Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Caldwell Shooting showed up at the SHOT Show 2025 with their all-new ClayCopter handheld target launcher. Touting it as “A new way to clay,” Caldwell has designed the ClayCopter to be the clay target launcher we never knew we needed. My wife and I are avid upland bird hunters, so when the guys from Caldwell first told me about the unit, I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical. Who asked, and what’s wrong with traditional launchers? Then I got the unit in hand. It didn’t take long to see the training value, not to mention the fun that could be had with this new gizmo.
User-Friendly
The ClayCopter is a very user-friendly design. Weighing in at just 3 lbs and sporting a fairly compact design(10.5” x 7.25” x 5.25”), the ClayCopter is extremely portable and can fit in a medium-sized range bag without issue. The all-electric handheld unit uses a high-speed motor to spin up and launch 90mm and 110mm rotary disks. The magazine-like Lithium-Ion battery is rechargeable and good for 300 full-powered launches. The targets are slipped onto the launch head, the unit is pointed downrange, safety pressed, trigger pressed, and you’re off to the races.
Targets can be fired as singles or doubles. The body of the launcher is a rigid polymer with rubber overmolding in the grip areas. The forward grip houses a safety button, which must be depressed before pulling the trigger and launching the target. The launch head itself is metal and is recessed and surrounded by a metal guard. Since there are no stiff springs or heavy batteries to deal with, the unit can easily be fielded by even the smallest operators.
Eco-Friendly
The non-toxic, eco-friendly targets are what set this system apart. A complete departure from traditional clay pigeons, they are made of a similar plant-based starch and mineral compound to what biodegradable foodware and golf tees are made from. They have been thoroughly tested by a third-party company and given the Green-Leaf Certification. While levels of UV and moisture exposure directly contribute to the breakdown time, early tests show these targets break down faster than traditional limestone-based clays.
They are also significantly less brittle than traditional clays. Because of this, they do not need a “fragile as eggs” label on the packaging. This alternative compound gives you rigid, lightweight targets that break when shot, but not when simply dropped on the ground. Targets launched over grass and dirt can be relaunched if they are not damaged or cracked from impacts with rocks or other hard surfaces.
Packaged in tubes and sold in quantities of 50, these lightweight targets transport very easily. One 90mm target weighs only 0.57oz, and the 110mm version weighs only 0.93oz. Compare that to a traditional 100mm “ White Flyer” pigeon weighing in at 3.46oz. 50 of the 110mm ClayCopter Targets stack exactly 12” high. By comparison, you can only carry 26 traditional clays in that same space. A tube full of 50, 110mm clays weighs 3 lbs, 5 oz, while 50 traditional clays alone weigh 10 lbs, 12.8 oz. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
How It Works
The disk’s helicopter-inspired, multi-blade rotor design is what pulls it through the air. Rotation speed maxes out at 15,000 rpm. With a twist of the side knob, the speed and range can be ajusted. At max power, flight distances can easily exceed 100 yards. The extra square footage on the 110mm target’s blades pulls it even faster and farther than its little 90mm brother. The speed actually increases for the first portion of its flight as it leaves the launcher, mimicking the flush of wild birds. Light breezes can affect the target’s flight, which brings a level of unpredictability, not unlike those same wild birds.
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ClayCopter In Action
At our buddy’s range, we spent the better part of an afternoon alternating behind the ClayCopter and our shotguns. The flight patterns of the ClayCopter targets were surprisingly similar to the speed and flight path of many of the game birds we chase in the fall. Direct hits blasted the targets to smithereens, while edge hits changed the direction of flight. Doubles were as much fun as singles, and emulated more of a “covey flush” scenario we often encounter in the hunting season.
Occasionally, the doubles would fly close enough to each other that one shot would strike both targets. Most of the time, we would pick our targets individually. I often dread having to operate traditional clay launchers, as they are often predictably boring to use. Adjusting the speed and angle of the launch was as simple as the twist of a knob and pointing the launcher slightly different than the previous shot. Teaching the other shooters to operate the launcher was a quick and easy process, as the learning curve for this new type of launcher was minimal.
SEE ALSO: Tested: Caldwell’s Precision Turret Rest
ClayCopter is Coming Soon
Caldwell’s official launch date for sale to the public is slated to be April 28, 2025. They to have the ClayCopter Launchers and targets in many major retailers, including Walmart, Bass Pro, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and Scheels. The ClayCopter’s MSRP is set to be $219.99, while a 50-count pack of 110mm targets is $12.99 and a 50-count pack of 90mm targets is $9.99. They also plan on offering spare batteries and a molded carrying case to purchase separately.
Despite my initial skepticism, the ClayCopter from Caldwell Shooting proved to be a fresh take on a sport that goes back over 150 years. A compact launcher that isn’t a full workout to operate, sending biodegradable, non-toxic targets zipping across the sky is a lot to ask. Caldwell delivered it with this one, and I was happy to be proven wrong.
You can learn more about this new target system on Caldwell’s Website.
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*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
As a freelance writer for GunsAmerica, Ben is able to blend his love for firearms, hunting, and photography together. Originally from the Midwest, Ben grew up in the outdoors and in the last few years, has grown professionally through many facets of the outdoor/firearms industry.
Outside of shooting and hunting, he is also an experienced wildlife and aviation photographer. Currently living in the Pacific Northwest, Ben enjoys spending time at the range for both his work as a gun writer and for fun as a dabbling
competitive shooter. A large part of hunting season each year is spent chasing upland birds and
waterfowl hunting with his wife, son, and a pack of bird dogs.
Experience:
– Outdoor & Firearms Television videographer/field producer
– Marketing/Manufacturing at a precision rifle manufacturer
– Writer/Photographer for multiple outdoor media publications
– Avid Hunter of Upland and Big Game species
What a nice “gizzmo” !!! The sole real issue I could find at first glance is only Caldwell sell those “birds” ; it seems you can’t use anything else. This could be a problem depending on where you live and shoot … as in my case. Anyway … very nice. Thank’s
I had the opportunity to take a shot at one of these at Industry Day at the Range sponsored by NSSF at SHOT Show this past January. In spite of gale force winds and blowing sand those little plastic birds flew amazingly well and I’m excited at the prospect if finally being able to buy one.
We also ran into a guy in the SHOW named Andreas Wilhelmsen who has a similar product called Nordic Clays. Andreas implied that his product has been the inspiration for the Caldwell system. There were a few advantages to his system, including warranty, but at a higher price point.
Either system would make for a great afternoon at the http://www.youtube.com/@poplecorque range!