Need a Good Target Design For Load Development

[FatOldMIHunter]

That looks like a great layout,I am not sure what an ODG is but would love to print some of those off.

ODG files are made by Open Office. That's a shareware program that does pretty much everything the Microsoft Office Suite does (Word, Excel, etc.). It's free, but you would need to put it on a Windows computer.

 

[4xforfun]

I use a target like this and center the crosshair on a corner of the box....it doesn't matter which corner. I NEVER have the impact points anywhere near the aim point. If you are dead on you have just destroyed your aim point.

This target is a bigger version...this was shot at 750

Sniper 338 (post #4) showes the 100 yard 6 pack version.

 

[powderbrake]

Here is one that I use. It has a 1/4 dia circle in the center to center your dot or crosshairs.

 

[Forum Boss]

Here is our targets page. There are over 50 targets.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/shooting-skills/targets/

Here is the load development target I developed. Lines for all your data. Set your POI to have shots fall in the 1/2" gray circle, leaving the red dots untouched for precise aiming. I align my fine crosshairs on the corner of the diamonds.

Here is the downloadable PDF: http://accurateshooter.net/targets/targetaccshooter.pdf

Here is a larger view of the target:



This target is very popular with barrel-makers and gunsmiths -- guys who test all the time. It has what you need to log, with simple graphics. You will find the extended black lines help aiming.

 

[retired]

you need a large simple crosshair target. all the way across and down the paper so you can square the gun on the lines and keep in the real middle.
i would shoot 3 shoot groups with a mag,
( if you cannot hit the animal in the first three..the placement of the fourth just does not matter)
once you have a load( from a solid bench position), you need to re zero based on what position
you will hunt from.

1. 16
2. Load development at 100 yds.
3. Browning A-Bolt Medallion 7mm Rem Mag

Nikon Monarch BDC reticle is not dot friendly.

 

[akh223]

For load development at 100yds I use the target below. I expect the group POI to move as elements of the load are varied. So concern about obliterating the aim point is minimal, and needs to be controlled by how you zero the rifle in any case.

Minimal use of the color orange gave best visibility for me, all things considered. The center dot combined with the crosshairs controls POA pretty well for me.

I drew the target myself using the free download Open Office (Draw). The color, size of the center dot, crosshair lines, etc were varied to work with my scope and magnification at 100 yds.

Whatever element I am varying is written under each target and there's room for all the other relevant data in the middle. After use, the target is scanned, measured and saved to disk by OnTarget, and both copies are stored. The data on the target is also stored as a line in that rifle's Excel workbook along with MVs, a link to the target pictures, and other notes.

If anyone is interested in using it, or using it as a starting point, I can make the .ODG file available.

I like your setup. If you can make the file available I would like to use it.
Thanks,
A.

 

[Twoboxer]

Maybe I should try taking your approach and make a target specific to my reticle. It's great for hunting, not so great for aiming at small dots.

http://opticscamp.com/686-thickbox_...3-4-16x42-sf-rifle-scope-bdc-reticle-6770.jpg

That looks like a great layout,I am not sure what an ODG is but would love to print some of those off.

FatOldMIHunter got it right of course, it's the file format used by "Open Office" in its "Draw" program. If you can download Open Office to a PC (just google "Open Office"), PM me with your email address and I will send you the file for that target.

It's not trivial to learn how to use "Draw", but you could also use that target as a base for your own mods.

 

[rardoin]

I use a target like this and center the crosshair on a corner of the box....it doesn't matter which corner. I NEVER have the impact points anywhere near the aim point. If you are dead on you have just destroyed your aim point.

This target is a bigger version...this was shot at 750

Sniper 338 (post #4) showes the 100 yard 6 pack version.View attachment 1034042

Is this a Southern Hemisphere target?

 

[SS427]

Try something like this. Make a black circle and put white cross hairs on it that measure the same or slightly bigger than your reticle at 100 yards. When the reticle blacks out the crosshairs, you are perfectly on target.

