The Caldwell Claycopter: A Shotgunner's Ideal Companion

Shooting clays is one of the most enjoyable shooting sports, and can be enjoyed by both new and veteran shooters alike. Caldwell amped up the fun with the ClayCopter. No more lugging around a heavy clay thrower or throwing your arm out of its socket with a manual thrower. With this handheld, motorized target launcher, just load a disc or two and pitch away.

The ClayCopter measures 10.5x9x5-inches and ships with a USB rechargeable battery and cable. Adding to its portability is its 3-pound weight. The ClayCopter is light enough to carry and use, even by young shooters.

The ClayCopter is reminiscent of a disc launching toy I played with as a kid. I’d wind a plastic disk onto the nose of the gun and with the press of trigger to watch the disc soar into the sky. The ClayCopter is like that, but on steroids.

The launcher is solid, with a thick plastic housing, and includes sights, a rubberized grip, adjustable power control, on/off button, and magazine release. To launch a disc, simply press the trigger while depressing the grip safety. The two-handed operation encourages the user to hold it directly in front of their body making it difficult to accidentally discharge a clay in an unintended direction. All the operational controls are yellow and easy to find.

Another useful touch is the 4-bar status indicator located above the power dial. Yellow lights represent the power level, 1 bar being low power and 4 bars being full power. A single flashing red light tells you the battery is low while four red lights means that the launcher is in cool down mode. The launcher will not work while it’s cooling down.

The ClayCopter is powered by a removable and rechargeable 12-volt battery. One is included in the box, and they are also available for individual purchase. The battery inserts into the body like a firearm magazine, though you need to press the release button to both insert and remove it. It utilizes a USB-C connector and includes a large status indicator. It’s nice that you don’t have to stick the battery in the launcher to know whether it needs charging. Pressing a button on the side will light up the bars. Like the launcher, the battery is contained in a sturdy housing, and the electronic connections are well protected. It won’t break if dropped from a reasonable height. According to Caldwell, a full charge should last for 300 throws.

A sturdy molded carrying case is also available separately for $55, which holds the launcher, two battery packs, and a charging cord.

Targets

Although the launcher is really cool, it wouldn’t be what it is without a smartly designed target.   Each ClayCopter target looks and feels like a plastic disc with propeller blades. It is a specially designed biodegradable material that breaks down when exposed to the elements outdoors, letting it decompose efficiently into the soil. To confirm their biodegradability, the targets have been Intertek Green Leaf Tested and verified. Intertek is an independent company that evaluates products to see if they meet standards of safety and sustainability. When exposed to the elements, the targets achieve 78% biodegradability within 45 days as tested by ASTM D5338-15 (2021), meaning they break down faster than traditional clay targets.

Targets are available in two diameters: 90mm and 110mm, and are available on the Caldwell website in a 200-pack for $44 for the 90mm targets and $56 for the 110mm targets. Some retailers have 50-packs available, but once you start shooting you will wish you bought the 200-pack.

Let the Fun Begin

Using the ClayCopter is easy: press a target past the detents on the hub, power up the launcher, point the launcher, and press the trigger and safety lever. The internal motor winds up and then releases the target. The flight pattern mimics how a bird is flushed out of the brush, hightailing it away from the shooter. Additionally, a gentle wind can make them arc left or right. Using the ClayCopter sights to aim is not necessary unless you want the targets to fly in a consistent direction. I preferred shooting targets from the ClayCopter like Tony Montana, leveling it to my chest, and sending discs downrange. Surprisingly, the targets are not fragile, and didn’t break when they hit the ground or small tree branches. They only break when shot. This is a big plus because the unbroken targets can be reused.

The power adjustment dial is the fun-o-meter on the ClayCopter. Low power spins the targets out to about 20 yards while high power will launch the large ones out to 100 yards, wind permitting. Because the ClayCopter is handheld and therefore hand-aimed, you can vary the angle to give the shooter high, low, or anywhere in between target presentations. When projected horizontal, the target flies the straightest and the fastest. Angling it high gives the targets more hangtime and arc.
If you don’t read the manual, you may not realize that you can launch two targets at the same time. Two good things are always more fun than one. You can mix and match sizes too. The 110mm discs fly farther than the 90mm discs, stacking them will give you two birds with different trajectories and speeds, providing some great reflex training.

To increase the unpredictability of the target’s flight when launching pairs, I tried clipping off one or more of the target’s propellers. This had a variety of effects depending on the target and speed it was launched. Clipping propellers slowed the disc’s speed, which when paired with an unclipped disc causing the targets to spread further apart. Clipping could also alter flight behavior, and one even seemed like it was bouncing in the air.

Closing Thoughts

The ClayCopter is a shotgun shooter’s ideal companion, and will help you become a better wing shooter. Set up couldn’t be simpler and its build quality is robust. Its portability gives you the flexibility to vary target direction on a whim, so shooting doesn’t become monotonous. The power dial allows you to lob targets for beginning shooters or make them challenging by cranking it up to full power. Since the discs aren’t fragile, you won’t count your misses in dollars.