Five Bucks: Shootin' Dum-Dums

Sorry to disappoint some folks, but we're not talkin' about shootin' that neanderthal your daughter is dating... nor are we talkin' about shootin' zombies.  Shootin' Dum-Dums is something we've been doing for a long time because it's fun, it's challenging, and you can eat any extra targets when you're done shootin'.

Now before you laugh at this as a game for youngsters, you need to realize that this is a target requiring accuracy and precision.  Those little suckers (pun intended) represent a sub-Minute-Of-Angle (sub-MOA) target at one-hundred yards... and they're not much bigger at closer distances.  While they're a lot of fun to shoot, there's a little surprise when you hit the target dead-center.  So if you're interested in a challenge, here is what you need to do...

 

Pick up a bag of Dum-Dums at your local wally-world or grocery store.  Swing by the home improvement center or lumber yard to pick up a 3/8" or 1/2" wood dowel rod, and you can either buy a 2" x 2" x 8' piece of pine lumber or find some scrap wood at home.  The wood is to make a simple Dum-Dum target stand.

Cut the 2" x 2" x 8' lumber down to shorter lengths.  Drill some 5/32" diameter holes about 1/2" deep and 2" apart on one side of the 2" x 2" lumber.  These 5/32" diameter holes are where you'll insert the sticks of the Dum-Dums to hold'em while you shoot'em.

Next, drill a 3/8" diameter hole about an inch deep if you bought a 3/8" wood dowel rod or a 1/2" diameter hole for a 1/2" wood dowel rod at each end of the 2" x 2" piece of lumber on the opposite side of where you drilled the holes for the Dum-Dum sticks.  I like to keep my wooden dowel rod "legs" about 18" to 24" in length so the targets are above the ground and any tall grass or weeds.  Also, you can use other materials instead of the wood dowel rods, but just be aware that steel stakes or rods could cause a ricochet.

With the wooden dowel rod "legs" installed, stick your Dum-Dum target stand in the ground out on the range.  Be careful to know what's beyond your target.  Finally, unwrap and stick a Dum-Dum in each 5/32" hole.

Now, you're already to shoot Dum-Dums... and that's when you'll get a surprise we discovered several years back.

 

It's not exactly tannerite, but when you hit a Dum-Dum dead center, even with a .22 long rifle, it bursts into a small white cloud of... I guess it's powdered sugar for lack of a better or more scientific explanation.

And sometimes when you hit those Dum-Dums, they shatter... smashing and throwing pieces up in the air.  My little gal (if sixteen is still little) did the shooting for these photographs.

Shootin' Dum-Dums can challenge some of your better 4H Shooting Sports kids and those little Dum-Dums can also humble a few tactical professionals and varmint hunters when you set them out at 100 yards.  We've also drilled the 5/32" holes in a two-by-four and just set it on the ground to hold the Dum-Dum targets.

So if your looking for more fun shootin' or you think you're up to a challenge that doesn't involve zombies... try shootin' some Dum-Dums.

Go ahead and try it... and if you don't like it, you're out... like... five-bucks.