What's your favorite 25 and 50 yard handgun target?

[waco]

Paper targets for handguns with iron sights. I would like to see examples of what kind of targets everyone likes, and why. Are there some designs that lend themselves better for iron sights? Also where you got them. Can they be printed off the web?
Thanks in advance.
Waco

[docone31]

I like paper plates. After the first round, I try to hit the hole. Shows me patterns.

[waco]

I like paper plates. After the first round, I try to hit the hole. Shows me patterns.
I like it! Nice and cheap!

[Nicholas]

cheaper = printer paper, permanent marker, and big stapler. Cover as large a target area as needed; draw whatever target you like. Clean up after and take relevant labeled sheets back to the house for record. Want to get fancy, then splurge on those stick-on target dots in assorted sizes from 1 to 3 inches. Works for me.

[fivegunner]

I like the upside down( T) I made a jig to place over the printer paper and spray paint with (flat black) the T. If you try it I bet you would like it! . remember the T is upside down . makes it easy to line up iron sights. the width of the T is one inch:Fire::Fire::Fire::Fire:

[tazman]

I can't see well enough to aim properly much beyond 45 feet without a scope or other optical sight so 50yards with iron sights is pretty much out of the question for me.

The target is a black ring about 3" in diameter with a small white aiming dot in the center superimposed over a crosshair.
113426
It can be downloaded from gunloads.com. I would link to the target but gunloads.com seems to be under construction at the moment.
They have a bunch of targets that are good aiming targets.

[EMC45]

I like paper plates. After the first round, I try to hit the hole. Shows me patterns.
Same target and same technique here.

[Low Budget Shooter]

I like these: http://www.targetz.com/targetzlib/10132.pdf I save old sheets of paper printed on one side, no longer needed. When my laser printer is running out of toner, making light streaks, but not yet out, I print up a bunch until the toner is almost gone.

[williamwaco]

I can't see well enough to aim properly much beyond 45 feet without a scope or other optical sight so 50yards with iron sights is pretty much out of the question for me.

The target is a black ring about 3" in diameter with a small white aiming dot in the center superimposed over a crosshair.
113426
It can be downloaded from gunloads.com. I would link to the target but gunloads.com seems to be under construction at the moment.
They have a bunch of targets that are good aiming targets.


You "Can't see well enough" ? ? ?

TAZ, who are you kidding?

Looks like you can see plenty good.

[williamwaco]

I make a 3.5 inch round circle with my word processor it has a wall thickness or .5 inch. This leaves a white circle of 2.5 inches in the middle. Print on the back of used printer paper.

Cost almost nothing.

Looks like this


O


only three and a half inches wide.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i know you said paper but i use a 2" 6" & a 10" steel gong for most of my shooting
except for sight in but after that its AR500 steel

[dubber123]

I made some 1/4" plywood templates with my Forstner bits, and use flat black spray paint. 1" for 25 yds., 2.5" for 50 yds. Aim right at the bottom of the dot for consistency. Too big of a target makes for bigger groups for me.

[C. Latch]

Inside of 25-30 yards I can use most anything as an aiming point. Beyond that, I need something that really stands out. Orange stickers on white or black backgrounds work pretty well, but my eyes limit me.

My favorite target BACKING, though, is to go out the day after every election and help clean up the campaign sign trash on the roadsides. Grab a few signs, a few holders, and use the signs for targets if they have suitable lettering' once that's exhausted you can staple, glue, or tack printer paper to them; once they're completely shot up you can use heavy corrugated cardboard in place of the plastic.




edit to add:

My favorite longer-range handgun target is a big steel plate painted white, and I just aim at the center of it.

[Artful]

Paper targets for handguns with iron sights. I would like to see examples of what kind of targets everyone likes, and why. Are there some designs that lend themselves better for iron sights? Also where you got them. Can they be printed off the web?
Thanks in advance.
Waco

I use different targets for different purposes - what are to trying to do?
Most of the targets I use are training for social purposes these days.
Circular NRA Bullseye are good for groups if you use the Navy hold (6 o'clock).
So B-27,
https://www.letargets.com/images/b-27s-black.jpg
http://btckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site2969/Self%20Defence/Big%20Bad%20Guy.jpg
or similar type.
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/19/cf/2b/19cf2b474ab8148c9c1399bd94eb5596.jpg
or
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/9a/0a/32/9a0a3208a1f5558d3d9de2674c8e83ab.jpg

[waco]

I was mainly talking about load development and accuracy testing from a rest.

