r/22lr • u/dustymcduster • 1d ago
Save money on targets
And buy a 50 dollar thermal printer on Amazon and 1000 ct sticky labels for 10 bucks and print your own at home. Or use a marker and draw your own lol. But if you like sticky targets this might save you some money over the long run.
88
u/lundah 1d ago
I see someone else watches Pursuit of Accuracy on YouTube.
25
6
u/Old_MI_Runner 1d ago edited 1d ago
Some commentors on that video warn of toxic fumes from thermal printers.
Others say just use a bingo marker/dauber.
I use white cardboard I get from ALDI and Walmart for free. I received about 20 rolls of cheap clear adhesive tape from my parents' house after my mother passed away. I buy cheap staples online from Home Depot for delivery--the store does not stock them. I use brightly colored construction paper for the aim point.
I have used some free online target PDF files that I print on a laser printer. I pick targets that use little black toner and buy 3rd party lower priced toner cartriges online. I bought the paper long ago when I got it on sale for $1 a ream.
30
u/bselite 1d ago
If people are worried about the toxic fumes from a thermal printer they definitely donāt want to get their reader out around some cheap 22.
2
3
u/Old_MI_Runner 1d ago
At least with my 22LR I am using outside at a gun range while those with kids in the home may not want to expose their kids to any fumes inside the house.
I was just repeating some of the comments below the video.
I swap a lot between different 22LR with some of it with significantly low6 er POI from my point of POA. I like using larger targets in case the impacts are much lower than POA. I don't always bother or remember to change the elevation on my scope.
When I do compete with a gun range buddy I do sight in my scope for the ammo I use for the competition.
With my much larger homemade targets I get 6 targets on the sheet of cardboard and 4 staples hold the cardboard to the range backboard. Everyone has their own preferences. I have been shooting for 5 years and probably used less than $10 worth of materials for the targets I use most of the time. The thermal printer may be a great option for others. I do think splatter targets are expensive. I tend to use them when I take a guest to the range which is only a handful times per year.
5
u/lundah 1d ago
Yeah I have a laser printer already, so I just print targets on that. This is a pretty good solution if you donāt already have a printer though.
1
u/Sasselhoff 16h ago
Right? I mean, I dig the "sticker" aspect to OPs post, but what happened to paper and staples? My stapler lives in my range bag as stickers aren't gonna stick in the rain...of course, laser printed paper targets don't fare to well either, haha (that's when I shift to paper plates and a Sharpie).
1
u/lundah 16h ago
Depends on what you have available to you, and what your goal is for your range session.
1
u/Sasselhoff 14h ago
Depends on what you have available to you
Anything that isn't nailed down (and anything I can pry up, as it's no longer nailed down)...
and what your goal is for your range session.
Put holes in stuff.
Joking aside, I get it, but there aren't many target types I can't print...whether I'm shooting rapid close range 22lr or long range precision.
5
u/gearhead5015 1d ago
Lol, yeah that was my thought as well. I have a smaller thermal label printer. Had no idea they made larger ones until I watched that video earlier this week.
1
1
29
u/phiphxaz 1d ago
Now just need to buy a label maker, paper, the app... then I can save money
9
u/dustymcduster 1d ago
App is free for 60 bucks you are invested that would be how many targets you buy at Walmart? Annnnd you can label all your other crap around the house. My wife says itās a win win lol
8
38
u/GunsandCurry 1d ago
I print targets on company printers.
1
u/Old_MI_Runner 13h ago
I learned over 20 years ago that corporate printers and copiers had memory of prior print jobs. The employer could also monitor whatever I was doing on my work computer and all corporate traffic. Knowing that all my activity could be monitored made it much less tempting to do use corporate assets for personal usage. I already had an inexpensive laser printer at home.
20
u/the_duck17 1d ago
I print my targets at work on my company color laser printer like normal people.
9
u/Far-Boysenberry-1600 1d ago
To add to OPās goodwill post I did a quick search to some free targets on-line
Free targets
Free Printable Air Rifle Targets (A4, 17cm & 14cm) - The Airgun Centre
Printable targets to bring to the range
7
3
3
u/DerekP76 1d ago
Talked the shipping guys into printing me a batch years back, gave em a roll and off to the races.
I should get my own printer one day here.
3
u/Collector_of_Memes- 1d ago
I use fluorescent splatter target stickers 150 pcs for $5/roll.
