Some things don’t change very often. Clay pigeons were invented in 1875 and by 1900 trap shooting had become an Olympic sport. The clay pigeons replaced live birds and glass balls as aerial shotgun targets. Over the past 100+ years, clay pigeons have remained heavy and break easily if dropped. This year, things changed. Enter the Caldwell ClayCopter launcher and target discs!
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About the Target Discs
Caldwell’s ClayCopter discs are available in either 90mm or 110mm diameter. Each tube holds 50 discs. They’re far lighter in weight than traditional clay pigeons, and less susceptible to breakage during transport.
From Caldwell:
- Eco- Friendly Green Leaf Tested material
- Hi-Viz orange color for easy sight in any condition
- Lightweight and compact for easy transport and reduced breakage
- Spinning prop design offers challenging and unique flight patterns
- Compatible with Caldwell ClayCopter Launchers
About the ClayCopter Launcher
From Caldwell:
- Handheld thrower launches Caldwell ClayCopter targets up to 100 yards.
- Throws single or double targets
- Rechargeable Li-ion battery launches up to 300 targets
- Spare battery packs sold separately for extended-range sessions.
- Variable speed for control of target speed and distance
- Two size targets available 110mm and 90mm
- ClayCopter targets are lighter and resist breakage in transit compared to traditional clay targets
- ClayCopter targets are eco-friendly, Green Leaf Tested
Shooting Impressions
Gavin, Tyler, and I went up to the ridgetop range to give this new system a try.
We traded off with one of us using the launcher and the other ready with the 12 gauge Mossberg 500 complete with recently-installed Boyds laminate stocks.
Gavin had tried the ClayCopter Launcher at SHOT Show, but I’d never seen it before. The first time I loaded a pair of 110mm discs into it, pointed it upwards and sent them soaring up, up, and up some more, I burst out laughing! Simply working the handheld launcher and sending those discs skyward was great fun.
Next we started sending them out in a more realistic direction, more like a gamebird flushing and flying away from a hunter. They were surprisingly tough to hit at first! We set the launcher to max speed so the ClayCopter discs were hurtling out of it at 15,000 rpm and sprinting away. They also had an interesting and challenging flight path, darting about as they flew.
Adjusting the launch speed is easy. Simply turn a small knob on the launcher. We started making more hits and better hits after slowing the launch speed.
Operating the launcher requires both hands. One hand is needed on the pistol grip and trigger while the other stabilizes the launcher and works the safety. The launcher has rudimentary sights which can help send the discs in the desired direction.
We quickly went through a tube of 50 targets, learned a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon shooting session!
Conclusion
This inexpensive, lightweight, highly-portable launcher and target system is will be available soon.
It strikes me as an excellent, informal practice system for hunters! This is something that two hunting buddies can have in the truck and use anywhere that it’s safe to shoot.
The biodegradable ClayCopter target discs offer a number of advantages over traditional clay pigeons. They’re lightweight, less susceptible to breakage in handling and transport, fly with a bit of an unpredictable darting motion, andmore eco-friendly.
The Caldwell ClayCopter Launcher and the spinning ClayCopter discs provide an awful lot of fun for shotgunners!
Get The Gear
ClayCopter 110mm Target Disc 50 Pack Tube
ClayCopter 90mm Target Disc 50 Pack Tube
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Thanks,
Guy Miner
