Just my opinion and what I've observed ...
NUMBER
- Usually 12 to 15 'shootin' stations, then add some for knife/hawk, archery, etc.
- One of the best courses near here even adds a Wrist Rocket slingshot, shootin' 3 dried chick peas at a hanging fry pan, 5-points for each hit!
- Some add a primitive archery setup, shootin' 3 arrows at a bale; another had an atlatl target, 5-points per hit!
- Hawk/knife, 5-points for a stick anywhere on the butt, but the center, where some add a 3" painted center and if it sticks in there, they get 10-points
- Consider a SHORT and LONGer course, depending on the day/event, etc.
RANGES
- Closer ranges, within ~10-yards, for splitting a dowel or pencil or shootin' at the edge of a playing card
- The hanging chain at 20-yards is always a winner
- LOVE the split the ball on the axe head shot, rig up a stump with an old axe head mounted in the center and 2 circular counterbores milled out with a router on either side. BEST to have this in front of a bigger large stump, or some place out of the firing line to put the box of clay birds behind it
- Big metal gongs that 'RING' are de bomb, can be placed out to 80-yards
- Add some animal shapes, turkeys, pigs, as your budget or imagination allows. Maybe you'll find a local metal guy that will volunteer to cut some out of scrap steel for you
- Sky is the limit really, plus your imagination
SIZE/SHAPE
- 6" to 8" round or square are cool or the norm
- Hang the squares as a diamond for a different 'look'
- A sweet round gong is the one with a doughnut hole cut out of the center
- A 2" by 12" rectangle hung HORIZONTALLY is neat & different
- Augment that with a 2" by 12" rectangle hung VERTICALLY
- Items can be strung on heavy string/cord suspended between trees ... apples, potatoes, etc., using wire hooked over the cord (tie in loops at predetermined spacing) so targets can readily be replaced
- Besides side/shape, also alter the shooting position, as one course near me (the BEST!) has a shot to be taken from their Off-side hand, so a Righty needs to shoot their musket/rifle as a Lefty.
- A steep uphill or downhill target can be neat too
- One popular one is the 'drive the tack'. A piece of Homesote of other has 30 or more tacks driven into it with a # above them, spaced to give a good 2-3" border away from other tacks. From 7-10-yards, people pick a # and need to obliterate the tack called.
OTHER
- Have a separate division for rifle vs smoothbore ... as a smoothie shooter I thank you in advance!
- RULES of the game for attendees, is that they re-hang or replace any consumable target (clay bird, apple, potato, etc.) before they more on to the next station
- 5 MZL shootin' shots then a knife/hawk, then 5 more shootin;, then something else is a cool break up
- Some woodswalks add 5 to 10-points for period dress ... which means NOT just a hat ...
- Some add a fire starting station, using flint & steel, as a contest. Person can ready their char, flint & steel, etc., clock starts when they say ready ... if they light it (get flame!) before 30-seconds - they get the points. Time can be adjusted, of course, depending on how seasoned your cadre are
- Consider having the LAST shot be not for score, but a tie-breaker, in case people need to leave. Typically this is a 3" or so round bullseye @ 40-yards or more, closest to the center X breaks the tie
- I don't know where you live ... so I'll leave out any concerns for signing liability releases et al ... but it is something to be considered
Now I'm probably missing some more info here than I'm adding, LOL ... but hopefully this gives YOU some ideas, and prompts other to add their input!