Thanks guys.

[JWFilips]

For Pistol at 25 yds: I like a 1" black dot, when using front post type sights ( "Pumpkin on the post"). 1" because "Aim small miss small" It really works for me....... from .22 rimfire up to 357 mag.
But if I use any gun with a dot type sight I'm screwed! I do not shoot well like that . On my R1 1911 I need a minimum 4" black bull just to locate the white dot on the front sight. The gun shoots very well .........but I don't shoot the gun very well because of that type of front sight

[Rifle 57]

I just go to Walmart or Sam's and buy a cheap roll of freezer wrapping paper and a can of red or black spray paint,and make a stencil out of a piece of card board and spray on round 2 or 3 inch dots and start shootin!!

[Artful]

Check your Newspaper - rollends provide cheap paper - and get one of the big Markers and a lid to draw around - about the cheapest way I know.

Or if you don't mind square/diamond - get the black target pasters and stick on it (buy gum - they taste nasty when you lick'em)

[tazman]

You "Can't see well enough" ? ? ?

TAZ, who are you kidding?

Looks like you can see plenty good.

That target was shot at 15 yards. I would be lucky to hit the paper at all at 50yards.

[oldfart1956]

Waco for much of my shooting I use the archery 3-spot targets. I get them for 40 cents each and even found a pile of the at a flea market this past weekend for 20 cents each. Some printers might be more frugal but mine sucks ink like a politition does money. Another tip, take a piece of printer paper, lay it flat, draw a line from corner to corner and again from the other corner to corner. Now cut it out. You have 4 triangle shaped targets, 2 large, (50yd.) and 2 small for 25yd. What I do is take a piece of cardboard and staple it to the backers and then staple the triangles UPSIDE down. Like a pyramid standing on its point. Aim at the little point. It's much easier to focus on the triangles and the wide part (top) brings the focus down and accents left and right. It will make sense when you try it. :) For cheap cardboard backers I get the 4ft.X4ft. pieces off the pallets in at work. For 100yd. rifle (not relevent to the post) my triangles are 18/20 inches wide! Really makes a difference with open sights (trapdoor sprgf.) and even scopes. Audie...the half-blind Oldfart..

[Bullwolf]

I really enjoy the downloadable printer targets.


3 of my favorites from Targetz.com
http://www.targetz.com/

Targetz.com #10144
http://www.targetz.com/targetz-thumb/10144.jpg
http://www.targetz.com/targetzlib/10144.pdf

Targetz.com # 10087
http://www.targetz.com/targetz-thumb/10087.jpg
http://www.targetz.com/targetzlib/10087.pdf

Targetz.com #10143
http://www.targetz.com/targetz-thumb/10143.jpg
http://www.targetz.com/targetzlib/10143.pdf

Most look fine even when printed in black and white.

Targets From Lyndenhuggins.com
http://www.lyndenhuggins.com/hunting/info/targets/targets.htm

The Midway downloadable pistol target
http://www.lyndenhuggins.com/hunting/info/targets/midway.jpg
http://www.lyndenhuggins.com/hunting/info/targets/midwaypistol.pdf


Midway downloadable rifle targets
http://www.lyndenhuggins.com/hunting/info/targets/midwayrifle.jpg
http://www.lyndenhuggins.com/hunting/info/targets/midwayrifle.pdf



From MyTargets.com
http://www.mytargets.com/
Basic Grid target
http://www.mytargets.com/tntarget102gridsquarecenter.gif
http://www.mytargets.com/target102%20grid%20square%20center.pdf


From NSSF.org
http://www.nssf.org/shooting/targets/
Generic Bulls eye target
http://targets.s3.amazonaws.com/images/Bullseye1.jpg
http://targets.s3.amazonaws.com/PDF/Bullseye1.pdf

There's quite a few I like on Gunloads.com too.
http://www.gunloads.com/
Sadly the Gunloads site links aren't working atm, or are under construction.

