Practice Targets

[StephenPerry]

Shooters
For general purpose shooting what kind of targets do you guys like?
I am usually practicing 100/200 BR when I go to the Range like I will today. My favorite target is the 6 target BR style. You can find this style here on 6mmBR. The upper left target is my sighter and I shoot the other 5 for agg. This 6 target sheet works fine and I can record all my loads and shooting notes on the sighter target. BR is all about agg. I would not recommend this type of target for general shooting as it is small and you if you use it to sight in on you might have shots all over before you settle down.
For General shooting I like to make my own targets I have 100 & 200 yd stamps and I use target dots. Darker dots work better at longer distances. Targets with black centers are useless to me as I like to work the centers. Target centers with rings are fine. Next time I go to Pala I will shoot my 6x47 Lapua with my own 75 grn bullets out to 600 to see what I have on steel and on paper.
What I used to do at work was Post my best 10 of both my practice and competition targets on my bulletin board. That lasted about a year before some people got scared. Kept me focused for the Shoot coming up. I also did the same on my small garage door. This is a good way of record keeping as I listed all the components of the load and the shooting conditions, and the date and place shot. I cut them down to the borders and pasted them together.
Animal silhouette targets at various distances test your mid-range rifles. Besides my 6x47 Lapua I will also start shooting my collection of bolt actions from .222 to .257 Roberts after the Pala Shoot at 200-600. Like some I love my rifles more than I do myself.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

 

[M700]

For rifle marksmanship simple dots are fine - on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper so I can keep them in a 3-ring binder. Also keep notes on the paper regarding wind, temperature, range, altitude and load data as well as shooting position: bipod, prone sling - whatever.

I found when training young hunters, they do well with targets that look like deer, squirrel and other game animals. Makes the target shooting sessions more relevant.

When I train police, military or civilians in self-defense shooting, the use of humanoid targets helps put them in the right mind-set. That is the majority of my shooting.

Regards, Guy

 

[Link]

We have a local guy that sells paper targets with latex in them, they don't rip like the regular paper. We also write the info next to the target. I keep a log. The targets are a big diamond in the center and 4 smaller ones in the corners. I mark about a 1/2" black dot in the center. I am becoming a more serious shooter and have a lot to learn.

Link

 

[StephenPerry]

Link
You are not polluted by poppycock that's a polite word for bull shit. Learn at your own pace. Shooting is a lifetime hobby. I was just thinking of that before I read your Post. I shot allot before I could buy my own but when I went to the Range by myself for the first time, 18 minimum, on my Range I felt like that was a transition to what I do today 38 years later. Shoot straight Shoot often.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

 

[Twud]

Over the years I've found that the fluorescent self adhesive dots they sell in office supply stores work the best. I can choose any size I like and place them anywhere I like on blank paper. A 1" dot at 100 yards gives you a pretty fine aiming point. For dialing in 1 paster in the center gives me plenty of room. For shooting groups I'll use 4. A 3" dot is perfect for 300 yards.

 

[Forum Boss]

For load development, I like this one made for the site:

And this one by James Phillips:

Both work well at 100 and 200 with scopes from 15-35 X. I find the extended lines help one detect vertical movement while aiming. With 20X or greater magnification I can align on the points of the diamonds in the top target even at 200. Guys have told me they have reduced their vertical group size by moving from a circle to a diamond,with lines) practice target. It's easier to drift up/down with a circle target, unless you have a target-dot reticle that's a tight fit to a circle in the target center.

Both targets can be downloaded for free at: http://www.6mmBR.com/targets.html

 

[Fred Bohl]

For shooting sessions for things like load development, component testing, optics alignment and multiple range drop verification, I have used various available targets but usually make my own and try different designs to optimize the target for the purpose and range. This can be an interesting side activity,particularly in our cold Wisconsin winters).

For competition practice I believe it is very important to use the same targets that you be using in the competition. You will know what your target looks like and expect to see a familiar image. As you bring your cross hairs to bear on your expected target your brain is able to concentrate it's vast image processing capability and filter out the noise and clutter in the data stream from your eyes.

I firmly believe that you need to practice target acquisition and recognition just as all other aspects of the shooting sequence. Those that do will always be able to demonstrate far better working acuity on familiar targets than those that don't practice.

It also helps to practice target acquisition and recognition under a wide variety of atmospheric and illumination conditions. These stored images ease the burden on the brain's image analysis system to find your desired POA among the noise and clutter. This provides for an enhanced "effective acuity".

 

[M700]

Mod - that is a good target, and one I've made use of. Thanks, Guy