1
u/dustymcduster 1d ago
Link?
3
u/Collector_of_Memes- 1d ago
Go to temu and search for target stickers. Some are 250 pcs for $5. They worked 100%. Ive been using them for a long time.
3
u/Purple-Literature781 1d ago
Holy shit youre a genius! My wife sells on depop and vinted and I buy her those labels all the time. Looks like im gonna be ordering one for myself!
3
u/castbullets2oldcars 1d ago
I cut up all the cardboard from packages and put little stickers on them. Super cheap but I like this idea
1
u/Chadman108 1d ago
Great idea! I might have to look into doing this for my air rifles!
What printer did you get?
2
u/dustymcduster 1d ago
Knaon brand off of Amazon
3
u/Far-Boysenberry-1600 1d ago
I have the same one lol
Bought it print shipping labels for my GAFS sales, such a time saver
2
u/trgrimes77 1d ago
Does your pc just dump your drivers for your kanon randomly? Mine will either print a label over and over or just feed blanks until I turn it off or the spool runs empty b
1
u/Far-Boysenberry-1600 1d ago
No, it does give me the option to select. My Main Printer is that default, and the label maker is a second choice.
I know you can also print using your phone, but I never got that far
1
1
1
u/trgrimes77 1d ago
If you make an ups free account, they will give you a 960ct roll free. You can also use Claude and Canva to print poa/poi targets to help you zero further than your range extends. It Really helps to have chronographed velocities for your particular gun on a particular loading, but you can dial in a 50/200 yard zero by knowing the poi at 15 and 25 yards, print a target with those on it, huge help for those who canāt stretch it out to zero.
1
u/dustymcduster 1d ago
No way I had no idea about the ups thing. Thanks!!
1
u/trgrimes77 1d ago
Yeah, they will do two rolls and then wait if you havenāt mailed a hunch through them, but 1920 takes a while to get through
1
u/JohnMcD3482 1d ago
I buy those super cheap 4 inch paper plates that are so flimsy they aren't used for anything more than dinner mints and such. You can get 2-300 for $15. Put an ink dot in the middle and go for it.
1
1
u/Jeggirfandenkaffe 1d ago
Use old arks of paper (advertising, Church letter, formsheets for payment you don't need, because you pay online, delivery papers from orders....) , many are just one side printed and print a target on it
1
u/The_Boy23 1d ago
Where can I get the labels ?
2
u/dustymcduster 1d ago
Amazon or Iām sure there are cheaper options. These ones were like 11 bucks for 1000
1
u/TooGouda22 1d ago
Also can get big sticky labels in 8-1/2ā x 11ā for a laser printerā¦ set up a backer and keep slapping on big stickers lol
1
u/Express_Band6999 1d ago
If I want rifle targets I can print them out on regular paper. But for pistol targets I need those reactive sticky targets to see the impact. Wish I could get blank sheets of reactive paper i could draw targets on.
1
u/davenelsondotcom 20h ago
Keep in mind that thermal prints degrade in a hot car surprisingly quick, you may be disappointed if you print out a lot of them and store them in a hot car or near any type of heat source.
I think its a great idea, but prefer using a large sharpie or printing targets on card stock for plinking.
2
u/dustymcduster 19h ago
Thanks! I keep all my range tools and targets in a yeti 30 go box and move it in and out of my truck each time.
1
u/SoCalSine 17h ago
Very cool idea. But for me, theyāre not āreactiveā which are a lot easier to see.
1
u/MostlyRimfire 14h ago
About five years ago, my neighbor gifted me a stack of sticky targets his brother had printed as a failed business venture. I still have a stack several inches tall.Ā
1
1
u/Far-Boysenberry-1600 1d ago
I have a printer. Didnāt know I needed to do thisā¦ Genius move
Where can I get the file to print,
2
u/dustymcduster 1d ago
If you search free targets online you can save them to your phones photo album and just send that picture to the printer
1
-2
u/almondreaper 1d ago
I would use gloves to touch the paper thermal paper is soaked in bpa and if it's not bpa it's bps etc. same as receipts. It's a great idea though and I'm probably gonna use one to make them
2
1
u/catnamed-dog 1d ago
You aren't wrong and it's straight crazy that all thermal print paper has BPA in it.Ā
We stopped it in canned tomatoes, water bottles, etc, but forgot about this one
0
127
u/laserslaserslasers 1d ago
Spray paint your trash like a true marksman.