Billiard Chalks — Fun, Challenging Reactive Targets
Reactive targets — whether balloons, steel gongs, or clay birds — always add fun to a range session. But precision shooters may want something more challenging (i.e. smaller) than a clay bird when shooting inside 300 yards. For a change of pace, try shooting at inexpensive pool cue chalks. Less than 1″ square, these will test your marksmanship skills. (If you need a bigger target, that also makes a nice puff of “smoke”, try charcoal briquettes).
Pool Cue Chalks — Cheap, Fun, Dramatic
If you’re looking for a small target that makes a nice big cloud of color when hit, try billiard chalks — those little blue cubes you use to dust the end of pool cues. Measuring about 7/8″ per side, billiard chalks make very challenging targets at 100 and 200 yards. When you hit them, if you nail the circular “dimple” in the middle, they disintegrate impressively, tossing blue “smoke” in all directions. Billiard chalks are inexpensive. You can buy a dozen chalks online for about $3.00 — just 25 cents each. And the prices drop with more quantity. One gross of chalks (that’s 144 pieces) costs just $24.95 at ozonebilliards.com. That’s 17 cents each.
To see actual hits on chalk at 100 and 200 yards, watch the video below. (WARNING: Soundtrack is loud and advertisement may play before movie. Flash plug-in required for playback, so you may see a note that a Flash file is loading.) The movie-maker cautions that: “You’ll notice (in the video) that some of the hits are ‘wiffs’ instead of ‘poofs’. If you look at the picture above, you’ll see the 1/2 inch dimple in the cube face. If you don’t put the bullet in that dimple, it’ll ‘wiff’ on you.” Note — this video may not be available on some mobile devices or computers with Flash disabled.
Watch Billiard Chalks Explode with Blue Smoke When Hit:
NOTE: This movie requires Flash to run.
Forum members who have tried Billiard Chalks say they are definitely fun to shoot. Member Blake says: “[These are] satisfying and cheap reactive targets — I have a 72ct box of [chalks] in every color. They work great if you hit them in the center with anything more powerful than a 22 LR, and they don’t leave much mess to clean up.” Blake offers attachment tips: “I use double-stick tape on the back to hold them onto target rails. Just make sure you stick them to steel so that they have something nice & hard to crush against when you hit them. Put them on thin plywood and they’ll just punch right through!”
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Tags: Billiard Chalks, Chalk, Fun Targets, Ozone Billiards, Pool Cue, Reactive Target
I wish shooting clubs would have more reactive target days. It is heaps of fun and is a welcome change to the usual.
Used to shoot at neco wafers when I was a kid. They were taped to a piece of thread and let sway in the breeze. Great fun with a .22.
wait until you hear the Montana version.
In 1988 I met Dan Lilja, the Plains, Mt, barrel maker at a rifle shoot up there.
They used to hold three or four “Dynamite Shoots” every summer. They would use the old metal powder cans, paint them orange, put about half a stick of dynamite inside, and hang them from upside “L” shaped rebar stuck in the ground on hillsides. Cans were 500-1200 yards away, unmarked ranges. $5, three shots. Easy to call hits or misses.