gstaylorg said:Rooster,
I can't tell for sure from what you posted, but if you find access to a 600 yd range that will allow you to practice on your own targets (without a puller), here's what I do: Get yourself some 18" Shoot-N-C targets and one of the really fat black Sharpies. Black out all the lines/numbers, leaving only the center red aiming dot. Set these up as far as you can (I usually do 600 yd). As a target holder, I use a 2'x4'x3/8" sheet of plywood held onto two of those 4' green garden stakes with small spring loaded clamps. That way, I can have all the targets in place and only need to pound in the stakes (a post pounding tool or heavy mallet might be helpful if the soil is hard), clamp on the targets, and go.
Targets are usually good for 3-4 trips before the center is shot out (and the pasters are gone), so even though the Shoot-N-C targets are pretty pricey, it's not as expensive as you might think. The boards are good for a long time, even though they tend to have a hole shot out pretty quickly where the center of the target is located. With a halfway decent spotting scope, or even with the rifle scope on 32X (or greater) mag, you can see the holes pretty easily out to 600 yd. Blacking out the lines helps to visualize the holes if they're on or close to one of the yellow lines/numbers. Once I get home, I use a compass to mark in the 3" and 6" X- and 10-rings so I can score the targets. Below is an image of some load testing I did using this setup for a new rifle a few months ago. I have found this to be a good way to practice for matches as you get instant feedback and can shoot under the same time/sighter constraints as you would in a match. If you can't shoot out to 600 yd, the same principle can be applied to a 12" Shoot-N-C at closer range by simply marking in the appropriately sized X-, 10- 9-rings, etc. Good luck with it!
Edited to add - although the picture above shows .308 holes, it works equally well with .223, as long as the mirage isn't too heavy. If the mirage is really strong, forget it.
Great info on the targets. I have a very similar set up for a target holder. I work at a fabrication facility, and had some of the guys build me a target stand that allows me to cut a sheet of plywood in half, and it slides in place. Portable and one sheet of plywood lasts me about a year since I only use half at a time.
I'm about to clear some property my wife's family owns that will allow me to practice out to 500 yards for about 6 months out of the year (when the crops are cut) and when the crops are grown I will be able to practice at 100 yards year around. And the great thing is the property is only about 10 minutes from my house.