Some of my favorite targets from Gunloads. "Fading Center" with a red target dot in the Bulls eye, and "Shoot the red stars out" like the game played at the Fair.

Fading Center from Gunloads.com
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=111470&d=1406079734&thumb=1





- Bullwolf

[tazman]

Thanks for posting those. There are some I haven't seen before.

[Cornbread]

I use printer paper and I take a canning jar lid with no seal and run my kids green coloring marker around the inside of it while holding it on the paper. Makes a perfect circle about 2.5" in diameter. Then I give them to my kids and they fill them in with bright green crayon. Shows the holes real well. I just tack them to a pallet that I have set up on my home range to hold targets. pallet was free as it came with something I had shipped to the house once. I tack it up so that the green dot sits between slats, that way the pallet doesn't get all shot up and fall apart.

[DrCaveman]

Ive been spray painting a big ol' black triangle, pointed down, onto brown cardboard. Easy to pick out the point of aim, and you just mask it off and paint. Imperfections dont matter, its the crisp point at the bottom im aiming for

Circles have given me fits, why aim for an imaginary center when you can give yourself a true POA?

[9.3X62AL]

I like the point-downward triangle target for iron-sight work with handguns.

[Rick B]

I use old white blueprint sheets, 11" x 17". I then staple a black square of the proper size, that matches the width of the front sight. I cut the squares from black poster board. 3" to 7" squares work well at 25 to 50 yards. Vertical aiming error is very easy to eliminate using these square targets. Wish I would of used these years ago
Rick

[1johnlb]

I know the OP said paper, but I hate shooting paper at 25-30yds with my pistols. I shoot clay pigeons, sit up on the berm. Its nice when you can find them on the skeet range. If I miss,:roll: about half the time the pigeon will start to slide or roll down the berm, giving me a moving target. That's much more fun, than shooting at a lifeless piece of paper. Save the paper for long range rifles.

[waco]

Waco for much of my shooting I use the archery 3-spot targets. I get them for 40 cents each and even found a pile of the at a flea market this past weekend for 20 cents each. Some printers might be more frugal but mine sucks ink like a politition does money. Another tip, take a piece of printer paper, lay it flat, draw a line from corner to corner and again from the other corner to corner. Now cut it out. You have 4 triangle shaped targets, 2 large, (50yd.) and 2 small for 25yd. What I do is take a piece of cardboard and staple it to the backers and then staple the triangles UPSIDE down. Like a pyramid standing on its point. Aim at the little point. It's much easier to focus on the triangles and the wide part (top) brings the focus down and accents left and right. It will make sense when you try it. :) For cheap cardboard backers I get the 4ft.X4ft. pieces off the pallets in at work. For 100yd. rifle (not relevent to the post) my triangles are 18/20 inches wide! Really makes a difference with open sights (trapdoor sprgf.) and even scopes. Audie...the half-blind Oldfart..

I love this idea! Thanks. I'll give it a try.
Waco

[Thumbcocker]

Cheap paper plates.A friend had a stamp made for me that makes a nice orange circle. Any office supply store can make you a circle or square stamp. Lots of targets from a stamp pad and a bottle of ink.

[waco]

Waco for much of my shooting I use the archery 3-spot targets. I get them for 40 cents each and even found a pile of the at a flea market this past weekend for 20 cents each. Some printers might be more frugal but mine sucks ink like a politition does money. Another tip, take a piece of printer paper, lay it flat, draw a line from corner to corner and again from the other corner to corner. Now cut it out. You have 4 triangle shaped targets, 2 large, (50yd.) and 2 small for 25yd. What I do is take a piece of cardboard and staple it to the backers and then staple the triangles UPSIDE down. Like a pyramid standing on its point. Aim at the little point. It's much easier to focus on the triangles and the wide part (top) brings the focus down and accents left and right. It will make sense when you try it. :) For cheap cardboard backers I get the 4ft.X4ft. pieces off the pallets in at work. For 100yd. rifle (not relevent to the post) my triangles are 18/20 inches wide! Really makes a difference with open sights (trapdoor sprgf.) and even scopes. Audie...the half-blind Oldfart..

Ill have to try this one!

