Multi aim point targets

[LawrenceN]

I'm not so egocentric that I think I'm the first shooter to come up with this idea, but I hadn't seen a post on it so I thought I'd share with my fellow shooters. My brother and I reload for all our hunting/shooting needs and we're both pretty picky as to "acceptable" accuracy. Personally, if I'm not putting my handloads within 1"to 1-1/4" at 100 yds., I'm not too happy. Yes, I know the size of the "kill zone" on my game animals, but I like the idea that if I do my part, I'll put the bullet right where I want it. Over these many years, about 95% of my game has been taken with one shot and I have never had to track a wounded animal due to error on my part. Forgive the preamble, but it leads to the point of this thread. I asked myself why I was buying one foot square targets and wasting all that paper when the worst groups I'd shoot would be about 4"? Fortunately, I had a friend who worked for school board, and he'd get me large sheets of paper used for different purposes in the schools. I've also used the sheets off the large desk calendars and such like when I could get my hands on 'em. Anyway, I'd layout grids on the targets, stick my aiming dots in the centre of each grid, and take 5 rnds. of each trial load at a quadrant and record the results. I'm attaching pics, one of a virgin target and the one I used to determine the best load for my Howa in 7.62 X 39, so you guys can see what I mean. I use the centre dot to get my scope on centre line. When the relay stands down, I patch the target and then start seriously tracking the groups each load produces. I record what load was fired at what quadrant and tweak the best performers when I do my next batch of reloads. The nice thing about these big targets is that I can see what I'm doing with the spotting scope, and I don't have to bother going downrange after each relay. No biggie at 100 yds, but a bit of a pain at 200 yds. or more. So, if any of you have access to, or have friends with access to, large sheets of paper, try it out. It saves time, walking to and from, and paper. Just thought I'd share. Happy shooting, my fellow gunnutz!

 

[Eagleye]

The concept is very sound, and I have designed a target which has more than 1 aiming point on a single 8½x11 sheet of coverstock.
Larger paper would allow more, obviously, as you have demonstrated.
However, if you are shooting with optics, a round aiming point is not the best shape. A square or a diamond allows more precise aiming.
The round dot is best for open or aperture sights, using a 6 o'clock hold.
Other than that, multiple aiming points makes sense, particularly when you are comparing several loads at once. Dave.

 

[Ganderite]

I use a multiple aim point target I print on my computer.



In practice, I staple 6 of these on the back of a large sheet of paper.



It is critical that I use a scope to note on a sketch where my groups form on the targets so I can label each group after the shoot.

In this case I was shooting a SMLE, so groups did not always go where I intended.

 

[coreyd]

Like this?

www.basspro.com/shop/en/rangemaxx-sight-in-target

 

[LawrenceN]

The concept is very sound, and I have designed a target which has more than 1 aiming point on a single 8½x11 sheet of coverstock.
Larger paper would allow more, obviously, as you have demonstrated.
However, if you are shooting with optics, a round aiming point is not the best shape. A square or a diamond allows more precise aiming.
The round dot is best for open or aperture sights, using a 6 o'clock hold.
Other than that, multiple aiming points makes sense, particularly when you are comparing several loads at once. Dave.

Thanks for the input Dave. You're correct about the circle vs. diamond, as a rule, but I'm used to finding centre on round stock and it works ok for my eye. I should mention that the dots are about 1" shy in diameter. I used to have a pile of blaze orange peel-n-stick strips of paper. These were off-cuts from a printing job where hi-viz labels were printed for the medical field. I used a 25 cent piece as a template to draw the rounds and carefully scissored them out. Though it's taken many years, I'm running low on them now.

 

[Icefire]

I did a sheet in Excel with 1/4" grid, 11x17 sheet of paper with 10x 1/4" black square.

I lay 3 sheet and I can send 100-150 round downrange without going at the target once, my Sightron scope can zoom enought to see my holes

 

[Dogleg]

These are probably the most popular target around here. If you really want to, you can turn them on their side and keep going.