The ClayCopter is a fresh idea on target throwers. It’s a fun and highly portable means to throw moving targets for shotgun practice. Instead of throwing a standard clay with a spring-loaded arm, the ClayCopter revs up fast enough to send one or two propeller disks zooming into the air. Caldwell’s marketing calls it “A new way to clay,” which is a cute and semi-accurate. The ClayCopter is new, but the disks aren’t clay. They are biodegradable with propeller blades for spokes.
ClayCopter disks fly upright. Typically, they’ll bob and weave at first, hang for a second as they find a direction. If I had to compare them to any gamebird, I’d say they remind me of woodcock, which fly erratically as they navigate the thick cover where they live, then seem to pause for an instant as they clear the canopy. Like woodcock, the disks are extremely wind-sensitive, climbing into a headwind and scooting with the wind behind them. I spent the last few months using the ClayCopter at the range and at hunting camp. Here's a closer look at this new target thrower.
ClayCopter Overview
The launcher is more or less a rechargeable drill. Instead of a chuck, it has a hub that holds one or two of the proprietary targets, spinning them up to 15,000 rpm and releasing them into the air. It has four speed settings. On the slowest speed, it throws a nice target for teaching new shooters. Speed it up, put two on at once, and you’ve got something sportier.
The ClayCopter Launcher has a rechargeable battery that slaps into a well on the bottom like a magazine. It has a trigger and front grip safety. There’s a power knob on the side, and lights that tell you if it’s ready to throw and which power setting you’re on. It’s bigger and bulkier than a cordless drill, and you have to use two hands because of the safety. It’s much smaller and more portable than a trap for clays, and the targets are likewise much lighter and smaller than clays. They are also biodegradable. Packing the ClayCopter is easy. I threw it in with my hunting gear on a trip to turkey camp this spring, and was able to give an impromptu shooting lesson with it one afternoon.
Caldwell claims the battery lasts for 300 throws. I haven’t thrown enough disks at once to know if that’s true. I can tell you that the guys at the counter in my local outdoor store keep a claycopter for throwing targets inside the store (it’s a big place) and out in the parking lot when they’re bored. They’ve been doing this since spring and have only charged their launcher once.
The disks come in two sizes, 110mm and 90mm. They cost about 50 percent more than clays, but if you miss one completely and can find it, they are completely reusable, whereas clays that have been thrown once often break if you try to throw them again. I know from teaching kids to shoot that often looking for unbroken targets is as much fun as shooting at them was in the first place. Also, if you drop the whole tube, they don’t break. Drop a box of clays and you’re out of luck.
So yes, the ClayCopter is fun, portable, and easy to bring along on any trip. It costs $239 for the launcher, $57.99 for a 200-pack of 110mm targets, and $43.99 for a 200-pack of 90mm targets.
