Need a Good Target Design For Load Development

[FatOldMIHunter]

I'm about to start load development for a hunting rifle and I'm not happy with the typical targets I use for sighting in. Is there a target design that does a particularly good job of helping center the crosshairs on exactly the same point? Or maybe I should ask it this way, what's your favorite target for load development at 100 yds?

 

[Sniper338]

look on this website and down load the free targets and print them out yourself... Easy as it gets!

www.6mmbr.com

Forum Boss: Here is the latest page

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

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

look on this website and down load the free targets and print them out yourself... Easy as it gets!

www.6mmbr.com

Thanks. Is there a particular design that you recommend?

 

[Sniper338]

Thanks. Is there a particular design that you recommend?

These two are my favorites, but I use an assortment of all those targets since I can just print them and go... I got stacks of them now..

 

[rardoin]

I use this one: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/practicalriflerfr/ocw-official-test-target-t1269.html

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

I use this one: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/practicalriflerfr/ocw-official-test-target-t1269.html

What is the point of the square above the diamond?

 

[dcali]

Benchrest targets work well. I like sinclair’s Practice targets. It’s 20 mini benchrest bulls per page.

 

[rardoin]

What is the point of the square above the diamond?

Impact area....I set my elevation to impact in the box to avoid obliterating the aim point. This target does allow very precise alignment using the vertical/horizontal bars on the target even if the POI is in the orange diamond.

 

[kolar55]

This works pretty well. Its easy to align the crosshairs on the diamond providing a high enough magnification. Can be found at targetprinter.com in black. I printed one and scanned it to paint and changed the color of the diamonds. It gives a bit more contrast than black.

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

Impact area....I set my elevation to impact in the box to avoid obliterating the aim point. This target does allow very precise alignment using the vertical/horizontal bars on the target even if the POI is in the orange diamond.

Thanks. That's what I thought and I guess I don't understand how you can know in advance where the impact will be when you're developing a load. Seems more like an after sight-in thing once you have the load nailed down. Or maybe for fine adjustment of charge and seating depth after the coarse adjustments have put you in the ballpark?

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

Benchrest targets work well. I like sinclair’s Practice targets. It’s 20 mini benchrest bulls per page.

This one? https://www.sinclairintl.com/shooti...hrest-practice-target-25-pack--prod33085.aspx

I think I need something a bit bigger. I just achieved my first ever sub-MOA 3-shot group with my 7mm RM today. I don't think I'm ready for much more than two targets per page. At least not until I'm down to two tenths of a grain of powder. And bulls don't seem to help me center very well. Squares or diamonds seem better. My crosshairs are kinda fat (Nikon Monarch BDC) and I need higher contrast.

 

[Twoboxer]

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.

 

[rardoin]

Thanks. That's what I thought and I guess I don't understand how you can know in advance where the impact will be when you're developing a load. Seems more like an after sight-in thing once you have the load nailed down. Or maybe for fine adjustment of charge and seating depth after the coarse adjustments have put you in the ballpark?

With initial load development I will shoot at 100yds. I always load some middle of the road charges as my foulers and shoot at a different sheet during barrel warmup and fouling and adjust optics from there. I use the targets ou to 300yds. for my comp guns. A gun/load that is not capable of shooting less than 1 MOA can have the POI near the central orange as one would not likely obliterate the aim point with that system.

 

[dcali]

This one? https://www.sinclairintl.com/shooti...hrest-practice-target-25-pack--prod33085.aspx

I think I need something a bit bigger. I just achieved my first ever sub-MOA 3-shot group with my 7mm RM today. I don't think I'm ready for much more than two targets per page. At least not until I'm down to two tenths of a grain of powder. And bulls don't seem to help me center very well. Squares or diamonds seem better. My crosshairs are kinda fat (Nikon Monarch BDC) and I need higher contrast.

Those are the ones. They do require a very accurate rifle and decent magnification to use beause the targets are so close together and small. But the benchrest design of the circles with the thick square on top is a good one to my eyes. Here are some other benchrest options: https://www.sinclairintl.com/search/index.htm?k=benchrest+target&ksubmit=y

 

[dcali]

And here's one I made if you prefer to take notes on the target. http://bisonballistics.com/downloads/load-development-target

 

[AWLEAPHART]

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/target-for-printing.3942330/#post-37123933

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

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.

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

 

[retired]

1. what power is your scope, how thick are the crosshairs, does it have a dot ?????
2. what distance...you will likely need a different target at each yardage
3. target rifle or hunting rifle
4. at 100 i shoot br targets (score with the dot), sometime with good rifles a 1" black square
5. with a 1/16 diamond in the center
6. 2" square with a 1/8 dia at 200

 

[FatOldMIHunter]

1. what power is your scope, how thick are the crosshairs, does it have a dot ?????
2. what distance...you will likely need a different target at each yardage
3. target rifle or hunting rifle
4. at 100 i shoot br targets (score with the dot), sometime with good rifles a 1" black square
5. with a 1/16 diamond in the center
6. 2" square with a 1/8 dia at 200

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

Nikon Monarch BDC reticle is not dot friendly.

 

[dolek]

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.

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