Reduced target size issues (point of aim, size, etc.)

[SolidGun]

I wanted to start this new post as I have been reading through some older posts and that raised some questions.

1. I am planning on doing most of my shooting from home. I have 22ft shooting distance. Can I just reduce the size of the target to 2/3 of the original size?

2. For people that practice with reduced distance, do you have problems with 6 o'clock or sub 6 aim? Should I adjust the sight constantly or use the reduced size target only as indication as the ammunition strikes above the black area?

3. I am used to shooting center hold but I see how 6 o'clock has the advantage for target shooting. Are there people using center hold successfully for AP shooting?


Misc questions:
These I just need answered, but prefer not to start a new post....

I have hard time finding reduced size targets for sale for specific distance and would like to print my own. What type of paper do people use?

Thank you in advance.

[jhmartin]

Try going to Center Shot Sports website and download the Scatt software.
Even w/o the hardware you should be able to print a reduced target for any distance.

You might even be intrigued enough to buy the H/W from Janet & Marcus.

[David Levene]

Whilst the Scatt software will produce a target with the size of the black correctly reduced; that is all you need for use with their system.

It will not however produce a target with correctly scaled scoring rings. These need to take in to account that the pellet remains at the full size, no matter how much you reduce the actual shooting distance.

A 5m scaled target, with both the aiming mark and the scoring rings correctly reduced has been produced by our webmaster and is available here.

Some people will undoubtedly say that as you will only be training it makes no difference that the scoring rings will not be correct. I would tend to feel that you should get as realistic as possible.

[Isabel1130]

The NOPTEL software will do the same thing. go to their web site and get it and you can downsize targets. http://www.noptel.fi/eng/mil/index.php? ... _downloads

[David M]

If for home training, all you need is a reduced black centre. You do not need scoring rings, DON'T SCORE, train for a group.
Training on the range use a knife and cut out the target to your acceptable shot size.ie cut the 9 ring out, and shoot thru the hole. any bad shot will show and can be patched, but the good shots are all acceptable 9's or 10's.(and you don't have to patch these).
Train for technique, not score, the score will just happen.

[Isabel1130]

If for home training, all you need is a reduced black centre. You do not need scoring rings, DON'T SCORE, train for a group.
Training on the range use a knife and cut out the target to your acceptable shot size.ie cut the 9 ring out, and shoot thru the hole. any bad shot will show and can be patched, but the good shots are all acceptable 9's or 10's.(and you don't have to patch these).
Train for technique, not score, the score will just happen.

I tend to agree with David. The bull is a distractor and if you want to learn how to focus on the sights, most of the time you should be shooting the back of the target. i.e. a blank piece of paper. I realized how distracted I was getting by the bull and my shooting now is 90 percent blank pieces of paper at home, as is my dry firing Isabel.

[David Levene]

If for home training, all you need is a reduced black centre. You do not need scoring rings, DON'T SCORE, train for a group.
Training on the range use a knife and cut out the target to your acceptable shot size.ie cut the 9 ring out, and shoot thru the hole. any bad shot will show and can be patched, but the good shots are all acceptable 9's or 10's.(and you don't have to patch these).
Train for technique, not score, the score will just happen.

I tend to agree with David. The bull is a distractor and if you want to learn how to focus on the sights, most of the time you should be shooting the back of the target. i.e. a blank piece of paper. I realized how distracted I was getting by the bull and my shooting now is 90 percent blank pieces of paper at home, as is my dry firing Isabel.

For many years I would have agreed 100% with David M and Isabel. Everything in my shooting was done with the goal of winning matches.

I was forgetting however that for a large number of shooters that is not the goal. They just want to enjoy shooting for it's own sake. If all they have is a reduced shooting distance then why should they not be able to get similar score feedback to those who are shooting in matches at the correct distance.

[Spencer]

depending on where you aim on the target, your pistol and ammunition in your hand, etc., it is unlikely that the elevation will be the same for the event distance and your shorter training distance.

One solution is to use a proportionally reduced target aiming mark with no scoring rings and 'score' using an overlay with the correctly reduced rings on your group.

[Ricardo]

Your point of aim should be higher than the regulation 1.40 m when you shoot at reduced distance. Using trigonometry, I came up with a formula that will tell you the height of the target center necessary to maintain the same arm position you use at 10 m. The formula is:

TH = [(10.00 - SD)/10] [EH - 1.40] + 1.40

Where TH is the adjusted center of the target, SD is your shooting distance, and EH is the height of your eye when in shooting position. For 5m the formula reduces to

TH = 0.5(EH - 1.40) + 1.40

For 7m (close to your 22 ft) it would be

TH = 0.3(EH - 1.40) + 1.40

All measurements are in meters, with two decimals; ie counting millimeters.