Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Water jug tests

Growing up in Iowa and calling it home until after I got out of the service, I can tell you a lot of folks there shoot ‘trash’. When I was 6 or 7 Granddad had my older brother and I shooting the aerosol cans he had saved specifically for that purpose. As I got older he had us shooting the buttons on the cans before he would let us hunt squirrels in his timber or the rabbits that were everywhere, as he insisted on head shots. Also when we were older he would toss the tin cans into the air where we learned to hit them with fair regularity. You probably wouldn’t approve of shooting corn cobs as they float downstream, either, but we did a lot of that, too.



The range I use has 11 berms dug into a hillside, a 600 yard range and multiple ‘special use’ berms. One of the berms is set up for cowboy shoots where steel targets are used and a ‘lead only’ rifle range where again steel targets are used, a rimfire range where steel targets are used and a shotgun range where shooting clay pigeons is the norm. ‘Reactive’ exploding targets are also permitted. The club also supports events like NRA and IPSC shoots, among others. In other words, the range accommodates a wide range of member preferences.

One of the range rules is that for high power rifles the steel targets must be a minimum distance downrange. Not sure if the minimum is 300 yards or 400 yards but it the rule exists for safety reasons. You talk about the insurance. Officially sanctioned club events like Cowboy Action and IPSC contests are intrinsically far more dangerous than a couple of guys shooting water jugs.

You also talk about the ‘disrupting the members who were actually there for the established purpose – i.e., marksmanship’. While there are a lot of people who use the range to improve their marksmanship, there are also many for whom the primary purpose is to enjoy a day out shooting and that enjoyment is enhanced with the use of reactive targets – clay pigeons, exploding targets, water jugs and so forth. Moreover, because of the many berms available, this can be (and usually is) done without ‘disrupting’ the activities of other members. As long as the shooting is done in a safe manner, no ‘red flags’ are raised.

Contrast that to ‘members who were actually there for the established purpose – i.e., marksmanship’ who are often inconsiderate of others in the extreme, either because of their activities or their lack of safety precautions. Exhibit 1: A member sets up a braked .50 Barrett in the middle of the shooting line on the 600 yard range. Each shot blows items of the neighboring benches. Exhibit 2: A member uses a Marlin Guide Gun with a brake in the middle of the shooting line. Hot particles ejected from the brake hit members using the benches on either side. Exhibit 3: Members intentionally shoot the steel target stand bases, destroying them. Exhibit 4: During a ceasefire, when touching firearms is prohibited, a member drops a live cartridge into the action of a bolt rifle and starts to close the bolt. Etc., etc., etc. I’d much rather deal with the ‘disruption’ of someone in a different berm shooting reactive targets because that doesn’t disrupt my shooting at all – even when I’m there for the ‘established purpose’.

By the way, news flash to you – the range has many ‘established purposes’. Marksmanship is just one of them. Group events can be and often are disruptive to other shooters. In any case, you are not the arbiter of what the range is or is not to be used for.

And a question for you: What on earth does shooting water jugs at 20 yards have to do with shooting elk?



Maybe you didn’t notice, but the water jug shooting in this thread was not at all about long range shooting or even about marksmanship.

That said, I have used water jugs in lieu of steel or paper at extended ranges. The advantage of water jugs compared to boring paper is that a) hits are not boring and b) you don’t have to wait for a ceasefire and/or go hundreds of yards downrange to see the results. Some of the steel targets at my range are so heavy that even if you hit them there is barely any visible reaction, particularly if using a small caliber rifle. Not a problem with water jugs.

Funny how no one I shoot with has ever noticed that water jugs of various sizes are inappropriate targets if one is attempting to improve their long range marksmanship.




Another news flash for you. Shooting other than paper or steel is not ‘stupid’. If you don’t care to do it, no problem. My favorite targets are clay pigeons on the 500 and 600 yard berm. A few months back a shooter set 12 pigeons up on the 600 yard berm. He was using a .308 with a Nightforce scope. I asked him if 12 wasn’t optimistic given the gusty crosswinds. Later I looked up and saw all 12 had been hit. I guess he didn’t know only paper and steel could help him improve his marksmanship or that he wasn’t making ‘constructive use’ out of the facilities.

You really should apply for a position in the Clinton campaign. Your stand for strict and total control of any/all shooting activities likely mirrors Hillary's.

A bowling pin is trash when it has completed it's life as a target. A paper target is also trash when it's thrown-away/recycled.

Do you dream of becoming one of those 'officers' at your club, determining/dictating childish shooting behavior?

If I worked for the Clinton campaign then this is the stupid crap I would actually try to encourage from shooters.
There is nothing better than this type of juvenile foolishness to make elk hunters (and gun owners in general) all look like irresponsible idiots. Clearly you enjoy being regarded as such. You will have many other opportunities.

I actually have put in my time as range safety officer (at a different range). I tried to be vigilant and fulfill the duties. From that point of view the last thing I needed was extra worry about some a$$ clowns treating high powered rifles as toys and hauling junk from home downrange for their ‘tests’. Dictating behavior plays no part in it beyond trying to continue to provide a service to shooters.

If I worked for the Clinton campaign then this is the stupid crap I would actually try to encourage from shooters.
There is nothing better than this type of juvenile foolishness to make elk hunters (and gun owners in general) all look like irresponsible idiots. Clearly you enjoy being regarded as such. You will have many other opportunities.

I actually have put in my time as range safety officer (at a different range). I tried to be vigilant and fulfill the duties. From that point of view the last thing I needed was extra worry about some a$$ clowns treating high powered rifles as toys and hauling junk from home downrange for their ‘tests’. Dictating behavior plays no part in it beyond trying to continue to provide a service to shooters.

This photo explains -- in part -- why I don't use the Speer 300g bullets in my .45-70. The North Fork are my preferred hunting bullet, followed by the Speer 350g.

Never had too much luck with 300 gr, but the 405 gr out of 45-70 sure enough punched a few elk down right now. Sadly ,I think they are no longer on the market.

Many years ago in my young and stupid days ( now I am just stupid), I loaded some 500 gr cast for a 45-70 1886. I found out right away,I wasn't enough man to torch many of them off.Especially with that curved brass butt plate

You're not the only one that has put time in as a range officer. I've BTDT as well. And much as you'd like to group me in with "some a$$ clowns treating high powered rifles as toys", my family and friends and I treat the guns with the respect they deserve. Of course you wouldn't know that because you have ZERO experience observing our behavior.

"To me rifles not used for defense are toys. They are toys used for my sporting event: Hunting."

Ringman, I think I understand what you're trying to say but calling guns "toys" is an unfortunate choice of words.