My “Red Dawn” Target

rjinga

New member
I found this image (full body) while doing a Google search. I liked it because the rendering wasn’t super crisp and defined. I also liked that the figure was standing in a bladed firing position, instead of directly perpendicular with his arms out to his side. I thought both of those characteristics made it more realistic.

I couldn’t find anyone who sold the actual target so I saved the image, started playing around with it, and ended up with this full-size (I think) rendering on 11 x 17 copy paper. It’s 11 x 17 because that’s as big as my local UPS Store plain paper copier goes. However, I did get 25 targets for only $3.75.

FYI - the image does sharpen the farther you move away. And, after about 5 – 6 yds, you can’t (well, at least I couldn’t) really see the rectangles or triangle either. I like that (not being able to see the shapes while firing) because from what I’ve read, and been told by those who’ve been there, enemy soldiers don’t come with aiming focus shapes on them anyway. Wolverines!
 

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Haha those are awesome, love it. Thanks for sharing! I'll have to see how the Sig does against those darn Russians.
 
Here's the image in the 11 x 17 format if anyone wants it.
 

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In an attempt to make it more realistic, and possibly more difficult too, I've cut away the white areas and taped the target into the top of a copy paper box to give it a darker, but still small, background. Be on the lookout for the "Red Dawn" shadow-box target on Amazon real soon! :p
 

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Very well done! Thank you for sharing your ingenuity!

If it can help any, I saw a helpful YouTube video on easy inexpensive silhouette targets.

The man took a pack of what he called butcher paper. For those like me, who are too young to have ever used a butcher, or those who don't know: think a large easel size legal pad style of white paper. He cut out a negative of a silhouette on cardboard and traced it with a quick shot of spray paint.

For switching it up, he also cut out a few negatives of his hands, or a pistol, to represent empty handed hostage and threat, for target identification practice.

I thought it was brilliant, but then again, I'm not so crafty.
 
New & Improved

I think I'm done now. There are three 8.5x11 targets, five 11x17 targets, and two 17x11 targets. I believe that all of these are a life-size rendering of that portion of the body shown on the paper. In other words, put the head target at 15 yds and it looks like a life-size head at 15 yds. Put it at 50 yds and it looks like a head at 50 yds, etc.
 

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11x17

3 of 5.
 

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Remaining 11x17

Last 2 of 5.
 

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I don't get that much on an hourly basis.

But for the time you guys are spending on finding, modifying, and printing these targets, I could find afford a lot of target.
I'm just saying.
Of course, I spent the better part of an hour turning scrap construction fence into tomato cages today. I guess you have to spend the time somehow.
 
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