[marvelshooter]

I glue black paper squares to the clean side of old printer and fax paper. 3" for 50 yard rifle and 4" for 25 yard pistol and 2" oriented like a diamond for 100 yard scope work.

[Larry in MT]

At 25 yards; I shoot at the hardened face of an old exhaust valve, hung from a stand with a piece of electric cable. It's 2 1/2" in diameter and reacts when I hit it. I live in the country, so I leave it set-up behind the shop.

Shooting at that old valve both helps my concentration and relaxes me -- if that makes sense.

[dragon813gt]

Somehow I have a picture of all of it at once :)
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/Reloading/F4A90244-AD23-4C2D-9536-41A6B5DB023B-646-0000009351C14C11.jpg

Shooting paper is boring. Pretty sure the paper target was at 50 yards. I know the refrigerant jug was at 150 yards.

For actual load development I use this printable target.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/TimeToMakeAmmo/C1937411-9796-4D7E-ACBD-539E066647BD-34896-00002028845E547B_zpsb8c28440.jpg

I use the copier at work so it costs me nothing. I run off hundreds at a clip. I have a bunch of other ones as well that are specifically for load development w/ rifles at different distances.

[Comrade Mike]

My hundred yard iron sight target is a 4 inch black circle that I spray paint on tag board with a spent roll of duct tape.

Cheap as hell and works great. Perfect contrast

[Bullwolf]

While I like the printable targets, and I do find them fun...

For many years my standard target was a roll of butcher paper, a black permanent marker, and some duct tape.

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/images/products/main/13387/342497/24-x-700-40-lb-white-butcher-paper-roll.jpg

Tear off a rectangle piece of target sized paper, and I draw a circle, square, or whatever on the paper using the permanent marker.

Sometimes I put a piece of duct tape in the center of the target. I would also use a roll of duct tape to cover the hits, when I don't feel like replacing the target.

I use a few 16 penny nails to hold the paper to the front of the disposable hay bails.

While it sound pretty redneck, it works fine.

I have a MUCH higher success rate recovering brass in the barn, than I do outside in the dirt and leaves.

The whole setup allows me to shoot indoors while it's raining too.

If I turn the lights on in the barn, I can even shoot at night.

It has provided me with hours of fun, and many targets.

I have no clue what a roll of butcher paper goes for today. I had a few rolls on hand, and I have not managed to use them up yet.


- Bullwolf

[Cornbread]

I have no clue what a roll of butcher paper goes for today. I had a few rolls on hand, and I have not managed to use them up yet.
- Bullwolf

Good white poly coated freezer paper with the slick poly side for meat and the paper side for facing out runs between $50 and $60 for a 40lb roll. Butcher paper is a lot cheaper. I go through a roll of the poly coat about once every three years. Once every two if I have to butcher more than one elk any of those years. Usually I get 9 - 12 deer plus 3 elk to a roll.

[Lonegun1894]

I go to Walmart a couple days after Christmas, and buy a few rolls of the giftwrap paper they put on sale. The cheaper the better. Then staple up whatever size piece you want, printed side away from me. A lot of it the last few years has 1" squares on the back, so I blacken in a 1" square with a black marker if it's printed like that, or just use a quarter or bottom of a coke can to draw a circle and blacken that in. Usually You can pick these rolls up for 50 cents to a dollar per roll, and I buy several and it usually lasts me til the next sale.

[MtGun44]

I'm with Al - I think a dark triangle, point down provided the best
and most repeatable aiming point for handguns with iron sights.

2nd place is an inverted "T", about 1" wide bars at 25 yds and 2"
wide at 50 yds.

3rd place is a black bull, holding 6 o'clock.

Bill

[4rdwhln]

Some really great ideas here fer sure, I am going to try the inverted T and triangles for group and load development. One of my favorite reactive pistol targets are the used 1 pound propane bottles from the heater used during ice fishing. If shot with the 22 pistols at 25 yards they will usually move around and the rounds will not penetrate it so they last fer a while..22 rifle or anything bigger punches holes tho.. If they have a small amount of gas still in them they can go airborn on the first shot.. Impressed the heck outa the wife one time when it launched 15 feet in the air on the first shot and I was lucky enough to nail it twice more before it hit the ground....some times its better to be lucky.

