I am looking for some shot gun training target ideas. My local gun club doesn't allow clay pigeons on the range unless I had an easy way to clean them up. Is there any alternative targets that are fun to shoot with shotgun loaded with bird shot?

Helice

Here's what we use
I was testing them for use with pistol, had several guys asking how they would hold up
Sorry about the VV

Did you make the steel knock down targets?

Yes we have made every target on our range

What size steel knock down targets
4" circle ? Similar size to a clay pigeon or should I get several different sizes and shapes?

I practice with 4x4" with both pistol and SG. That way at a match the 6x6 look huge.

Use 5x5 and 6x6 for matches, sometimes throw in a few 4x4's in a SG array just to make it interesting.

Here is a 6x6 and a 6x7

I use 2" angle iron cut into 8" lengths for shotgun targets.  No welding required, just stand them up on a flat spot.  Similar size to the 4" x 8" 3GN targets, get a little bit larger angle iron if you want to get closer to the 4" presentation.

Your usual clay bird is 4 and 3/8ths inches across.

I was working on a project a few years ago where I had some A36 plasma CAM'ed.  The back piece was a half circle shape.  The front piece was a half doughnut shape.  There was a filler piece welded in the middle, so a clay bird fit perfectly between the front and back pieces.

Then I had some 1/4" thick AR500 CAM'ed into 4.375" diameter circles.  I figured I would paint them orange, and then slide them in between those two halves.  I reckoned if I ever got to practicing shotgun, I wouldn't have to replace the clay birds after every run.

That was about as far as I got.  Life got in the way.

I was also fiddling around with torsion springs that would allow a 6X6 plate 3/8ths thick to fall backward when hit, and then stand back up.  More time shooting, less time resetting.

Again, life got in the way.

I do like tooth and nail's target

Tooth and Nail Armory has some nice steel targets on a hinge. A little easier to reset than the standard knock down steel plate.  Easier on the back that is.

Bill

http://www.toothandnailarmory.com/product/TN566.html

Doesn't work for OP's original question, but this thread is old anyways.


If you need clay target stands on a budget, brazing rods from local welding supply store work great and are less than a $1 a piece.