Targets...

[ButchA]

Oldgunner_43 said this in another thread, so I figured I'd copy/paste it over here into a new thread:

"Yeah, that's kinda like my visualization of people who pissed me off on each clay target that I shot in practice. However, that's not what I was looking for in my post. What do you Fanatics do when you go to the range? For most folks, I see a lot of rounds downrange with no real plan or objective that will lead to improved performance. Fess up! Do you go out to the range with any real plan or objective for improving some element of your shooting expertise or is it just another range trip to exercise your stable of guns?"

I go to the range with my RIA to try and keep myself steady and try and improve my groupings each time I go. I print my own targets from my laptop and bring one or two of them along as well.

As for a plan or objective, feel free to click on this, download it, print it out for yourself. Put the target out at 20 feet and keep each and every round inside the yellow ring. Let go and try it one handed. Switch hands and try it weak-handed. Lots of ways to practice using this homemade target...

 

[boatdoc]

nice,consistent groups at various distances are my life long goal. takes time and EFFORT.= fun fun fun

 

[azpoolguy]

My primary use of a hand gun is self defense. So primarily shoot torso shaped targets. When I’m forced to shoot indoors I shoot more of a structured slow fire at bullseye type targets.

 

[OldGunner_43]

Since Butch was kind enough to move my post over here I'll put in my $.02. For defensive practice I use a combination of the ICE 2009 Qual target and a standard IDPA replica paper target (shown below). I buy them 100 at a time from shop.actiontarget.com. The price on these runs about $.30/target or less if you buy in larger quantities. When shooting the ICE target at 7 to 15 yds the objective is to put shots consistently in the area just above the "thugs" hand- preferably with controlled pairs. I do not practice head shots because very few people can hit a head when the target is moving and your adrenaline is way up. The same goes for using the IDPA target. I try for two shots in the "0" zone followed by a shot in either the left or right hip joint area. If you damage the pelvic bone your assailant WILL go down and soft armor seldom covers this area. For just plain target shooting for accuracy improvement I use standard NRA 25 yd. or 50 yd. targets or versions that I can print at home. I don't use much color (shades of gray sometimes) because I hate buying color cartridges for my printer. There's my "starter".

 

[OldGunner_43]

Sorry. For some reason I couldn't get the ICE target to load up full-size.

 

[OldGunner_43]

Here's a couple of Powerpoint targets - I hope. Bullseye one is basically a repair center for the NRA 25/50 yd target. You can save some ink by making the black center gray. Bullseye2 is handy as a rifle target but can also be used for a 5 yd. drill with the pistol. Fire one shot at each bull in random order in less than 5 seconds. Good shooters can do it in less than 3 seconds - I'm no longer that good! LOL

 

[SwampGas]

I consider a pistol, any pistol, to be my last line of defense. I'm too old for moving around quickly so I practice shooting at homemade targets. Cardboard with 2" painters tape, usually one down the middle vertically with 3 spaced out horizontally. point of aim is where the tape meets, basically a 2" square bull. 0-15 yards is my last defensive line so I mostly shoot pistols at 10-15yards. Use the same targets @100 yards for rifle fire. Just keeping the fundamentals and my aim in good form are my goals. And the fun of course.

 

[OldGunner_43]

A very cost effective approach!

 

[GROOT]

I prefer steel targets.
I've got a few of these they are called jumping jacks.

 

[Fred_G]

Good stuff! Recently added some structure to my shooting. My shooting partner got some tips from a local LEO, who turned us on to small, like 2"x3" silhouette targets (not sure of the size, 9 I think on a legal sheet of paper). We put it at I don't remember, 7', goal is to make all bullet holes touch on each target. I am not quite there yet, but it is a great challenge.

We also shoot steel, he has two slightly smaller than IDPA steel targets, we make up drills, multiple targets, 2 to the body, one to head, timed. I shoot with my carry gear, from concealment. I was able to do a version of the "Bill Drill", draw from concealment, 6 rounds on the torso. Got it in 3 seconds. I am happy starting there. Will only get faster.

I will say, having structure, and a friend to goad your competitive side is really helping both our shooting skills.

 

[Bender]

 

[OldGunner_43]

Thanks to Bender for posting a "full-size" version of this target. I like it for a couple of reasons. #1, you can't see the scoring rings (which aren't very realistic in my view) under normal lighting conditions. That means that you are forced to identify a point of aim that corresponds to a physical location on the body. #2, when bringing your gun to the firing position you'll have to overcome the normal tendency to focus on the assailant's hands or gun rather than your front sight. Even if you can't draw and fire at your range, you can start at a high ready position and go from there. Again, my objective is to place two shots in the area between the chin and the top of the left hand.

 

[ButchA]

Great target... I've never used one of those before (honest... straight up - honest).

Okay, someone (OldGunner_43 ?) help me out here. I'm standing there with my RIA 1911 .45 ACP and here is a bad guy with a revolver pointing right at me. Hammer is cocked, finger on the trigger, etc... and I'm about to die. Where is the first shot supposed to be? Center mass or try for his right hand/revolver and disable it?

I'm being 100% truthful here... You all got me wondering, as I've NEVER been in a situation like that (hope I never will either), but in order to train for something like that, using a target like that, where is the ultimate #1 first shot supposed to be?

 

[OldGunner_43]

Center mass! Your adrenaline is up big time, your heart is pounding, and you have no fine motor skills. The best you can hope for is a hit near center mass - and you may be lucky not to miss with the first shot (and more) entirely. There are lots of cases where LEOs emptied their pistols' magazines without hitting the bad guy once. I'd suggest reading Massad Ayoob's book "Combat Shooting" or "The Modern Day Gunslinger" by Don Mann. They're both very good and written by people who are far more expert than I am. I particularly like Ayoob's chapters on physiological changes and on bullet wound forensics. Yeah, I know that Massad recently had an accidental discharge during one of his classes, but he manned up to it and made it a teaching moment.

 

[OldGunner_43]

Just as a follow-up, if you don't practice drawing your handgun from your concealed carry position and getting it to the ready to fire position, you may never have a chance to fire your first shot. You can do this at home WITH AN EMPTY GUN and finish with a dry fire "shot". Pick a room that isn't visible to your neighbors or you may have a visit from the boys in blue. You'd be amazed at how much faster you get if you practice twice a week for about 5 to 10 minutes - it also gets the moves fixed into your "muscle memory".

 

[SwampGas]

actually i found the adrenaline dump into the blood stream had the opposite effect, after hearing the round pass your gourd with it's sizzle noise, the the little sonic boom from the bullet connected to the KEEEERACK of the rifle, the adrenaline instantly dumps and the world and everything in it went to slow motion. everything slowed down but me, i was calm and scanning for targets, seeing everything going on around me, people moving actually had blurs like in comic books following them. the shakes after the event when the adrenaline is bleeding off, and yes, the tears as it's bleeding off were not fun. i'd shake so badly i had to sit down cause i sure could not have walked.

i called those events "the rush" and spent most of 20 years trying to recapture it. talk about being fully alive and aware, it was quite an experience.

 

[ButchA]

Whoa....

 

[OldGunner_43]

True enough for a lot of folks. I haven't had that experience, but as the saying goes, "if you heard the shot, you probably aren't hit". Then it comes down to one of three things - fight, flight, or freeze.