Shooting paper

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Prof Young

New member
Shooters:
Okay. Yea I know it's all about personal preference, but if one is only going to shoot paper, why would he purchase anything other than a 22 cal? (And I confess I have a 9mm that I use mostly just to shoot paper.)
Live well, be safe.
Prof Young
 
bigger holes works on targets too ... remember, the smaller hole, the closer to the line it have to be to get the same points :)
 
Recoil junkie?
Love the smell of black powder?
Fond of historic weapons or their lookalikes?
Gangsta wannabe?
Fond of shooting make believe zombies on paper?
All kinds of reasons........
 
Started out as practicing for self defense purposes.

Now it's my version of golf 30 guns plus and growing collection.....:o
 
There are different kinds of paper. I have a stack of papers that represent standard IDPA cardboard targets. Actual cardboard targets can be pricey, bulky, and perhaps not easy to work with if you don't have the right kind of supports. They can get shot up pretty quick too. They only hold up to so many pasters before they really are too ragged. The paper option gives you the A zones well marked and they are great for practice. IDPA shooters fire 9mm, 40cal, 45's and so on. For these kinds of papers, there's no point in shooting a 22 at all. I can set these papers up and can introduce others guys to the sport by simulating an actual qualification match. Standard drills gives a guy a good idea of what to expect and he can readily see how his skills compare in a simulated qualification match without having to attend one. Paper allows us to setup practice matches anytime we want.
 
Because .22LR does not get you used to the recoil of a .45acp or .357 magnum. I prefer to practice with the real loads that I will fire in self defense. A .22lr feels like a BB gun to me.
 
Because shooting paper is a measure of how accurately you are shooting your gun. And it's a nice thing to know with all different guns, not just a .22lr

It's easy to shoot a soda can and say "I hit it!" but with paper you can see if you can keep shooting into the same hole.

When it comes down to it. I have more fun shooing "stuff" than I do shooting paper. But I still shoot plenty of paper.
 
But also don't forget you can go to a number of websites and download free paper targets. Then make copies of them. Some of them are fun targets like billiard balls, dart board, bowling pins and so on. For these kinds of targets you can get into some fun competition with friends and family. But of course, for these papers, the 22 is the right choice. Henry rifles with open sights, shooting shorts, Ruger 10-22's with AO scopes and target turret knobs, auto-loading 22 pistols with red dots....granted, the 22 would rule if this is all the shooting a person did.
 
Because you can reload centerfire target rounds, specifically tailored for your gun.

Because you can participate in paper-shooting run-and-gun games, such as IDPA & USPSA or in formal bullseye shooting, which require a CF.
 
I hope all I ever have to shot again is paper. The only reason I even shoot at paper any longer is to maintain what shooting skills I have left, so I feel it's necessary to practice with the same gun I will be carrying for S/D.
 
I shoot just about every discipline. Paper, although not as exciting as some others, allows you to hone your skills (trigger control comes to mind). With that being said, I will be buying the new ruger 77/357 for some fun 50 yard paper fun!!!

-George
 
Shooting paper is training for shooting assailants. .22 is cheap, but at some point you have to train with the weapon you're going to fight with. I do 1911s. I have a .22LR 1911, and it's fun for plinking. But it handles differently than a 1911 in .45 Auto, so I don't really use the .22 very often, unless I'm in a period of depleted funding and need to get in cheap trigger time.
 
"...why would he purchase anything other than a 22 cal?..." Because .22's aren't allowed in centre fire matches.
"...no point in shooting a .22 at all..." Nonsense.
"....22LR does not get you used to..." Has nothing whatever to do with it. Most people have more trouble shooting a .22 well than they do a .45 or a .357.
In any case, it's not about what you shoot at. It's about how well you can hit what you shoot at. Whether it's a bullseye on a paper target in 10 seconds or a tin can doesn't matter.
l98ster, well said.
 
There is something to having the absolute most accurate delivery of something on target.

I've shot in Army small bore competitions and it's fun to shoot those small bore targets. The entire group may only be ¼" across but you might have a hole in the 9 ring, and it's about how many bulls you nailed and not just 10s.

But there are other challenges. In a Commander's Cup match one time - the teams had to run 2 miles and then step to the line to shoot. On the one hand you could say "why do that if you want to fire accurately?" On the other, you can view it as a challenge.
 
C0untZer0 that's well said too. Running then shooting is Summer Biathlon.
The Commander's Cup a unit thing? Just curious.
 
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