Yesterday, I had the opportunity to shoot some new biodegradable
targets at Pumpkin Center Sportsman's Club in downtown Pumpkin Center,
Wisconsin. (That's about midway between Lowell and Juneau in
Dodge County.) More about those nifty targets, but first, the
news...
Last week, I posted Gary Martin's invitation to compete in a fundraiser
sporting clays event for DU. Here's Gary's report on the results:
The weather was perfect for the Ducks Unlimited (Brillion
chapter) 50-target fun shoot at Triple J Sporting Clays on Saturday, July
17, 2004. 155 shooters participated and scores varied from 7 to 48. Brett
Kobelowski, a young fellow from Manitowoc, took the Lewis Class A cash
prize with the 48. Mike Delsman, also of Manitowoc, took Lewis Class A second
place with a 47. I don't know their ages, but I bet there is 30 years or more
between those two top shooters.
In Lewis Class B, seven shooters came off the course with
scores of 39 and split the prize. Twelve shooters tied for second place with a
score of 38.
First place in Lewis Class C was won by 12 shooters who tied
at 36, while the second place score of 35 saw eight shooters tie.
The Lewis Scoring System gives shooters of every skill level a
chance to win, but as you can see from the above results, this was a rather high
scoring event. During the day I heard shooters complaining that they were "off
their game," but Triple J's course isn't "soft" unless you learn how to shoot
it.
BTW I was in the 7-way tie for Class B first place, and the
winnings paid for my ammunition that day.
Gary
Never a bad day when your shooting pays for itself!
Anyway, yesterday, as I was saying, I went to Pumpkin Center, where I
met Joe Schroeder, inventor of Ice Blasters, a FROZEN (!) target
that flies like a clay bird, breaks like a clay bird, but doesn't leave
a clay mess like a clay bird. Whether you hit them or miss them,
in a matter of hours they simply melt away!
Schroeder got the idea when he wanted to shoot at clay targets over his
mom's wheat field and she said "No way." So he started
experimenting with designs and finally came up with a winner. He mixes
a couple tablespoons of a special powder in a pitcher of water (a lot
like mixing Kool-Aid), then pours the stuff into molds he fabricates in
his garage with a vacuum device. The filled molds go into a
freezer for about four hours, then out come the frozen targets.
Schroeder adds a non-toxic dye to the secret powder (Only his dog knows
the recipe, and the dog ain't talkin'.) to make blaze orange, red,
blue, green, brown, gray or white targets.
The secret powder changes the molecular structure of the water as it
freezes, preventing it from bulging, so the targets come out of the
mold with a nice, flat bottom.
The company founded by Schroeder and partner Jeff Ziehme is called Eco
Targets. The secret powder has received EPA approval for use over
water or marsh (with steel shot). The frozen targets are called
Ice Blasters. Molds are available to pour standard, 90mm, mini
and jackrabbit targets, which bounce along the ground just like their
clay analogs. Eco Targets sells the molds in three different kits
that contain target molds, a trap adapter and enough Ice Blaster powder
to make 100 targets. The Trap Kit makes standard and mini
targets; the Sporting Clays kit makes mini, 90mm, standard and
jackrabbit targets; and the Rifle Range kit makes rabbit, squirrel,
duck, star and round targets, which can be hung or stood up for
shooting with a rimfire rifle. The trap adapter part of the kit
consists of three strips of 3M traction tape used to prevent slipping
on steps. You attach two long strips to the trap arm and a short
one to the underside of the clip that holds the targets. The tape
grips the targets and allows the trap to put a stabilizing spin on them.
Schroeder and I blasted a bunch of rifle targets, then shot a friendly
round of Fur 'N' Feather, with Ziehme and Joel Cahoon operating the
Du-All traps for us. With coolers full of Ice Blasters at their
side, Jeff and Joel threw us 100 or so targets, which flew every bit as
well as standard clays, despite not having a cupped underside.
They're made of ice, but are not fragile. In fact, none of them
broke when thrown, unlike standard targets, which occasionally produce
a "no bird."
I had trouble hitting the midis and even the standards thrown at about
40 yards, but started breaking them when Jeff adjusted the trap angle
to throw crossing birds at about 25 yards. At that range, my 20
ga. 870 Lightweight broke its share. The rabbits were easier
because they were closer. When centered, the targets exploded
into a satisfying orange mist. (Joe said on a windy day, you get
a cool shower when you break a close target.) A light hit broke
off a chip, just like a clay target. Missed targets fell intact
into the alfalfa. We gathered up a few and reused them, but left
most to melt as Joe had plenty.
You can buy Ice Blasters directly from Joe by calling
920-927-3899. He and Jeff plan to offer them on their website
soon. Dan's Mall will also carry them as soon as I get some
digital images so you can see what they look like. Each kit costs
$10 plus tax and shipping. Joe also offers a package of powder to
make an additional 100 birds for $3.50.
Ice Blasters are not a substitute for clay targets in a competition
set-up, where automated traps are filled with hundreds of birds.
They are designed for the shooter who wants to blast a few targets in
his rural backyard or over a field or wetland where clay targets would
cause a mess or leave toxic residue. You can freeze enough
targets for an afternoon's shooting in a modest-sized freezer, as the
mold trays stack on top of each other. Put the targets in a
cooler and they'll keep all day, even in hot weather.
Joe said the club plans to build a winter sporting clays course in the
woods near the clubhouse. Come December, they will freeze a bunch
of Ice Blasters in an outdoor shed, then box them up and put them at
each station for a winter clays league.
Talk about a cool blast!
Later...
9:19:23 PM 
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