The 50-yard can bottom challenge

[airgunaut]

Issued in friendly manner by Airguns of Alaska (on YouTube, with big disclaimers about NO FIREARMS in this video). Love the casual manner, the initial rested warmups followed by offhand shooting, and the straightforward set-up showing the shooting. He also uses a scoped rifle and an unscoped one. And ordinary guns, not exotic or modded ones.

I like shooting can bottoms, too, but never went for the distances he shows. I need to find a clear (no trees), fairly level run of 25 to 50 yards, which does not exist on my property that can I think of. But the private road we have rights to could be a candidate when the other owners who can use it are out of state. 🤔

Standing offhand, scope, Daisy 880: 
Peep sight, HW30 in .177: 

[Mzq284]

Pretty cool, thanks for sharing. I'll have to try it, a can bottom at 50yds offhand is quite a challenge

[Matchstickshooter]

 Been watching all of these.
 Nibs of Walnut and Steel is now doing it too!

[airgunaut]

The guy is good! Here's one at shorter distance with the HW30 but using little steel animals instead of can bottoms--offhand standing. I like can bottoms for their high visibility; the little steels would be very hard to pick out at 50 yds without a scope.

The word "inspirational" feels too lofty for these videos, yet they are having the effect (on me) of wanting to accomplish the same feats. Plus the arrangement is so simple and low in cost!


Edited to include the link, which I forgot to type in earlier:

[Back_Roads]

 If you want a short range can bottom challenge, what I came up with is shoot a hole in the bottom of a can, at your available range distance, then see if you can put a 10 shot group through that hole without making it too much bigger. Measure the hole to see improvement or who wins.

[airgunaut]

James, good example of shorter distance but smaller target to try to simulate the difficulty. If the pellet goes through the existing hole, the can moves very little, so I think it would need to have something added for reactivity, maybe a small rock put inside the can.

A piece of 2x4 with five V notches cut across it, then placed across two folding sawhorses, could be easily moved and should be useable on somewhat rough ground. I need to get the 2x4 and drink more canned bevs.

Empty pellet tins are good, too. Stack a few inside a steel soup can and replace each tin as it gets shot up.

[splitbeing]

When I learned glass isn't actually being recycled around here, I started reusing it.  An empty port bottle in a brown paper bag in... and this is the can part... an large, empty baby formula can.  Shatter noises are nice while the can and bag keep it pretty clean.

[Mzq284]

I'm an altoid addict. The tins have a million uses, but eventually all your uses are covered. Now what to do with the empties? Shoot em! They're a great reactive target, they're tough, and they make some noise when hit. At 50yds they're a tough target. Don't throw them out until you put some holes in them

[splitbeing]

I'm an altoid addict. The tins have a million uses, but eventually all your uses are covered. Now what to do with the empties? Shoot em! They're a great reactive target, they're tough, and they make some noise when hit. At 50yds they're a tough target. Don't throw them out until you put some holes in them

Not mint tins, but similar use!  Collecting them until a ten stack fills the wood frame, then the penetration testing begins!

[Mzq284]

That looks like some fun! That's a jumbo version of my "test lab", a stack of tins with 1/4" square sticks top and bottom, taped together. See how many you can shoot through...strictly in the name of science. My friend accused me of eating them only so I can shoot the tins. He's not totally wrong.

[Hoosier Daddy]

I can do that in optimal conditions.... but in the snow below 32 decrease!
HECK NO!

[Ronno6]

Flatten out one section of a bottle cap lip and stand up on a bar magnet.
They really go flying when you hit them, but pretty difficult ti find in the grass.........

[Mzq284]

Flatten out one section of a bottle cap lip and stand up on a bar magnet.
They really go flying when you hit them, but pretty difficult ti find in the grass.........

Walk around barefoot, you'll find them!

[airgunaut]

The local HW store gave me a piece of scrap 2x4 from their cuts pile. 😍

At home, I found a scrap piece of spruce that is thinner but wider/taller, to use as a backstop. The pellets that bounce forward would be easier to find and discard than those that pass through (or miss) the cans. With the backstop placed so close to the targets, there is chance of a ricochet zinging right back at or next to me, but I don't know if that'd be a problem beyond 50'. It can happen from 33' if a pellet hits the can's rim...ask me how I know.

The need for a backstop could be minimized by affixing steel soup cans with the open end facing forward and filled with enough pellet tins to show the shiny lid of the frontmost tin. Some trials are in order.

[RKM]

I’ve been super gluing life savers to a saw horse and trying to shoot through the hole without breaking the lifesaver  at a distance of 20 yards , using my Hw30 urban pro. So far I’m losing the challenge, but is a lot of fun trying.😂

[Hoosier Daddy]

Bump....
I got this..
LOL

[19Sheridan57]

  I like shooting those , too. Cut the end off a can , & mount on a backstop made of 2 layers of 3/4 - 1" plywood , 24' x 24" , or bigger if need. A dab of caulk will hold the lid to the wood & it is easy to remove & replace the lid by cutting through the caulk.

[airgunaut]

Steve, that got me to thinking of a variation. Flip-top steel can lids could be hung by the tabs from long screws driven into a wood backstop. Highly visible, noisy, and easily replaced. Flattening the curves first would be a good idea.

[Rick67]

Very clever idea in the Other Forum.

It was made by Crowski.

The posts are actually springs, so you don’t need to reset them.

[lefteyeshot]

I use to shoot off a bench with scopes standing wine bottle corks at 25 yards. Then lay them on thier side and shoot at the ends. My monthly fun shoot buds shot paint balls at 25 yards setting on golf tees with springers for friendly competition. Then they would shoot aspin with PCP's at 25 yards. I don't have any PCP's. I don't think I could see a soda can bottom at 50 yards without a scope. Shake to much to hit anything off hand.