[Dave C.]

B-6 and B-8.

Dave C.

[Love Life]

2 inch orange dot on a piece of graph paper.

[white eagle]

piece of cardboard with a spray painted dot on it for 50 and 100 yds

[bedbugbilly]

My "favorite" target is the @$#%^&$ woodchucks I've got running around here. More of a challenge than a target at 25 and 50 yards and they "move" to boot! Blasted little critters are multiplying like rabbits! Just don't ask me how many I've hit though - let's just say I don't need to take my shoes off to count! :-)

For paper targets though - I like the ones that can be run off from one of the sites where they offer the free patterns you can print - rather than a "normal" target - I like the crow, woodchuck and rabbit. I also like 6" pieces of 2 X 4 scrap sitting on top of a saw horse. If you want something chsllrnhinh - yskr s 2 X 4 = drill some holes in it and set in suckers. Not saying you'll hit them at 25 or 50 yards but it's fun for shooting closer distances.

[1johnlb]

Some really great ideas here fer sure, I am going to try the inverted T and triangles for group and load development. One of my favorite reactive pistol targets are the used 1 pound propane bottles from the heater used during ice fishing. If shot with the 22 pistols at 25 yards they will usually move around and the rounds will not penetrate it so they last fer a while..22 rifle or anything bigger punches holes tho.. If they have a small amount of gas still in them they can go airborn on the first shot.. Impressed the heck outa the wife one time when it launched 15 feet in the air on the first shot and I was lucky enough to nail it twice more before it hit the ground....some times its better to be lucky.

If you want to impress the wife just throw one of those empty bottles in the fire and back up. She'll be very impressed when cleaning your undies.

[David LaPell]

Playing cards. I shot these at 50 yards from a rest in a $20 bet with my nephew. I won.

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss57/Smith29-2/blackhawkchallenge_zpsafdc4423.jpg (http://s561.photobucket.com/user/Smith29-2/media/blackhawkchallenge_zpsafdc4423.jpg.html)

[30calflash]

I use old white blueprint sheets, 11" x 17". I then staple a black square of the proper size, that matches the width of the front sight. I cut the squares from black poster board. 3" to 7" squares work well at 25 to 50 yards. Vertical aiming error is very easy to eliminate using these square targets. Wish I would of used these years ago
Rick
I've found the same for handgun with sights. A square is easy to align and index to with a patridge sight. IIRC I found 4" @ 25 yds. a little better for my needs.

[MarkP]

114201114202114203114204
The target with (4) circles gives a great sight reference in most light conditions for my eyes with my revolvers at 25 yds. The larger circular target I use at 75 yds. Other two are fun to play with my kids using our 22's.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I have not had a lot of a chance to play with the targets for pistol but what i found for air rifle with an aperture sight was that i liked squares the same size as the width of the sight blade at that distance when that square was sitting on top of the post the same width as it i got my best groups

I keep meaning to make up a sheet with squares that get bigger by the 1/4 inch so that i can post it at the distance i want to shoot and see what target size i should use

I need to try more of this to see how it holds up at a distance

the other thing i found was the sharpest contrast maid for the best aiming so black on white .

i tried orange target dots ,orange is great up close but at 100 yards it reflects enough light it gets blurry at least to my eyes

[M-Tecs]

This has been my choice for the past 12 years !

http://www.fototime.com/2D7DCB69799277B/large.jpg

Jerry

Jerry

I have to ask. The target or the lovely lady holding it?

[Whiterabbit]

search "American target company"

I prefer to shoot standard NRA 25 yard rapid fire postil targets for EVERYTHING. Perfect hunting target. If it is in the black, the animal is dead. At any range.

On that website, it is $37 shipped for 250. I cannot ask for better than that.

[Southern Son]

This has been my choice for the past 12 years !

http://www.fototime.com/2D7DCB69799277B/large.jpg

Jerry

Nice shooting, but is that a handcuff key on her necklace? If it is, I think that I don't want to know any more...........


To the dude who posted the Star Wars targets, I am down with shooting Storm Troopers, and I am not going to tell someone who wants to shoot Wookies not to, but I think that the "X" ring on that Wooky target could get the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Wookies a little worked up.