What Do You Shoot At?

[Rob Bartley]

What kind of target do you shoot at when you are practicing? Do you buy USPSA/IPSC targets, shoot at steel/paper...?

Edited April 23, 2007 by Rob Bartley

[Matt Cheely]

Static steel plates because I am lazy and don't want to paste.

[Irate]

What kind of target do you shoot at when you are practicing? Do you buy USPSA/IPSC targets, shoot at steel/paper...?

I get the targets they are gunna throw away at local matches and take them home to use. I also have cardboard cut-outs of mini-poppers to use for practice. For long range shooting practice (40+ yards), I use regular round, ringed bullseye targets. My idea for a normal practice session is the more like match shooting you can make it the better.

Irate

[Viggen]

USPSA/IPSC targets for practice.

Accuracy and speed, speed and accuracy. Paste the holes in the target and get accurate. You paste your hits and you see the quality of your shooting. They can be taped a lot before needing new ones.

[shred]

Definately get some leftover targets from a match-- especially the ones with hard cover pre-painted on them and shoot those until you know exactly where the A-zone is.

Also get a stack of cheap paper plates. Big ones and small ones. Shoot at them until you can keep all your shots on the plate at any distance from 4 to 40 yards.

[MichiganShootist]

Mostly IDPA targets, poppers ( I have a couple on my personal range) and a couple swingers.....and steel plates in the Summer.

In the Winter I shoot 6" paper plates indoors which serve as a great replacement for a plate rack.

[blkbrd]

Definately get some leftover targets from a match-- especially the ones with hard cover pre-painted on them and shoot those until you know exactly where the A-zone is.

Also get a stack of cheap paper plates. Big ones and small ones. Shoot at them until you can keep all your shots on the plate at any distance from 4 to 40 yards.

Shred nailed it.

Knowing where the A zone is is huge, and you would be suprized how many can't hit a plate at 40 yards under pressure?

[G-ManBart]

What kind of target do you shoot at when you are practicing? Do you buy USPSA/IPSC targets, shoot at steel/paper...?

I use IPSC targets and rolls of the precut pasters from Chuck at Shooter's Connection. I don't really like pasting targets, but it makes you very aware of your hits. I've been scouting out some areas near my house where I can shoot on federal land (desert) and think I found one pretty close. Once I get that figured out I'll probably buy a couple of steel targets to mix in with the paper. That way I'll be able to set up individual arrays that are similar to what you'll find in a stage at a match.

[Airic]

+1 on the used targets, most clubs will give em up.

+1 on the paper plates, great cheap training aid.

I also like to use those cardboard box bottoms that cases of canned food come in. They are almost as big as the A/C zone, I work on calling shots in the middle of the available scoring surface.

I also have cardboard cut-outs of mini-poppers to use for practice.

I do this too, trains you to call your shots on steel without waiting to hear the ding.

[kevin c]

Nothing beats the real thing at real distance, but in a pinch you can use minature metric targets in different sizes to simulate different distances. Remember, though, that your eyes focus on the target and refocus on the sights differently for 1/3 sized targets at ten feet as opposed to the full size target at ten yards.

Kevin C

[Joe4d]

Depends on where you practice, If you shoot at typical indoor pay ranges that have the overhead cable system for sending targets down range you can order official size paper targets, They are retangular with IPSC or IDPA scoring rings much cheaper than the cardboard targets.

[Duane Thomas]

I use red-and-white bull's-eye rifle targets to zero guns from the bench. For practice I use primarily cardboard IDPA or USPSA targets. And lots and lots of brown tape.

[North]

I use 10" steel plates and a IPSC target. My club lets you use the props if your a member.

I usually pratice on 3 steel plates, for transtions and the draw. I randomly will stick 1 or 2 IPSC targets into the mix to see where my shoots are going.

Also I love to set up 2 strings of 4 to 5 small poppers

[revchuck]

Rob - I use regular cardboard targets, and when they get too shot up to paste, use them as backing for paper IDPA targets. I probably need to get some paper USPSA targets, since it looks like I'm shooting A4 and the A zone =/= the -0 on IDPA targets.

The nice thing about cardboard targets is that the targets for the two sports are close enough that you can use them for backing for the paper targets for both, plus you get used to the sight picture that you'll see during matches.

The nice thing about paper targets is that you paste them with nice, cheap masking tape, and they're easier to use in indoor ranges. Not to mention that they're about half the price of the cardboard for twice the number of targets.

Paper plates (as mentioned above) are a good idea too.

[JFD]

I shoot our club's plate rack at least once a month and shoot cardboard metric targets the rest of the time.

I made my own zeroing targets although I usually forget them and end up using 3/4" black pasters on a metric target.

[LPatterson]

I buy USPSA targets and paint them in the style of the next match. If they are covered by a no shoot I paint that part of the target white. For general group shooting I use the side & bottom of a grocery bag and lightly mark the A zones so they are not visable past ~ 5 yards and cut around the head so I can staple them to a regular paper target. The width & length match the A-C zones.

[kurtm]

Clay birds for shotgun, Coyotes, prairie dogs, and flash targets for rifle. 6X6 steel squares, ipsc metric paper, coyotes and prairie dogs for pistol, and on occational long distance rock or two.

[Flexmoney]

One of our locals gave me a bunch of vinyl stickers, the kind you might peel and then stick to the side of a barrel or something. They come in rolls or stacks of 100's.

Most are 4x4 - 4x6 inches...which is perfect for our targets. I stick them in the upper part of the A-zone on one of our (used) USPSA targets. I position the sticker one inch from the top of the A-zone and centered...which leaves about one inch on each side.

I prefer the upper part of the A-zone as my target area (most hard-cover and no-shoots leave this area available) anyway, and this helps to train me to aim small, miss small.

Any hits outside the sticker get pasted. Once the sticker gets shot up, just put a new one over top on it.

[redwoods]

Here is the answer you have been looking for.....

Get used targets from the matches you attend

Buy the tape online or at a store if you can find it

Buy the wood pieces from home depot

Go to wal-mart and buy the steel clips (black clips to hold paper together) I think they are called binder clips. They have two silver clips on them to open the black clamp, get the medium size ones....use these instead of staples, just don't shoot them!

while at home depot, buy 1-1/2 inch pvc pipe and some tees or crosses along with pvc cement to make target stands. you can make these so they come apart for storage

Cheap targets and stands........but quality

PM me for info on the stands if you want the best design, I have made several and just found the right design for portability and wind resistance

Redwoods

[Front Man]

The minimal cost way to shoot paper is to cut brown corrugated paper to the size you need

(A-zone or A,C-zone) and use freezer tape for pasters.

FM

[ChrisStock]

8" hi-viz..the nice ones that show impact instantly. Pricey, yes, but I accquired a bunchof 11X17 ones nominally for rifle zeroing, with a diamond in each corner, and one in the center. I like the instant feedback, and they are ideal for the lunchtime shoots where I send a hundred downrange and make it back to my desk in an hour.

[dajarrel]

I had a fab shop cut and weld eight 6" plates for me. I try to shoot them at 5-15 yards without misses.

When you go to match and see the standard 8" plates, they look a big as garbage can lids.

FWIW

dj