Caldwell just launched (see what I did there) a new target launcher called the Surface-to-Air, and it is the coolest battery and Bluetooth-powered device I’ve seen hit the market. If you’re familiar with or own the ClayCopter handheld thrower, you’ll be excited to know that the new device uses the same battery and allows one-handed operation. My friends and I thought the old handheld device was as fun to shoot as a Nerf gun, but the new Surface-to-Air takes FUN to a whole new level. Let me give you the rundown on what’s new.
Surface-to-Air Features
The Surface-to-Air is under 10 pounds and is the most portable target-throwing device I’ve ever used. Most target launchers are heavy and bulky, and they are equipped with various spring-loaded parts that can be challenging to set up and take down. Caldwell solved this issue by creating a device in which the only “setup” required is inserting a battery and flipping the “ON” switch. This device is compatible with both the 90mm and 110mm discs by swapping out the insert that sits right above the actual launcher.
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Battery Operated
The Caldwell ClayCopter throwers are powered by a Caldwell 12 Volt Li-Ion battery pack. They can be recharged with a USB-C charger. Each battery will last up to 300 launches on a single charge. This battery clicks into place and is held in by the “push to release” button under the settings screen. Once you’re ready to recharge it, push the button, then take out the battery.
Random & Set Functionality
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When you first turn the device on, green (or yellow, depending on whether you switch to “UV”) lights will appear to indicate the settings the Surface-to-Air is set to. You can adjust the speed and angle of the targets by turning the knobs left or right. In the center under “Randomize” are three light indicators for speed, oscillation, and wobble. If you push the speed knob in once, the speed indicator will light up, indicating that randomization has taken over. If you push the angle knob in multiple times, it’ll light up the oscillate and/or wobble indicators and set them to randomize. To return to manual mode, simply push the knobs in until the randomize settings are no longer lit green.
Wireless Remote
The Caldwell Surface-to-Air can be used 100% by one person, which is what makes it so powerful. It comes with a wireless remote with a 50-foot range that can launch singles and doubles. This device easily threads through the vented rib on your shotgun and can be set on the left or right side of the gun. I also tested it with my Genesis Arms 3 Gun model shotgun and threaded the remote through the MLOK rails. Because it tightens with Velcro, it’s easy to use across various setups.
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App Powered
While Caldwell created a very powerful device as is, the Surface-to-Air’s full potential is unlocked with the free Caldwell Clays App. With the app downloaded and connected to the device via Bluetooth, you can operate your launcher from up to 100 yards away. With the app, you can throw singles or pairs, set a launch delay, set up a report pair, or send a flurry of three or more targets for the Surface-to-Air to throw back-to-back. Just like the manual way to change the settings on the device itself from fixed to random, the app lets you toggle from fixed to random.
The benefit of using the app is the ability to set the thrower to random while setting hard limits on where the targets can fly. You can set up parameters for your right and left, up and down, and power limits for the targets. If you are working within a specific range with limited space, these settings are very valuable. While I only had the one Surface-to-Air device to test, you can also use Bluetooth connection to pair up to 10 other Surface-to-Air or Claymore Connect throwers. I can’t imagine how fun it would be to have, say, three throwers to launch targets randomly from different directions to put your shotgunning skills to the ultimate test.
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Unique Settings
There are two more settings in the app that blew my mind and are what make the Caldwell Surface-to-Air device so unique. There is a voice command setting and a “touch-to-launch” setting. When you have voice command on, your phone listens for the word “Launch” and will throw a single target or a pair based on your fixed or random settings. The touch-to-launch setting opens a whole new world of shotgun-target-launching capability.
By selecting this setting, a new window opens with a generic open grassy-field background and a rendering of the Surface-to-Air device in the middle. In the bottom-left corner, click the “background” button to upload or take a new photo of your background, with the device centered in it. You can scale the image after as well if needed. In the top left is a drop-down selection for “single” or “pairs,” and in the top right, you can click on grid lines to overlay on top of your background. With the green light next to the word “Ready,” simply touch your screen where you want the target(s) to fly, and away they will go!
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Glow in the Dark Target Shooting
Have you ever seen ranges host night shotgun shoots with glow-in-the-dark targets? I have been so envious of people who live near ranges that host these epic types of shotgun events. Now, with the Surface-to-Air device, I can host my own backyard shotgun night shoot. Caldwell sells ClayCopter UFO Targets that glow in the dark when activated by UV light. The thrower has an“ON + UV” setting that activates this effect, causing the UFO targets to glow before launch. You will be the talk of your friend group if you host a night shotgun shoot with these glow-in-the-dark targets.
On the Range with the Surface-to-Air
My friend Travis and I had way too much fun on the range with the new ClayCopter thrower from Caldwell. I think we burned through 200 targets in about an hour. I pulled out my 686 Silver Pigeon I Vittoria 12-gauge shotgun, a beautiful, accurate, and comfortable over/under shotgun designed for shooting aerial targets. This shotgun has gone duck hunting many times and even harvested my first Pintail and Mallard with it. I also shot my Genesis Arms GEN-12 3GUN Edition shotgun with the TTI unique mid-barrel comp that comes on the Dracarys 3GUNshotgun. Every 3-Gun competition I shoot nowadays has aerial toasters, skeet, and trap pattern clay targets activated by steel poppers. The Surface-to-Air device isn’t just a fun new range toy, but a device that will help me train for these matches better.
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We used the new Master Class 12-gauge 7.5-shot 2-3/4 in, 1 oz, 1300 fps shotgun ammunition from Federal. If you compete in any shooting sport with a shotgun, the Federal Master Class competition level sporting clay load features a Podium wad from Federal’s straight-wall hull. The internals include high-antimony lead shot, a reliable primer, and propellant combined to break the most challenging targets in sporting clays and FITASC shoots. I didn’t miss a single target with my Genesis Arms shotgun using this ammunition and my personal favorite, the Federal Action Shotgun, 12 Gauge, 7.5 Shot, 2-3/4 in, 1.125 oz, 1235 fps load. This ammunition was designed for magazine-fed shotguns, specifically to add rigidity and reduce deformity that can commonly happen when shells are stacked on top of one another.
Surface-to-Air For The Win
I think this new device is the best invention ever for shotgun shooters to practice anywhere, easily, and on the go. The ability to set up a target thrower as advanced as this in seconds is unheard of. While this device is ideal for competitive shotgun shooters, it is also fun for the whole family to use.
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