TargetTalk

I have used the horizontal strip target #2805 to help me develop a sub 6 hold in place of the 6 o'clock that I have been using. Does anyone have any experience with these targets for AP? Have you found them useful as a training aid? How do you use them?

Fred

Yes, we have seen those targets in use here too.
Often by people who are not very good at shooting high scores. But by using the unusual Edelman control targets try to impress other shooters by showing off their "advances skills" by using control targets.
The control targets will often get quite some attention from bystanders.

One of the control target-using "wannabes" got a bit worried once at my range. He had quite a few horisontal control targts, but had forgot to bring his vertical control targets.

Until somebody saved his dag by unveiling the fact that by rotating the horisontal target 90 degrees in either direction, voila!, he had his vertical targets. No need to drive back home for targets.

Well. I have tried a few shots at Edelman control targets too, but it did not really catch on by me.
I will appreciate info from users of the control targets. Do they do any good?

Like about any training exercise, using control targets can be useful for achieving specific goals. The horizontal/vertical strip targets can be useful for concentrating on one axis of dispersion. Shooters with a height variation on a conventional target might use it to concentrate on holding shots within the horizontal band, with no score distraction. It is important to have a specific goal in mind before using them, then analyze results and hopefully build on what has been learned.

Perhaps, "guest", people who are not shooting such high scores have the most to gain by using these. And perhaps, even if it's obvious that they really don't know what they are doing, it might be more sportsmanlike to give constructive advice and encouragement to them.

FYI there IS a vertical strip control target; the strip stops 2/3 of the way down the paper, allowing for a sight picture on white target area. You can cover part of the horizontal strip to replicate this, but shooting against a solid vertical black strip does not approximate area aim, in fact it discourages it.

I hope your actual demeanor towards these "wannabes" is very different to the tone indicated in your posting. We're trying to foster this sport, not make it an exclusive club of elites against the plebs.

Warren wrote:. . . shooting against a solid vertical black strip does not approximate area aim, in fact it discourages it.

Warren-
This line confused me- are you saying that using a verticle strip is a bad thing? I've been pondering the occasional use of the verticle strips (wouldn't spend money on them though, when I've got a perfectly good computer printer capable of printing black strips) for some exercises to help me really concentrate on precise lateral sight alignment- is this a bad idea? (Using the the strip that is, not the precise lateral sight alignment part. ;)

Thanks,
Ted

Sorry, this has to be brief as I'm hitting the road for the SHOT show very soon...

My point was, if your normal sight picture is black sights on white target, you shouldn't introduce a solid black strip (top to bottom) because it will give a defining aiming mark on the target - which will encourage you to try to "see" where your sights are in relation to that point. By all means have a vertical strip, but have it go maybe 2/3 of the way down from the top, to keep a more conventional sight picture. Keeping shots within a vertical strip means keeping a LOT of concentration on alignment of front and rear sights. Bringing in a third element (or sighting point) will make it unworkable.