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What size targets?
- Thread starter SilentStalkr
- Start date
For my .22LR trainer, I'm shooting golf balls at 100 yards but have recently ground the corners of a cheap rimfire spinner so the plate is now one inch square. I'm going to try that at 100 yards.
I've also shot paintballs at 50 yards with the .22LR trainer and empty .22LR cases at 25 yards. I've been known to shoot at the empty 9mm aluminum cases at 50 yards with the .22LR trainer.
One day a fellow came to the range with his .22LR trainer and was shooting at the green plastic army men at 100 yards.
I have also been shooting this target at 50 yards with the .22LR trainer: https://yourtarget.biz/shop/know-your-limits/
For my long range rifles, I have been shooting at a 4 inch steel plate at 300 yards.
On other occasions, I go to Rayner's range near Zanesville, OH and shoot at their steel plates. I can't find his target lists but I believe he has either a full or half-sized IPSC targets at various ranges out to 1000 yards.
At various ranges he has steel plates that are about 4 X 4 and 6 X 6 inches square.
The bottom line is that I try to practice with targets sized at about 1 MOA.
I've also shot paintballs at 50 yards with the .22LR trainer and empty .22LR cases at 25 yards. I've been known to shoot at the empty 9mm aluminum cases at 50 yards with the .22LR trainer.
One day a fellow came to the range with his .22LR trainer and was shooting at the green plastic army men at 100 yards.
I have also been shooting this target at 50 yards with the .22LR trainer: https://yourtarget.biz/shop/know-your-limits/
For my long range rifles, I have been shooting at a 4 inch steel plate at 300 yards.
On other occasions, I go to Rayner's range near Zanesville, OH and shoot at their steel plates. I can't find his target lists but I believe he has either a full or half-sized IPSC targets at various ranges out to 1000 yards.
At various ranges he has steel plates that are about 4 X 4 and 6 X 6 inches square.
The bottom line is that I try to practice with targets sized at about 1 MOA.
I shoot 3/4 inch dots at 100yds (.75 MOA)
6x6 steel at 500yds (1.2 MOA)
IPSC(2/3) which is 6x6 on top and 12x18 on the bottom ... I call it 12 inch if I am shooting center of mass ...
at 750yds (1.6 MOA)
and
1,050 yds (1.15 MOA)
I mostly shoot off RRS tripod
6x6 steel at 500yds (1.2 MOA)
IPSC(2/3) which is 6x6 on top and 12x18 on the bottom ... I call it 12 inch if I am shooting center of mass ...
at 750yds (1.6 MOA)
and
1,050 yds (1.15 MOA)
I mostly shoot off RRS tripod
I know the saying "aim small miss small" but cant you learn useful info by shooting at larger freshly painted steel targets especially in high wind situations. With small targets it feels awesome when all of the hours of work and practice are rewarded with an impact, however with a miss on a small target you never know by how much. On a larger target you know exactly how you "missed" and how to correct.
That's why every now and then I go to NRA 600 yard prone matches and shoot in F-TR. This target is 3 ft across at 600 yards (6 MOA) but it tells you shitloads more about your shooting ability than any steel plate, of any size, at any distance:
I have only shot 2 600 yd matches and you are correct at how challenging they are. I never placed well however my best 5 shots measured 1.57" in a benchrest match with a 6 dasher. What I didn't like about the match was you didn't know where your impacts were till 15-20 minutes later after the target was scored. With large steel at distance you get feedback 1-2 seconds after the shot is fired and observations on wind and mirage and dope can be analyzed in real time.
NRA prone shooting is not at all like benchrest
NRA mid range and long range matches are all fired with only one round in the gun and you get feedback within 5 - 10 seconds of your shot if shooting on paper targets or instantaneously if shooting on electronic targets.
Paper targets are lowered as soon as the operator sees a round impact the berm behind then marked with spotting disks showing the actual bullet hole and (with a disk at pre-determined positions on the outer edge of the target) the value of the shot.
