Milk jugs at 500yrds for practice

[upacreek]

So we got my brother in law a used rifle for Christmas. To prep him for the gift I set up a shoot off last week for thanksgiving. My dad, brother, bro in law, and I took turns blowing up water filled milk jugs. From my dad's back porch we can shoot 1200yrds so I strung jugs out to 550. It's amazing how things change when it's not paper they shoot at. Or animals for that matter. My bro in law fizzled out around 250. My dad and brother struggled at 415 and I was inches from the 515 jugs but no connection.
A local rancher lets youth hunt deer on his place if they can hit a milk jug at 100 yrds. Sounds easy enough. But he has sent adults away for failing to connect. His reason is simple. The vitals are really not much different in size than a milk jug.
We did use a range finder, and I have a turret, so yes there was some cheating. But truely we all hunt elk where 300-500 yrds are normal distances. My brother did pretty good with his bdc scope and the streloc app. But guessing ranges was very difficult.
In the end the whole aim small miss small theory has been rediscovered. I have practiced this for a while now and this is what determines my ethical distance limit to shoot. What has others done to gauge capabilities? Am I the only weirdo that limits himself based on real life kill zone size? Does anyone have something fun to shoot like water in a milk jug? I have to say the sound it makes is cool!

 

[holdinsteady]

Upacreek.....certainly agree with your reasoning. I love all kinds of shooting....tho I have lost my taste for competitive shooting over the years.....too much stress and not enough fun. I have found myself headed for the wide open BLM land with my steel targets and long range rifles when I want some quality trigger time. I cut out a life size coyote, we call her "Lucy", out of some 1/2" AR400 plate and I hang it from a portable stand with conveyor belt material so that her feet touch the ground. Then I drive/walk off to varying distances from 200yds up to 700 yds. I sit down with the range finder and shooting sticks and have at it. You can sure learn a lot about the capabilities of your gun and your shooting skills doing this. It can be a great confidence builder when you get everything dialed in. The biggest challenge is getting a hit with that first cold barrel shot........hitting with the second shot is fun......but not quite the same.

 

[rooster740]

Put food coloring in the water because sometimes bullet fragments from misses make leaks in the jug. And empty milk jugs do not react to hits at all! Ask how I know that. I like red die on snow.
I like the spotter to set out the jugs, without the shooter seeing, then there is target location practice, ranging, and shooter communication sequence. It is amazing how prep can make killing at distance a ton less stressful!

 

[upacreek]

Ya, I have shot steel too. It's much harder to move around and I don't have 15 of them. I use it for grouping and set distances. The milk jugs are easy to move. Just start with 4 in hand and start walking. I think I had 12 set up last Thursday at different ranges. Cleanup isn't bad cause they are light. I think a life sized elk in cardboard or wood are in my future with a steel insert where the vitals are. That would be fun!

 

[dmj]

Just seen some targets on camofire (elk, deer and coyote) that look interesting. Have fun shooting.

 

[royinidaho]

So we got my brother in law a used rifle for Christmas. To prep him for the gift I set up a shoot off last week for thanksgiving. My dad, brother, bro in law, and I took turns blowing up water filled milk jugs. From my dad's back porch we can shoot 1200yrds so I strung jugs out to 550. It's amazing how things change when it's not paper they shoot at. Or animals for that matter. My bro in law fizzled out around 250. My dad and brother struggled at 415 and I was inches from the 515 jugs but no connection.

In truth that level of performance ain't to bad for an Idaho family.

However if you hang around here very long yul discover that prone is way better than standing on yur hind legs and waving the gun around like you guys did....

Hey, just kidd'n

I get your point. Makes for a much better hunting experience. Keep it up..... and have fun....

 

[kbaerg]

One of the ideas we are looking into for our long range group is a silhouette cut out of a deer, coyote, and maybe an elk. It was suggested to be cut from AR500 steel then cut out the vitals and place a balloon in there held by tape or something. A hit in the vitals and balloon pops a miss and steel rings and you know you missed.

 

[upacreek]

I would think the other way about it. If the steel rings it should mean it's a good hit. If it's silent it could be a total miss. The balloons would fix that, but it's a lot of walking to tape balloons after shrapnel hits them. Just my opinion.

 

[Trever]

Not passed 300 but I get a pack of ballons. Some 3" some 5" and some 8". Just walk around tying them up behind the house. Shoot some with a 22 lr, at 200+ it is fun. I may have 5-8 rifles laid out shooting ballons with them. Wish I had more range with that kind of convenience.

 

[kbaerg]

I would think the other way about it. If the steel rings it should mean it's a good hit. If it's silent it could be a total miss. The balloons would fix that, but it's a lot of walking to tape balloons after shrapnel hits them. Just my opinion.

Yes you are correct about the shrapnel and lots of walking for a balloon, not to mention the cost of the steel. myself I paint a circle on a steel plate the size I want, ring means a hit and spotter confirms where I hit

 

[wildcat hunter]

We shot milk jugs in our neighbors cow pasture. Seems the cows liked to chew on the plastic so we had to police the field and clean it up. For now we stick to paper.

 

[upacreek]

Where I shoot is close to the house in a hay field. I have always cleaned up after myself weather it bepaper, plastic, balloons, or anything. Never want to be 'that guy' who laeves a mess. The more I think about it I am getting excited to cut out some animal shapes in wood and then hang a steel gong in the vitals area. I bet the wood could make a nice destinct sound when hit.

 

[ljmelea]

I too like to shoot gallon and half gallon jugs full of water.I turn the handles to the back as there are times when you think you have missed,but actually hit the handle.You would be surprised at the patch of sunflowers and other plant life that springs up on your range.I plan to find some steep ground to practice my aci shots this summer.Larry

 

[Pinoniper]

I too think one gallon plastic milk jugs full of water make wonderful, reactive, nice-sized targets. I have accumulated dozens of 'em, plus the odd bleach bottle, laundry detergent bottle, etc. I don't own a range finder (yet), but I measure distance with my Garmin hand-held GPS. I create a waypoint at the spot from which I will be shooting. I then tell my unit to navigate to that point, but I walk away from it with jugs in hand. That technique gives me a step-by-step reading of yardage, as I walk out to place my milk jugs.

I got real consistent at hitting them, cold barrel, every time, at 310 yards, but I also got a very good feel for what that size looked like in my particular scope. This helped me immensely in taking a pronghorn cleanly at what turned out to be 375 yards last October, for my very first big game kill, at age 49. Admittedly, not all that long range a shot, but for me it was what I was ready for with a live animal.