Quality targets

S

Scott Evans

Staff Alumnus
At my business property we are working on building a range during our down time. I use it now but at the moment it is just a berm and a few 2x4 with cardboard hung between. When finished it will only be used by family and friends and is not intended for commercial use.
I am looking for ideas and suggestions on what to use for pistol targets. The main thrust will be on defensive pistol shooting. What are some of the better more effective targets you have come across for such training. Why do you like'em; and whear do you get'em?
 
I know that a lot of people use Tactical Teds. Rob can give more info on them as I believe he uses them according to some older posts.
 
I remember seeing a radio control platform which you can mount Tactical Ted onto. Your 7 year old can have Teddy charge, retreat, scoot left or right while you and your buddies blast away. If I can find the info on this robot (about $1.5k), I'll post it as an update. Would make a nice weapons platform for that remote control video operated sniping unit too.
 
Porta Target makes some very good steel silohettes(sp?). They even have a rifle target that's safe to shoot at very close range (less than 10 yards with .308). The "who's who" in the CQB world use Porta. In Gunsite's catalog, it shows someone hammering on the close range rifle target at 3 yards with an M-60!
 
Scott, found this site that has some down loadable targets; http://www.dioso.com
I haven't been able to get them to print out but it could just be me, never did claim to be a rocket scientist when it came to computers ;)
Does anyone know of any other sites to download targets?
 
For "small" (like 8.5 by 11) targets, I print my own. I used to do B+W with my Laser Printer, but now I do color with my Epson Color 800.

I have literally hundreds of different designs, mostly bullseye style, but with all sorts of "cross-hair" enhancements, "pistol sight aligning bars", etc. I just started a new group of "real" picture targets, where I use a picture of some animal, like a rabbit of bear, and use Photoshop to make the target stand out against the background. Sometimes it's more fun to chew out the bunny's eye than a bullseye! (Ouch, sorry!) And I've also made a set of "paper silhouette" targets with the chick. pig, etc. Lot's of fun, but it can be disconcerting to have that Ram in your sights, and when you pull the trigger, a hole the size of a basketball appears in it's chest! (.357 at 25 yds)

So fire up your drawing programs, and make you own targets. Put a 1" circle in the middle, then a 2" cirlce.... :) I've been talking with the local Range owner about doing a "composite" Bad Guy defensive shooting target. Since I can't print those real big Bad Guy targets, I suggested we print the target in pieces, and use something like "photo corners" to hold the pieces togther to make the full size target. (Sticky - self adhesive- corners would work too.) One advantage is that shooters seldom hit the edges of these targets, so after a round of shooting you may only have to place the pieces on the vital zones.

Most of my targets were made on a Macintosh in Illustrator, although a couple are done in Photoshop. I use a lot of purple and blue rings with orange bulls, since my printer runs out of yellow first. I'd be happy to mail one/some to anyone that would like them. Someday I'll set up a Web site and you can preview them, but I'm much too lazy today. :)

Thomas
 
Sorry, I've been kinda ignoring this thread (no offense Scott ;)).. didn't know I was referred to...

If you've been waiting for my to respond, the Tactical Ted targets are pretty cool. I throw a new (old) shirt on them every other session or so put a new hat on them every 4 or 5.
I messed around with makeing them "reactive" teds, but withouth the backing, they are too flimsy.. I haven't bothered to put a backing on them yet.

I found that if you paint them a dark color (dark green works well if you are worried about being un-PC), you can easily tell where the new "hits" are. IO keep a can of spray paint handy and completely coat the hit areas after every few strings of fire. The paint sorta flakes or wears off around the new holes (I shoot mostly flat point .40, it doesn't work so well with 9mm).

Generally speaking I like improvised targets more than pre-made ones. With the tactical Teds around, the standard B-27 has almost become extinct at my range. I like to shoot at business cards or small paper plates. Usually stapled to the the kill zones and heads of Teds or other targets.
I shoot at bowling pins a lot, but they would be messy for an indoor range I guess.

I messed around with those super-plastic targets from Newbold and they were pretty cool. I've bought some the couple years at SHOT Show, I'll probably pick up some more this year. They are hurt a lot more by the sun than by repeated hits with FMJ.

I find an indoor range a bit stifling myself. they lend themselves to standing in front of a target and sqeezing the trigger really well, but often arten't so hot for more dynamic trainging.
 
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