Electronic targets use calibrated microphones and software to triangulate the bullet's location as it pierces the target then display the entire string in real time
The people who only shoot steel have no idea of the amount of feedback and data they are leaving behind.
Thanks for throwing some knowledge my way 308. Those electronic targets look amazing. The only technology at my local range is a $5 can of Krylon
If you want to see something amazing watch Bryan Litz (Berger Bullet's ballistician) pounding the 1 MOA X ring of the 800 yard long range target with only a sling and a shooting coat for rifle support and metallic aperture sights (no optics).
I have just started 600 F class (4 meets)
I practice a a local 100 yd range using scale 3 inch targets for load development, practice, sighting in.
Last time out was a 94%-10X my personal all time best.
Pic of one string. Ouch, an 8 and a pulled high and right 9.
Not a bolt rifle, posted to answer target size question.
I practice a a local 100 yd range using scale 3 inch targets for load development, practice, sighting in.
Last time out was a 94%-10X my personal all time best.
Pic of one string. Ouch, an 8
and a pulled high and right 9.Not a bolt rifle, posted to answer target size question.
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Let's talk about 750yds ... at 750yds I am shooting IPSC(2/3) which is a 6x6 "face" on top and a 12x18 inch "body" on the bottom.
I won't say I can see every miss, because high shots are hitting in a tree line ... though even those I can see most of ... and if I am short or to the left or right I can see. And that's either in the day time or at night with thermal (have to heat the steel). In fact, with the thermal, I can see the trace and the hits and the misses.
Further, in most conditions I can see the splotches on the target when I hit. I paint the targets after each session, so I have a fresh surface to see the splotches of the hits against.
So, I can see 90% of my misses day or night and about 80% of the time, I can see the splotches of the hits on the target, showing me exactly where on the target I hit.
Now I'm an olde man, so you youngsters should have a much easier time of seeing these things than I do !!
==
Summer, clear conditions ... can see the splotches on the targets in these conditions. And can see most misses, though high misses are harder due to the tree line ... but I can still usually see them, since even when I miss I only miss by an inch or so, I I am looking near the right spot. And high misses are rare anyway, the vast majority of misses are wind misses to the left or right.
==
Another summer shot ...
==
In the rain, it is definitely harder to see the misses and the splotches of the hits ... though I can still see most shorts, lefts and rights, but but not overs or the splotches. With 5.56 sometimes can't hear or even see the hits. But with 6.5 or 7.62 I can. The thickness of your targets needs to be aligned with the calibers you are shooting, there is no "one size fits all" for steel.
==
Glass envy !!!!Let's talk about 750yds ... at 750yds I am shooting IPSC(2/3) which is a 6x6 "face" on top and a 12x18 inch "body" on the bottom.
I won't say I can see every miss, because high shots are hitting in a tree line ... though even those I can see most of ... and if I am short or to the left or right I can see. And that's either in the day time or at night with thermal (have to heat the steel). In fact, with the thermal, I can see the trace and the hits and the misses.
Further, in most conditions I can see the splotches on the target when I hit. I paint the targets after each session, so I have a fresh surface to see the splotches of the hits against.
So, I can see 90% of my misses day or night and about 80% of the time, I can see the splotches of the hits on the target, showing me exactly where on the target I hit.
Now I'm an olde man, so you youngsters should have a much easier time of seeing these things than I do !!
==
Summer, clear conditions ... can see the splotches on the targets in these conditions. And can see most misses, though high misses are harder due to the tree line ... but I can still usually see them, since even when I miss I only miss by an inch or so, I I am looking near the right spot. And high misses are rare anyway, the vast majority of misses are wind misses to the left or right.
==
Another summer shot ...
==
In the rain, it is definitely harder to see the misses and the splotches of the hits ... though I can still see most shorts, lefts and rights, but but not overs or the splotches. With 5.56 sometimes can't hear or even see the hits. But with 6.5 or 7.62 I can. The thickness of your targets needs to be aligned with the calibers you are shooting, there is no "one size fits all" for steel.
