat target, going to have to give it a go...
Steve love your creativity)... :)

[Stan in SC]

We've been shooting golf balls for years.The real trick is to hit right at the base of the golf ball and the impact will throw it into the air usually twenty feet or so.
Clay pigeons laid on the berm at 100 yards or more are good targets and usually you will have a large chunk to shoot at after you break the clay.
We have a club member who owns a bowling alley and gives us many many old pins that have become unuseable.First shot you knock the pin down and succeeding shots you hit it on one end or the other to cause it to spin.


Stan in SC

[COSteve]

COSteve--first it was clay pigeons, now its ancient old-growth ping-pong balls...where is this "FUN" all going to end...wait till
the environ-ping-pong-maniacs find out...doom...(really sounds like a neat target, going to have to give it a go...
Steve love your creativity)...

I guess it's pretty clear by now that I love reactive targets. I'm all about small targets at random ranges because it feels a more realistic challenge for hunting, etc. When you add that they react when hit, well it just don't get any better. I just get bored with paper and rarely, if ever shoot it past sighting in a new rifle / sight set. That's why you never see me post pics of targets; I just never shoot at them.

BTW, when I was a teen, my mom would sometimes make me a sandwich to take along when I went shooting. Inevitably, there was a hard boiled egg or two in the bag and nine times out of ten they would get shot rather than eaten. Great fun.

[wolfdog]

Steve, old men can have fun too. Try some golf balls, after a hit watch where it lands and do it again, lotsa fun.

I have tossed around doing this. Ever since they built the golf course behind my house and ruined my out the back door hunting and shooting. Be more fun with a suppressor though. Picture the guy walking up to his ball on the fairway, then zip his ball just goes bouncing away.

[El Chivo]

How about shooting beach balls instead?

[dogngun]

That reminds me of the time I went to the country club to shoot a few golf balls.

Used a .357 magnum.

Man, those people got SO excited....


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