Folks,
I have been doing some experimenting using different sizes and shapes of targets for shooting at different distances from the bench when doing load development work. 100 to 300 yards. In the past I have always used a black square with a white center and am now mostly using diamonds and they seem to allow for more precise sight alignment. I increase the size of the target as the distance increases. This is with hunting rifles with scopes of no more than 10X magnification. What do you use that works well? Do any of you use a higher magnification scope for load development and then switch to a more suitable scope for hunting?

Thanks
JD

I use a modified Leupold target that I added some dark lines on it to help align the cross hairs. I'm only shooting at 100 yards. It has a dark center that works well except with my Zeiss Conquest. I have to use a white center with that one because of the fine lines.

Bob257

I've tried a bunch, and have finally settled on a couple that I made in MS Word. For some reason I find the best results with a regular old round bullseye. If I want to be a bit more precise (like with varmint rounds), I just make the bull smaller. For small calibers I use a 1/2" bull. For larger calibers I generally stick with a 1" bull, but will use a 2" for longer range work or open sights/low power scopes. The targets I've made up have a section at the bottom for load and shooting condition notes. Makes for easy tracking in my fancy database (three-ring binder).

Just for the fun of it, does anyone know how to post a pdf file using a regular picture hosting outfit like imagestation? I'd be more than happy to post a couple of my targets for anybody's use if I could figure out how to. If not, I'll email 'em to anyone who is interested.

I make up my own targets using Viseo.

I have evolved a few design techniques to make aiming and spotting easier. I use a circular white center 1MOA in diameter to provide the most contrast against the reticle, and use a neutral gray fill (40-60%) in the areas where cold bore shots and flyers are likely to stray, so I can see the bullet holes as contrasting dots.

The aiming point should be small enough to provide a distinct hold that clearly betrays deviations from a precise aiming point.

The gray areas can be lighter for scope targets, but need some more density to provide a clear aiming point for iron sights. Only the border outline needs to be really dark. The borders for iron sights (an outside ring, for instance) need to be at least 1MOA in thickness, as that is the minimum resolution of the average unaided Mark I eyeball. The areas inside that ring can be much lighter, to permit resolving bullet holes through the optics.

When I'm attempting to determine the actual accuracy potential of a rifle/load combination, I use higher magnifications to reduce the effect of aiming errors on the resulting data. For me, 20-25X seems to be the practical limit, beyond which more magnification delivers diminishingly improved returns on accuracy.

When I'm attempting to quickly acquire and engage a target, I prefer a much lower magnifiction. Anything from about 4-10X works well here.

Obviously, I have considerable use for variables, and my two main scopes are Leupold Vari-X IIIs with Adustable 40MM Objectives, 1" tubes, and Target Knobs. One magnifies through a 6.5-20X range, and the other is 8.5-25X. I use the more powerful one for the shorter range applications, where mirage is less likely to diminish the benefits of higher magnifications.

Greg

The highest mag scope I possess is 6x. As you have stated the trick is to match the target to the reticle.

I use matte black cardboard and a 1" birchwood casey orange bull. My reticle on my 6x42 Swarovski covers 0.9" at 100yards. Thusly when I can see 4 little sectors of orange around the cross I can fire with less than 0.1" deviation if I can hold steady. As you can see (shameless attempt to justify posting of photo)it works.

[url= http://"http://www.hunt101.com/?p=58648&c=500&z=1"] [/url]

Man you guys are high tech.
I use the little red dots on a computer box at 100 yards.
From 300 to 600 yards I use the larger little red dots in the center then draw a vertical cross through it in black marker which helps greatly to line up the cross hairs in the scope at long range.
I have a 4x16 and a 6x20 scope on my 2 big game hunting rifles.
I crank them up to high power for all target shooting.
I use large computer boxes for my targets. I put rocks in the bottom so they won't move in the wind.
I just put the dots on the box and draw the vertical cross on the box. When I put too many holes in one box I grab another one.

For accurate rifles at 100m and 200m, I like Varmint Al's free targets.
http://www.varmintal.com/atarg.htm

Try these mytargets.com

Four black squares on a white background works best for me. One inch squares one inch apart works well at 100 yards. For longer range or lower power hunting scopes, two inch squares two inches apart works well.

These are easy to make on a computer with any number of programs. An example is here:

web page

[ 09-17-2003, 01:00: Message edited by: KLN ]

I made my own on Corel. I like to sight mine at 2.5" high at 100 yards so I sort of made a 1/2" wide crosshair with a 2" circle on top. In the center of the circle is a fine crosshair. Kind of looks like a stick figure. From the center of the large crosshair to the middle of the circle is 2.5". The small crosshairs bisect the circle and have a radius of 1" or diameter of 2". This way I can tell how far I am in any direction as long as I hit the circle. For far away shooting I have the option of making the large crosshair wider for easier visibility. I see it easily at 300 yards and can set the scope right on it.

I use the one shown above from Varmint Al, but I have modified it a bit. I cut and pasted it on an 8 1/2" by 14" sheet of paper so I could fit 8 targets on the paper instead of 6. It's ideal for 100 yard shooting with accurate rifles. I have them printed at an office supply store near me for ten cents a piece. You can also use the Midway USA varmint target and get it from their website. It's 8 1/2" by 11" and contains 4 targets. These targets are all clear enough to be readily visible, and having 4 or 6 targets on each save a lot of walking to put up and take down targets. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

ok here is my secret. instead of paying the high price for orange sticker targets, i go to walmart and look in the school supply section. they have florescent dots (3/4 or smaller) in packs. they are pretty cheap too. 4 colors, yellow, orange, green and magenta. pending on the weather conditions, you can change colors. i cant see yellow that far, so i use those to warm up with. if you have a high power scope, i would put a small black dot in the center. i can use those dots with a 3x9 or stronger.

