Whether you are looking to improve your accuracy and speed or just squeeze more joy out of every round you fire, these five affordable targets from Birchwood Casey are a great way to enhance your next trip to the range. 

Here are five of my favorites for range day.

Table of Contents

Shoot-N-C Trainer & Bad Guy Combo
Battle at Sea Gaming
Ground Strike Hanging Plate Target Kit
12-Inch Shoot-N-C Reactive Targets
Budget-Friendly Gongs
Bonus: Walker’s Razor Hearing Protection

Shoot-N-C Trainer & Bad Guy Combo

This combo package comes with diagnostic handgun training targets to help you find and fix the most common shooting mistakes. Simply shoot a group with your go-to handgun, and the reactive target will reveal if you are anticipating recoil, jerking the trigger, or breaking your wrists.

I like this one because it doubles as a standard range target with friendly reminders for even experienced shooters trying to avoid bad training habits.

Once you’re back on target, the reactive bad guy targets make for great undersized silhouettes. The size forces you to maintain precision even at closer ranges. I find that these targets really help you train for when you go to shoot at further distances.
 

Battle at Sea Gaming

This one is my current favorite on the list. I use the Battle at Sea targets for both my rifle and handgun training. It’s fun whether you’re alone or with a friend. 

More than that, these reactive targets really force you to focus on a specific point on the target, control your grip and breathing, and break your trigger with a clean pull. Patience is a virtue with these. In fact, I actually shoot these targets better when I focus more on the target and ignore all the body mechanics that automatically happen when I shoot.

Plus, you can pair up with a friend and turn them into an easy 20-minute head-to-head challenge at any indoor or outdoor range.  
 

Ground Strike Hanging Plate Target Kit

Shooting steel gongs isn’t always an option at many ranges, especially at closer distances. However, I’ve found these self-healing Ground Strike hanging plates to be a nice addition for small-caliber rifles like the popular Ruger 10/22 and 9mm handguns. 

No matter how cool paper targets get, there is just something undefinably enjoyable about hitting a swinging target. You can also attach affordable reactive target spots to these for a better view of your shot placement. 

Dollar for dollar, these are hard to beat because they are lightweight, affordable, easy to transport, and last for dozens of range trips.
 

12-Inch Shoot-N-C Reactive Targets

Birchwood Casey’s standard 12-inch adhesive Shoot-N-C reactive targets are great for regular training days at the range. The high-visibility shot markers make it easy to spot your hits and misses from a distance, and they are bright enough to be seen even when you are shooting fast.

These are made to stick right on a cardboard target backer or a used-up paper target, which saves time and allows you to place multiple targets side by side. The black and red patches also make it easy to cover up old shot holes to extend the life of the target.

Simple but effective, these are time-savers on the range. That’s especially handy when visiting places that charge by the hour.
 

Budget-Friendly Gongs

Birchwood Casey’s combo 8-inch and 10-inch steel gong set is one of the most economical ways to get into shooting steel. This swinging gong combo package comes with two AR500 plates, each with a quick-assemble stand.

While you still need to mind your distance and avoid high-velocity rifle calibers, this double gong kit sets you up for hours of shooting and makes training for target transitions a lot easier.   You can skip the cluttered paper targets that become unusable after a few magazines with this set. Steel will let you know you hit true with a satisfying plink.

I especially like these for shooting at longer ranges with handguns because the target sizes are challenging, and the audible ring of the steel makes it easy to know when I am on target.
 

Bonus: Walker’s Razor Active Hearing Protection

Range time with friends is a lot more fun and safer when you can actually hear what folks are saying around you.

I have been using Walker’s Razor active hearing protection for years, and I love them. They are a constant in my range bag. For the money, they work well, offer a long battery life, and can survive a good amount of abuse.

In fact, I still have and regularly use my very first pair of Walker’s Razor electronic earmuffs that I bought back in 2016. Plus, they come in a bunch of different colors and designs.