Target size and accuracy?

M

Monkeyleg

New member
About ten months ago I got back into shooting a .45 offhand after a nearly 15 year hiatus.
Needless to say that, at 49 years with deteriorating eyes and less than steady hands, my targets were nothing to brag about.
But, I've put several thousand rounds through the gun in that time, and have reached the point where I can keep just about all the shots in a 4" black circle at 50 feet, usually with a cluster of a dozen or so in one big hole.

Today at the range, a guy was watching me shoot, and he gave me a target with a 1 1/2"
orange dot on it and said to just concentrate on the dot. To my surprise, my seven shots went into a group just a bit over 2".

Is there anything significant about target size? I guess I never gave it much thought.

Thanks for any replies.

Dick
Want to send Bush a message? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk.petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
A little bit of both. It is like the patriot. Aim small, miss small. First it is an orange target on a black and white back drop. Something to aim at. Next it is a small target to aim at. You shots will be tighter grouped because you are aiming at something not a big 5 inch black spot.
 
I use the orange dot and if I happen to be out at the time I'll run a standard 8.5X11 sheet of copier paper out to 10 to 15 yards. Put a single shot on it and use that for aiming point.. Mark / Fl
 
I have a Laser Printer and print my Own Targets that I got from Midway.... but that trci with the coloured dot sounds like a good one, have to try that. ;)

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PROUD TO BE CANADIAN
 
I am only four years younger than you and I too got back into shooting last summer. My vision will no longer enable me to shoot little tiny targets at long yardages so I am playing a different game. Try USPSA or IDPA and I'll bet you love it. No need for the "perfect" sight picture and it's a blast.

BTW, when I was coaching PPC shooters it was common practice to turn a standard NRA pistol target around so the bullseye was not visible. Some people actually shoot a better group going for the center of mass...a mental thing. Personally, I shoot at the smallest point of aim that is practical when going for group size with rifle and handgun.
 
It's very useful practice to shoot at tiny targets, at 15-30 yards. I do it all the time, and I know some professionals
with real experience who prefer to train this way. After a while, it gives a lot of confidence in hitting the bigger targets consistently. Shooting at huge targets at 7 yards, which is what seems to be popular
in "self-defence" training is just childish.
 
I have looked at eight decades and my eyes are on the flaky side. We use gvt 89467 25 meter zeroing target for M16A1 rifle ( with standard sights ) for self defence drills. The target is 8 1/2 X 11, gridded and has 3 1/2" tall shiloette with 1 1/2" center of mass. Drill with it for a while and the groups will shrink. Not unusual to see one hole rapid fire groups at ten yds.

Beemerb put me on to usin em with pistol and they are fun and cheap. You only need one and a copy machine. Can pair em up on a target hanger and practice tappin two bad guys at a time.

Think small, miss small......works

Sam...my favorite 9mm is the 9X32R
 
Thanks, folks. Went out again today and tried the small orange dots. Didn't get groups any better than with 4" black circle. But it could be the loads (new powder lot), or me, or both. Or the phase of the moon.

I'll keep trying.

Dick
Want to send Bush a message? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk.petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
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