I am using 24# white printer paper and Birchwood Casey stickons. The main reason for this is that it's easier to see the bullet holes.

I would rather have stickons without the little black dot that Birchwood uses but the ones at Staples by Avery etc are too small sometimes.

Aiming at a round circle does not bother me. It may not be the best for perfect groups but I think it's good practice going for the center of a target.

The range I use is only 200 yds max so it's easy to see the holes with an old 30X spotting scope. I see others use all kinds of targets and they have trouble finding the holes in the black as I would.

Go to Beartooth Bullets on the web. Have several styles and sizes to download then zap out on a copier.

White printer paper and a black magic marker. On my 270 I have a 14x LPS so I make very small dots about the size af a dime, very cheap as most of the paper is scrap with one side printed on.

Deer and groundhogs mostly!!!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

Pumkinheaver,
What instrument do you use to measure your groups if the deer runs a ways?

White poster board with orange circles or squares.

AKJD,

I was only joking but now that I think of it I have used life sized cardboard cutouts of deer.

I use the draw add-in accessory in Excel to draw straight parallel bold crosses. They have a center section just wide enough to see a little white on either side of the scope crosshairs for both vertical and horizontal. Put two on each page in landscape mode and use a level when mounting them on the target backing. I print them on extra heavyweight extra white 80# plus paper.

What a bunch of cheap skates!

We use only the finest, virgin, high tibetan, escrile parchment paper, each sheet hand rolled and individually packaged for shipment via controlled environment air carrier. Target squares are individually hand lettered by said tibetan monks using centuries old abysinian ostrich quills and norwegic, polysuedic, anamorphic dyes each formulated from ancient chinese dye stock.

Anything less just isn't good enough for sighting in our 30/30s.

Dewey , Cheetum , & Howe
Custom Gunsmiths

I ordered the Click-N-Shoot CD from midway and it has paid for itself many times over. There is a huge variety of targets that you print from your PC. I like a black diamond with white center and black verticle and horizontal lines.

I have been using cheap white printer paper sold at Wal-Mart for the last few years. It works good with the one inch orange dots. The black bullet hole show up good on the white paper. Then to cover up the unwanted bullet holes(to use again), I use a roll of adding machine paper. Rip a piece off and use scotch tape to cover up the holes. Cheap and quick...

I use blue diamonds also a 4" one that is 1" thick with a 1/4"black cross hair in the middle. This is posted on a 1" grid over the entire sheet of paper. I place a 1" circle 2"/21/2" higher that the center of the cross hairs depending on the rifle.This is my sight-in target at 100 yds. I made this up with MS publisher.

I use plain old cardboard, with 1" shoot-n-see adhesive circles for 100 yards. The 3" circles I like better for longer distance, or lower powered scopes at 100 yards.

MM

Many great ideas!

I've downloaded PDF and other files from several sites.

Still go back to:
Cut bottom out of 26 oz coffee can (almost exactly 5" diameter). Use scrap 8 1/2 x 11" (or clean if keeping target) typing/copy paper and flat black spray paint.

The coffee can and paper are easy, but here in the PDRK you have to get special permission from Sacramento to have a store employee open the pilfer proof lock box and pull out a single can of spray paint.

That's why we have so little graffiti here!!

I take a piece on computer paper and draw 1 inch grids on it to better see how much I have to adjust things. I draw a 1 inch cross and color the outside section with a magic marker, so I have a 1 inch white cross with a colored background. It works out to about 200 yards before the cross hairs completley cover the white. It also helps to keep the gun level.
The best thing I found for target holders is those anoying campaign signs that are everywhere before any election. I usually make one trip a year and fill my truck up with them, I only shoot at the democratic ones! They are light, easy to put up. and are plastic, so they last a long time.

Paper plates, and orange stickers for the bullseye! If i'm sighting in then big roll of paper (approx. 3 foot by 3 foot with a paper plate in the center).

Somthing that I found to work well to hold th targets are the realestate signs. They work great most are fiberglass centers now when they get shot up too bad. I use heavy cardboard or even thin plywood. They are a nice metal frame they are easy to stick in the ground. My brother in -law is a real estate guy so I get them free that is the best part. For long range stuff I use the commerical signs as they aer about 4 times the size or to hold 4-6 targets at a time.

Right now I am using pronghorn antelope...in 2 weeks I'll be using deer...

Attn: sonofagun,

I'm quite taken aback. I thought no one else used those targets produced by Tibetian monks
but myself. Glad there are some of us left. God only knows quality abysinian ostrich quills are hard to come by. Excellent post. I really enjoyed it. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Here's one I've had a lot of luck with. I size it to whatever distance I'm using and you can see white on either side of the crosshairs and it works really well.
The full size version is on my is on my website as 2moa.jpg, if you'd like to download it.
Full size version of 2MOA

bobby,

Thanks! Added it to my collection. I'll have to try it.

White printer paper, then into the three ring binder they go when I'm done shootin. Stensils of what works best for that range using a thin black marker so it doesn't obscure bullet holes at long range. Nice, perfectly clean and highly visible holes if using a cardboard backer.

Depends on how far I'm practicing at as to what size and shape the bull is, and the target backer too.

I took one shot at 807 yards here after using the R2 rangefinding reticle in the NF to figure the range from measuring the known target size height. 820yds is what I came up with and is what I dialed the shot in for. Checking it with the laser after the shot showed my error, the target did too. The other previous shots were at 1000 yards, also with a 10-12 mph 3 O'clock wind.

Lots of fun.