How do you make a load cut a perfect circle out of a paper target?

[Andy]

Just a trivial question here, but couldn't find any comments on it in what I've read. I saw a post over in a previous "cast picture of the month" thread where the guy who won it had a photo of a target where each bullet hole had made a perfectly circular hole in the target. It literally looked just like you had set the paper down on a wood bench and used a hole punch to punch each hole through it.

Here's the photo: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?246677-July-2014-Photo-Submission-Topic-The-Target

I know it is probably not important for many practical purposes (although it would make target scoring easy), but I was curious nonetheless about how that is accomplished. Is it something you get with a certain bullet type at certain velocities or do you have to have a special backing behind the target, or something more?

[Dryball]

It's not a trick. The boolit looks like a Keith style boolit. They are very accurate. Look at the "shelf" near the rim of the case (that's what cuts the clean holes). The clean holes can either be done with Keith styled boolits or semi or full wadcutters too.

[Pinsnscrews]

As the photo says "Lee 105gr SWC" ��

[Bullwolf]

Which is also why the boolit design is a called a Wad Cutter - Because it cuts a nice circle out of the target.

They make scoring easier, especially in shooting sports where hits on the line may be scored differently.

Both full wad cutters, and semi wad cutters tend to cut an even circle out of the paper. Even some truncated cones designs do that as well, where as round nose boolits just tear holes in the paper.


- Bullwolf

[Andy]

Thanks guys, I did read the caption on the photo but I didn't know if maybe there was more to it than bullet type (like what's behind the target), so I gather this is normal any time you are using a SWC or WC bullet?

[Bullwolf]

Yes, the easier scoring (nicely cut circles) and the larger Meplat are benefits of using a wad cutter design. The clean holes in the target are normal behavior any time you are using a full or semi wad cutter boolit.

The only exception I can think of is if your boolit is key holing, or your target is extremely lose on it's backing. Sometimes you can still get some tearing under those conditions, but they will still cut cleaner holes than shooting round nose under the same conditions

In general expect nice clean cut holes in paper targets, when shooting wad cutters.



- Bullwolf

[Lonegun1894]

Like Bullwolf said, make sure the target is flat against the backing board and not loose. And then use a bullet with a sharp shoulder on it like the other guys said, and you will get perfect holes. I even get good sharp holes shooting round balls out of my muzzleloaders if the target is firmly against the backing, but if not, I get tearing even with wadcutters.

[lawboy]

Use thicker paper, or regular paper GLUED to a carboard backer. A thicker target will improve the crispness of the bullet hole edge. This is most noticeable when shooting SWC bullets as they have a nice sharp shoulder that can take advantage of the increased resistance from the thicker target.

[rogerstg]

FWIW, you still get nice clean holes with WC and SWC if the target is hung form a trolly - no backer. As long as it's standard target stock and not copy paper or similar.

[Andy]

Good to know all this, the targets do look pretty slick when it does it.