Rattlebox

Anyone ever shoot the rattlebox match out at friendship? Curious to see how that works. How much time do you get? I would like to see some pictures and try to make one. Thanks!

Never been to Friendship. I shoot mostly in New England. I made a rattle trap for our club to use on trail shoots. Used a pressure treated 2X6 about 18" long. Marked out a zig-zag pattern on the board with endings at the centerline of the top and bottom of the board. Used a 5/8" dado bit in my router and routed out the pattern till it was about 5/8" deep. Took a piece of 1/8" plexi-glass and screwed it to the board. The board is suspended from a tree branch at about shoulder height. A empty soup can is hung from the bottom of the board below the exit point of the ball. In use, the shooter drops a ball at the top of the trap and has about 3 seconds to mount the gun, pull back the hammer, acquire the target, (usually a 6" gong at 25 yards) and shoot before the ball drops into the can. Has worked great for us for years, and I still hear groans from shooters when they see this target set up. You have to be pretty familiar with your gun, and it needs to fit you well in order to get on target and fire before that ball drops into the can.

3 seconds is a fast rattlebox! Our club's is probably at 5 seconds. It is an enclosed box, you drop the ball in the top and it scoots out the bottom and rings a bell. You can hear it as it rolls down the ramps so that adds to the anxiety level.

I do like your design idea for a hanging rattle box!

The one I made for The Ancient Ones of Maine is a length of .75 corrugated flex tubing (tubing shield) wrapped around a small tree and ending in a coffee can. Length of tube and cal. of ball governs drop time. Shooter faces the tube with primed gun (muzzle up) drops ball into tube, turns 90deg. and shoots. Sound of ball rolling down the tube does work on your aiming concentration.

This sounds like a lot of fun. I would like to try and make one. Does anyone have pictures of theirs?

Another great design, love it! No constructing involved.

Sepiatone said:

This sounds like a lot of fun. I would like to try and make one. Does anyone have pictures of theirs?

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Here's a pic of one at a local rondy I shoot at from time to time.

This one takes 5 to 6 seconds for the ball to hit the pan below the board.



Sorry but it's the best rattlebox pic I have.

Dick's is a good one, bit me again a week ago!Basic simple design and yes we groan and whine when we see it. That's when you know you have a good set up.
Nit Wit