Here's a true story my wife told me just this evening as we were heading out to the range. I couldn't resist telling you guys about it.

She works at our local historical society and museum.

At work, a few days ago, she spotted four small, metal animals sitting on one of her colleague's desk. There was a small chicken, a pig, a turkey and a ram. My wife casually asked the woman, "Those are neat. Where did you get them?"

"Oh! Somebody donated these farm animals. They're examples of some of the last products produced by [a local foundry] before it closed down. "Aren't they cute?" the woman said as she toyed with them, all lined up in a row along the edge of her desk.

My wife picked up the chicken, took a good look at it and said, "Ummm... I think they're targets."

With a shocked and surprised look on her face the woman said, "No, they're not!"

"My husband shoots at animals just like these every week at the firing range", my wife countered. She flips it over and, there on the back, in cast letters, it says, N.R.A. -- 22 Cal.

Long story short: Those "cute farm animals" disappeared off the woman's desk shortly after that conversation.

It gets funnier every time I think about it!

They're less cute after you miss them a few times...

You wouldn't be in the area around Erie, would you! I ordered two sets of targets from that area a few years ago, and I'm still using the same two sets, not even a chicken has broken.

Good guess! The name of that foundry would be E.M.I. - Gunite.

The range where I shoot has dozens of those cast animals. A lot of guys shoot at them with all sorts of rounds. According to house rules, you can shoot any lead bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2,000 fps. or under.

A direct hit barely even leaves a mark on them. Every once in a while somebody cleans the dust and dirt off them then hits them with a quick coat of white spray paint. They're good as new.

I told my wife that I'd like to get my hands on a pristine set of those for a few days. I've got a buddy who has a forge and a foundry out behind his barn. If I bought him a case of root beer ;) and brought along a couple of buckets of scrap metal, he would drop those cute farm animals into a sand mold and I'd have my own personal set.

It's neat to know that people recognize a product made in your home town!

BTW: Since she does work at a museum, any good stories or information about smallbore targets made by Gunite would be nice to hear.

Worker,
I have two sets from many years ago, still doing fine.

Mary

not even a chicken has broken.....JB...you got to hit them!

Yep, I still remember the day I got them farm animals, came UPS. The door bell rang, by the time I got the door opened the perky little blond was half way to her truck and pointing at the box on the porch, saying something about it being heavy for a small box, I would be willing to bet that she was a good two blocks away when I finished by speel about having some lotion for stiff and sore muscles and willing to administer to her every ache and pain!