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

Here is our targets page. There are over 50 targets.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/shooting-skills/targets/

Here is the load development target I developed. Lines for all your data. Set your POI to have shots fall in the 1/2" gray circle, leaving the red dots untouched for precise aiming. I align my fine crosshairs on the corner of the diamonds.

Here is the downloadable PDF: http://accurateshooter.net/targets/targetaccshooter.pdf

Here is a larger view of the target:

View attachment 1034076

This target is very popular with barrel-makers and gunsmiths -- guys who test all the time. It has what you need to log, with simple graphics. You will find the extended black lines help aiming.

This is one of the targets that I looked at through four different scopes today, but I printed it in grayscale and that might be why it didn't work even with a 20 power scope with thin crosshairs. I couldn't see any of the diamond with any of the scopes, so I couldn't center on it. I like the data section.

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

Try something like this. Make a black circle and put white cross hairs on it that measure the same or slightly bigger than your reticle at 100 yards. When the reticle blacks out the crosshairs, you are perfectly on target.View attachment 1034140

This is like something I was thinking of making with 4 squares instead of a circle.

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

This one worked well with my thinnest crosshairs at 20 power.

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

It's not trivial to learn how to use "Draw", but you could also use that target as a base for your own mods.

I thought about this with respect to my particular reticle. It has these open holes at precise distances in the lower hairline. Why not just put dots precisely centered in the highest and lowest of the open holes and maybe a solid straight line between them? That will cover horizontal and vertical. Where the group ends up only needs to be on the paper but not in those two holes. So how do I get a copy of your ODG file to use as a base?

 

[Twoboxer]

I thought about this with respect to my particular reticle. It has these open holes at precise distances in the lower hairline. Why not just put dots precisely centered in the highest and lowest of the open holes and maybe a solid straight line between them? That will cover horizontal and vertical. Where the group ends up only needs to be on the paper but not in those two holes. So how do I get a copy of your ODG file to use as a base?

Send me a PM with your email address - I'll send it right out to you.

 

[4xforfun]

Is this a Southern Hemisphere target?

Actually...this is how I orient them....and usually the groups are above my aim point because there is more room that way. This was shot at near dark and I couldn't tell where my impact point was with my sighters, so I let fly.

Tod

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

It wasn't easy getting a halfway decent photo through the scope, but I managed. Using the Draw program that Twoboxer suggested and a sample of his target I designed some targets to see what I can see with this reticle. I think I'll be able to use the first and third circles and the crosshairs on the reticle to get a well-centered target. I think I can fit two targets on a portrait 8.5X11. If I only use the first and third circles I might be able to get 3 on a landscape 8.5X11.

 

[TerryPohl]

By No means a expert but it does not matter what I shoot are at what distance but have found the best results for me is dots made with a black marker on freezer paper as small as possible at what ever range and be able to see them through the scope I am looking through.
Terry Pohl

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

By No means a expert but it does not matter what I shoot are at what distance but have found the best results for me is dots made with a black marker on freezer paper as small as possible at what ever range and be able to see them through the scope I am looking through.
Terry Pohl

That works okay for me when I'm trying to sight in a scope. For load development, I have to get the gun into the same position over and over and over and know that I have done that. Having at least two reference points on the target seems to help with that.

 

[MTmagazine]

I just put these together the other day. Made them in pdf format so i can just print them on a home computer/printer. The big square is where I write the powder charge grains for easy ID. I aim at the center point but at 100 yds i keep most in the target area and off the print. I staple 6 or 8 of them on a piece of cardboard. Welcome to use them if they are what you need. Let me see if i can attach it...

 

[BenneZen]

Hello shooters!
I've got a question regarding those targets... What is the square for? Apparently it's being used in the context of sighting in and/or load developement. But I don't understand the exact purpose of it... Can anybody help?
Thanx in advance!