Chris Redlich lights up a target hit indicator by Caldwell
If ever there was a need to confirm a contentious call at a friendly target shoot, I think Caldwell might just have the answer. Lately I’ve been enjoying long-range shoots while testing scopes and rifles and, rather than keeping it a solo affair, have brought along mates and relatives to share in the fun.
I honestly couldn’t think of a better way to test rifles than in an afternoon’s session ringing gong plates at the expense of a shooting supplier’s ammo. At three and four hundred metres the gong will usually let you know with a visible shake and audible chime at each strike, which is usually enough to settle any disputed calls. Handshakes and high-fives generally start to wane however, when strikes become fewer and harder to hear on long range targets.
The Caldwell Flashbang does exactly what the name suggests, despite the bang being followed by the flash. This is essentially a motion detector unit which picks up a strike for each hit on the target. The unit responds to a positive strike with 10 bright intermittent flashes followed by two fading final flashes from the light panel. The strip of 10 green LEDs are highly visible to the shooter and would most likely quash the suspicions of any cynical bystander.
The complete unit weighs next to nothing and is about 3×2” in size, a supplied Allen tool used to unlock four little hex screws on the back to install the batteries. The Flashbang comes supplied with three AA batteries which apparently provides enough life to light up more than 30,000 hits. Caldwell claims the unit has a low enough detection sensitivity to react and light up struck targets by a .223 Rem as far as 1000 yards, or rimfire cartridges such as the 22LR at close range.
The Flashbang attaches securely to the back edge of a steel target (no smaller than 5”), using the supplied Velcro adhesive tape which allows it to be removed and reattached with each use. An on/off switch panel on the rear will activate the unit to standby mode. The light panel is supposed to be mounted on the edge of a target and exposed just enough for maximum visibility but not enough to be a potential target itself. The risk of a wayward strike or ricochet is a slim possibility but, with the Flashbang retailing for around $60 at time of writing, I don’t think a replacement will break the bank.
I mounted it to the back of my regular 12” gong plate and used it at varying ranges and with a few different rifles including my Remington .22LR. My son Carl enhanced his offhand shooting at a mate’s property and, with each hit by the little .22 rimfire, there was no disputing his 100 per cent strike rate at 60m. The green flashing LEDs worked a treat on every occasion and were easy to see through different phases of daylight. All up the Flashbang was a fun inclusion to our target shooting by adding practical animation for each hit. More at www.nioa.com.au.