Shooting on steel can be a lot of fun. Hits are rewarded with the immediate feedback that a flat piece of paper simply cannot provide. Sometimes a hit results in a ringing sound, other times a steel plate will fall. Steel targets are also reusable, and a can of spray paint can return it to a ready condition.

Steel targets are not perfect, however. For safety reasons, most targets need a minimum distance between them and the shooter to avoid any “splash back” of lead and bullet jackets. Also, the durability of steel (as compared to paper and cardboard targets) is offset by its increased price.

All things considered, I prefer shooting on steel rather than paper in most circumstances.

Custom Metal Products (CMP) announced a new steel target that may be of interest to varmint hunters. The new target is shaped like a coyote with two areas that flip out and reset when hit. These two areas approximate the vitals of the animal where a shot it most likely to anchor it. The head opening is 3″ across while the one in the heart/lungs area is 5″ in diameter.

The entire target is 21″ tall and 32″ wide. It is made of 3/8″ thick AR500 hardened steel and can withstand rifle hits of 3,000 fps at impact. The minimum distance recommended by CMP is 100 yards.

This new target comes with a stand that puts the coyote about 2′ off the ground. With the stand, the system weighs about 62 pounds and has a MSRP of $310.