==
I shoot 1MOA steel at 200 yards most often for practice. I have also done a lot of shooting at 1 and 2 MOA plates out at 525 yards. The 1 MOA plate is tough but doable if the wind isn't ripping. Spotting misses in the dirt berm behind is not hard and is a good part of practice to make corrections. This is all for barricade.
For prone practice I have 1MOA steel out at 875 yards. That's a tough one since it's not got any backer so you need to look real close for trace or for any movement in the vegetation behind. Pretty challenging location for wind too.
I actually prefer smaller steel since I don't paint my targets. Get your corrections from misses, and if you get a hit you know you're doing good.
For prone practice I have 1MOA steel out at 875 yards. That's a tough one since it's not got any backer so you need to look real close for trace or for any movement in the vegetation behind. Pretty challenging location for wind too.
I actually prefer smaller steel since I don't paint my targets. Get your corrections from misses, and if you get a hit you know you're doing good.
Well, in the above pics, shown are NF 7-35x T3 and L&S Mk6 3-18x T3 ... but I also used a B-XTR2 3-15x SCR-MIL ... about a $900 scope these days ... The burris is just not as good at no-dial shooting if there is much wind. I can interpolate up to about a 2 mil hold, which is about right for 8-10 MPH wind at 750yds. But that's the limit.
This day it was raining, so tougher to see. Using the 5.56(18) with Black Hills 77gr TMK. Here's the 5.56(18) with the XTR2 3-15x ... much as it was in the field above, though without the thermal clipon contraption shown up front.
Regardless of target size, I always back mine with flat sheets of cardboard.
I want accountability for every shot. Most of the time I can make sense of what caused the shot to not be on plate.
I want accountability for every shot. Most of the time I can make sense of what caused the shot to not be on plate.
Thermal clipon contraption envy as well. What rides on top of the scope?Well, in the above pics, shown are NF 7-35x T3 and L&S Mk6 3-18x T3 ... but I also used a B-XTR2 3-15x SCR-MIL ... about a $900 scope these days ... The burris is just not as good at no-dial shooting if there is much wind. I can interpolate up to about a 2 mil hold, which is about right for 8-10 MPH wind at 750yds. But that's the limit.
This day it was raining, so tougher to see. Using the 5.56(18) with Black Hills 77gr TMK. Here's the 5.56(18) with the XTR2 3-15x ... much as it was in the field above, though without the thermal clipon contraption shown up front.
I drew a black circle that is 1 mil and then a white circle that is 1 MOA in the middle of that in Adobe. 100 and 200 yard versions fit on regular paper. Longer ranges needing big paper can be printed at FedEx or at work (wink wink)
Hit the black with iron sights and you're cool, and the white circle with a black border makes for easy crosshair lineup.
If I had to put something in the dead center of the white circle it would be a small V or arrow and not a dot or small cross.
Hit the black with iron sights and you're cool, and the white circle with a black border makes for easy crosshair lineup.
If I had to put something in the dead center of the white circle it would be a small V or arrow and not a dot or small cross.
For ranges up to about 300 Yards with splatter targets, I record pictures with an older FZ70 digital camera.
As long as I keep good notes I can correlate loads to pictures and Chrono results. Like in the previous 3 inch target groups.
From my notes I kept track of scope adjustments and later marked the targets (little black arrows in the previous pics).
Or, dialing in in this pic. This way I don't need to keep all the paper in a scrapbook (the really good ones go one the fridge )
As long as I keep good notes I can correlate loads to pictures and Chrono results. Like in the previous 3 inch target groups.
From my notes I kept track of scope adjustments and later marked the targets (little black arrows in the previous pics).
Or, dialing in in this pic. This way I don't need to keep all the paper in a scrapbook (the really good ones go one the fridge
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