Fun with Air Guns
Spring is here and summer is fast approaching, so break out your air
rifles, air pistols, airsoft guns, and RAM markers. Get outside and have
some fun with your closest friends and family. There are many games and
targets for air guns that will excite you and challenge your competitive
nature.
The first rule when setting up a game or competition is to always observe
gun safety rules. Think about what might get hit if a shooter misses
the intended target. Once you’ve determined the area you’re
using is safe and legal, the fun can begin.
There are many types of targets you can buy—spinning, shattering,
and paper targets for example, but you don’t have to buy a target. If
you use your imagination, airgun shooting can be convenient as well as
fun and competitive for all ages. For example, a box of animal
cookies could easily become a miniature silhouette range or if set up
in various locations a safari hunt. Exploding a small piece of fruit
with a pellet gun
like a Ruger Air Hawk Elite or seeing who can bust a shredded mini-wheat with a
BB gun is challenging, and just imagine the explosion of a cheese ball
or nacho chip! How about a lollipop! Take a look in your cabinets—consumable
foods make great targets because they can be left as treats for wildlife.
Look around the outdoors, there’s all kinds of
natural targets. Line up a row of acorns, stack some pine cones, or for
a real air rifle challenge, hang a small branch with a leaf on it against
a safe backstop and see who can shoot the leaf off the branch.
 If you have a competitive nature, try knocking down
golf tees or picking off toothpicks at 10-meters. Place a cocoa puff
on top of a golf tee and hit the puff. If you want to see who’s
airgun has more energy, see how far your airgun’s projectile will
penetrate a bar of soap. On a windy day, put a small object on a swaying
branch to create a moving target. To determine who’s the quickest
shot, shoot at little green army men with your semi-auto
BB pistol like the Beretta Elite II.
If you’re shooting an air gun with a youth, or someone that likes
a target that provides a big reaction when hit, items that make noise
or bust are best. Balloons, lollipops, tiny canisters partially filled
with flour, and cap gun caps are great ideas. Charcoal briquets provide
a good reaction as do packets of ketchup and mustard—just be prepared
to hose down the mess.
Use your imagination when choosing airgun targets and your whole family
will have fun shooting while becoming sharp-shooters without realizing
it. |