r/canadaguns • u/dke783 • Apr 16 '26

Buy recommendations Has anyone tried these claycopter pigeons?

https://youtu.be/bvCcb6YkiVc?si=2sf5w7ZjwMUu19cW&t=13

Do you prefer them to traditional frisbee clays? And are the rotors easy to source?

https://www.gotenda.com/product/caldwell-claycopter-hand-held-thrower/

13 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

6

u/2016YamR6 Apr 16 '26

The discs cost 3x as much and you need someone else launching them, I bought a smaller auto loader with pedal like this: https://www.basspro.ca/p/do-all-flyway-30-electronic-thrower

2

u/ProtoJazz Apr 16 '26

They have a newer version that launches from a base.

But yeah I'd just get a regular launcher for cheaper

5

u/Tough-Air-4765 Apr 16 '26

I looked at the. And saw the price of the launcher and said maybe later, the launcher is around 8 to 1600 dollars depending on who you get them from. I would think for the average fellow a whirly bird for less then 200 and some clays will do just fine. I do think BIO degradeable clays are the way of the future I even heard of ones that spread seads.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 16 '26

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1

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1

u/dke783 Apr 16 '26

Biodegradable /seeding Claus sounds brilliant to me!

Hmmm... Maybe liberals would fund such a program, hah​

2

u/Acc4Wtf Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

For a casual clay buster, I really like it and can recommend it. I was very early and got the copter for $200 CAD and bought a bunch of the smaller sized discs (couldn't find larger ones). At the time, the discs were only about 3 cents more each than trad clays. I've never shot actual skeet/trap, only had a friend manually launch some traditional clays for me.

. The wind affects these pretty significantly, I'd say more than trad clays. If there is no wind, yes they can launch 100+ meters, more if the wind is behind them. I'd say they're maybe more challenging because they're smaller, and will shift direction during flight (wind dependant). Also they aren't solid like a trad clay so there's a higher chance to miss.

. The battery charges via USB-C and is insanely long lasting, I've never recharged it and had it for about a year or whenever it released in Canada. Albeit I haven't used it too much either, but still. You can also launch 2 discs at once, and can mix and match sizes. They are very durable and can be reused if you fail to shoot them.

. I love how portable it is, and relatively more affordable I think than a trad clay setup. My friend had one of those manual ones you stick in the ground but it was clunky and a pain in the ass. I'd say you really have to buy a proper launcher that's at least $800 to make trad clays more appealing, especially for a casual.

2

u/lagavulinski Apr 16 '26

I had constant issues with it not launching correctly. Maybe they've fixed that in the last 2 years, but honestly there's no benefit to having it over regular clays.

1

u/dke783 Apr 16 '26

Good to hear this, thank you!

2

u/MG34owner Apr 18 '26

Disks aren’t 3x more unless you buy clays in big bulk or shitty quality, on avg, pre tax you will pay 22 cents for clays, and 35 cents for Claycopter. There is no other handheld thrower even twice the size that can throw clays this far and this fast, Claycopter won’t have same pattern of flight at all, but for the price of it, it’s worth it. New claycopter surface to air isn’t available yet, so hard to say, but if it’s <600$ with the wobble ability and voice control, it sounds great. You can also 3d print both the launcher and the clays, check makerworld for models. If you print the clays in pla with 4 walls and buy pla for $16ish/kg pre tax, price of the clay goes down to 10-12 cents, you can easily stack print them too for bulk. It’s a decent system that will not replace traditional clays, but also is easy for people with smaller cars. I now rarely take out my 2 workhorses, mostly get my Claycopter handheld, my gf and 80-100 targets. Space and weight savings are crazy with this. For proper practice I go to the weekly club shoots anyways

2

u/AdhesiveCam Apr 16 '26

seem reasonably available with approx a 3m google exploration

1

u/goshathegreat Apr 16 '26

I want to get one of the standing ones for my clubs 5 stand, it seems like it would be close to helice

1

u/ryan9991 ALBERTA Apr 16 '26

Clays already seem to be getting more expensive as it is I wouldn’t want to be locked into this. It’s cool though

1

u/undernopretextbro Apr 17 '26

I used to throw in a couple boxes for every cabelas or bass pro visit like I was adding fries to a burger, now it stings the same as ammo.

1

u/MG34owner Apr 18 '26

You can 3d print the Claycopter clays for 10-12 cents in pla btw, same as the thrower itself

1

u/ryan9991 ALBERTA Apr 18 '26

In kinda thought about that but I wouldn’t want to litter my land or public land

1

u/MG34owner Apr 18 '26

I’ll be honest, oem is probably pla anyways

1

u/ryan9991 ALBERTA Apr 18 '26

I just don’t think they would break the same ?

Then again I don’t think clay would really be able to fly like those do either so it wouldn’t surprise me

1

u/TheDistantEnd Jun 12 '26

Caldwell has info on their website that they're biodegradable from plant-based polymers. I don't know what that's going to look like in real life, but they claim it breaks down and disappears into the environment better and with less impact than traditional clays.