Gr8fun targets

Gr8fun Targets have already earned themselves a well-deserved reputation for making well designed and above all fun targets for airgun shooters. I ran into Danny -the man behind the firm - at the Midland Game Fair. On his stand were some brand new air pistol silhouette targets. As it happens I run 3 gun competitions at my club using Co2 BB pistols, .22 semi-auto rimfire’s and FAC 12g shotguns. The new targets looked ideal for using in the Co2 pistol stages. They come singular, in packs of five or in packs of eight to cater for those with Co2 pellet guns (which usually have eight shot rotary magazines). I bought a pack of eight for the club.

To keep the price down and speed up the manufacturing process the target is made in one piece. After the 2mm steel plate has been cut to the silhouette shape the bottom section is bent to an angle of approx. 82 degrees to form a base for the target to stand on. Danny has also drilled a 6mm hole in the centre of the base for those how do not want to have to keep going out to stand the targets up after they knock them down.  They can simply be attached to a plank of wood by putting a screw through the hole in the base. They will still make a very audible clang to indicate when you have hit them but you don’t have to reset them.

Getting It Right

That is what I like about Gr8fun targets, Danny is a shooter and thinks about the design and the actual field use of his products. He told me the new targets on review here were tested over a long period before being released to the public, hundreds and hundreds of rounds were fired at them. Just because Danny was great having fun while doing it didn’t make the task any easier! The base had to be just the right size and the angle of the bend correct to allow the target to be knocked over when using low powered Co2 pistols. These guns can range from 0.8 to 2 ft/lbs in power, I know as I have tested over fifty different types of gas pistol. Making the silhouette targets too stable and these guns will not knock them over, not ideal for a reactive target such as a steel plate. The targets come in a very, very bright fluorescent green colour, on the back they are a more subdued white. The recommended distance these are shot at is 10m. They are only 102mm high by 80mm wide so they are a testing target at 10m, the top section is 40mm wide by 20mm high. Being made of steel the targets require the shooter to wear suitable eye protection, which has to be worn at all times and even by spectators. They must be impact resistant and be the wrap around type with side shields, remember - safety first.

Range Testing

These targets are well made and I have to say that as an engineer I was impressed with the standard of manufacture. I took them out for range testing and set them on some target stands we use for practical shotgun plates, each stand could take two Gr8 targets. I also stood them in grass and shot them like that, which worked fine too.

I shot them with my eight shot CP88 lead firing Co2 pistol and one of my 4.5mm BB pistols. I have to say selling them in an eight pack is a boon for those with the eight shot guns, it really puts on the pressure not to miss with a shot as there are no back up rounds available.

You can get shot timer apps for smart phones now, some of which are free so setting up eight targets and trying to shoot them as fast as you can turns into a real exciting competition. They were fantastic fun to shoot and they were a big hit at the following three gun competition I ran. Having the target react i.e. fall off a stand is a sure way to know if a competitor has hit it.

Prices are £4.50 for one, £19.00 for five and £27.00 for eight. I recommend you go for eight, even if you do not have an eight shot gun. The huge hours of shooting pleasure they will give you makes them fantastic value for money. I’ll be buying more for the club that’s for sure. Check out Danny’s web site for his other targets, he has lots of other kinds of fun targets in the pipeline too.