This is a great little reactive target for Center Fire handguns. I have shot it with 9mm, 38 special & .45 ACP at reasonably short distances and it has held up very well. Lots of bullet splatter marks after two range trips, but little or no pitting and absolutely no deforming of the plates, and I was shooting it with jacketed target rounds at much closer then recommended distances. Obviously the paint will only hold up to a certain amount of bullet abuse, but that's what spray paint is for.
It spins very actively when hit with center-fire rounds. The top target is small enough to be a challenge to hit at ranges appropriate to the firearm your using. It is not designed for rim fire rounds, and it will NOT flip when shot with a .22LR. However, it will still react, rocking visibly if hit with .22 ammo.
I actually prefer shooting this spinner with my .22 over the actual .22 spinner I have, mostly because it is sturdier (the one designed for .22 has a cheesy stand which means it falls over quite often and has to be re-set up). Even though it does not spin violently, that means it stabilizes more quickly which makes quick followup shots possible. It's good for drills doing double taps, or triple taps (Mozambique drills) with cheap .22 ammo. Although not as "effective" for training as regulation sized paper targets, it is more fun to drill with then paper.
I found on my last range trip that an additional fun exercise with .22LR is to hit either paddle so it starts to swing, then time your successive shots while the paddle is swinging away to increase its momentum, (either on the same paddle, or for more challenge, alternating paddles). This requires fast reacquisition of the moving target as it will not swing for very long when hit with a .22LR. Good shooting will cause the paddle to flip over completely (once) with a few well timed shots. The faster you get off a well aimed shot, the fewer shots it will take.
Please note (as can be seen in the picture) that this has no real stand, only two legs, so it MUST be pushed into firm (but not rock hard) dirt. I have found it drives into my local range's dirt fairly easily (especially as it is built strong enough for me to stand on the cross bar to push it down, and it has stood straight without falling over when shot every time (which is more then I can say for most of my other reactive steel targets). However, your mileage will obviously vary depending on the consistency of the ground in your range area. Very hard dirt may prevent it's being seated deeply enough to take the punch from center-fire rounds, and very soft dirt may give enough that the target will fall over.
This target is definitely NOT designed for center fire rifle rounds, and I would not shoot it with a rifle. It would probably hold up to rifles shooting pistol rounds such as .22LR or 38 special and even then I would set it further away then I do for pistol. That said, I have not done this so I have no actual experience as to how it holds up in this case. If you want to shoot steel with regular center-fire rifle rounds, you are probably better off with AR500 or AR550 steel gongs, and you really need to be working at long ranges (75+ yards) with properly angled steel plates to minimize bounce back. In other words, do your homework.
While the plates do "give" as the unit starts to spin, generally enough to direct any bounce back down into the dirt, I did catch a .38 special jacket "return to sender" full in the chest, which is one reason they say to use soft point (lead) rounds on steel. (I WAS aware of this danger and was wearing full protective gear including heavy clothing, so no harm, no foul). As in shooting all steel, you should be extra careful when shooting this target. Make sure you and all spectators are wearing safety glasses and full cover clothing, most especially if you're shooting closer then the recommended 75 feet.
As other reviewers have noted, packaging was horrible. My product came with the box open and mutilated and the product half hanging out of the box on delivery, mostly because it is shipped in it's product (store shelf) single layer cardboard box with no mailing "over box". This means the posts you drive into the dirt punch easily through the cardboard and out the box. Any paperwork (instructions, etc.) and the advertised stick on bulls eyes were missing from my package. However, Despite the horrible packaging I have not removed a star because:
1. It's a piece of steel, which is meant to be shot, there isn't that much you can do to it during shipping (or otherwise) that would hurt it, and despite the mutilated box, the product made it to me in totally undamaged condition.
2. The stupid stick on bulls eyes always pop off with one or two shots, so I wouldn't have bothered to put them on anyway. They would have gone in my range bag with the rest of my paper targets, no great loss.
3. It's a target... If you can't figure out how to use it, you shouldn't be playing with guns in the first place. Most of the "instructions" that come with these targets are dire warnings included (for good reason) by the firm's lawyers to reduce lawsuits. Shooting steel is a whole lot of fun, but if you have never done it before, do your homework and learn how to do it safely and not get hurt, which means more then just reading the warning pamphlet which would be included in the box.
Bottom line, a fun target for center-fire handguns (at least up up to .45ACP) as well as being a very satisfactory .22LR target (with properly adjusted expectations), at a reasonable price, slightly marred by poor shipping practices. Not for center fire rifles.
| Size | One Size |
|---|---|
| Material | metal |
| Color | black |
| Sport | Pistol Shooting |
| Brand | Caldwell |
| Item Weight | 0.7 Kilograms |
| Shape | Round |
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 24.2 x 9.6 x 1.7 inches |
| Package Weight | 5 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.39 x 5.31 x 1.06 inches |
| Brand Name | Caldwell |
| Warranty Description | 1-year manufacturer |
| Model Name | Caldwell Plink n' Swing Double Spin .44 Centerfire Handgun Swinging Target |
| Suggested Users | unisex-adult |
| Manufacturer | Caldwell |
| Part Number | 133565-CAS |
| Included Components | Caldwell Plink n' Swing Double Spin .44 Centerfire Handgun Swinging Target |
