Target psychology.

Muir

Well-Known Member
I was at the range this evening for my off-hand practice and had set up a fancy, store bought life sized deer target to shoot my Tikka 308 at. It's called the "X-RAY" (Champion Mfg) target because the heart and lungs are transposed on the surface of the deer. I was settling in to shoot and it occurred to me that the "x-ray" feature was very distracting. Very "busy". I was really having to concentrate on each shot. I still shot about my average, but it took longer for the rifle to settle.

After the first round of five shots I switched targets to a home made one cut out of brown wrapping paper with just the minimum amount of added art work to illustrate external anatomy-legs, jaw, etc. The kill zone was, as on a deer, blank.

I found this un-cluttered target very easy to settle the reticle on and place (and call) my shots. Does anybody else experience this??~Muir
 
Yes I know what you mean, we have competition here the target is a life size deer target at 200 metres shot prone and 100 m shot standing the target is just a plan reddish brown the number of "hunters" that don't
were the important bit are is amazing, the problem is we only shoot it once a year, many years ago we used to shoot the same target moving at 100m that was a challenge.
Robert
 
I once used some targets that had a life-size colour picture of a roe deer on one side, and a matching diagram of its anatomy on the other: the idea being that you would have to make realistic choices when shooting but could analyse your shot placement in detail when you went downrange afterwards.

Stupidly, I didn't make a note of who'd printed the targets or find out where they'd been purchased from, but I remember being impressed by the way knowing the "answer" was on the back of the sheet made everyone think about trying to shoot the inside of the deer and not just its silhouette.
 
I have found that the target and its relationship with the reticle can greatly influence your shooting especially groups. The best zeroing targets that I have used are the Mountain Plains light blue diamonds.
 
I do just plain black dots of doom for zoeroing ,and then i use a plyboard with half a deer on it that ive drawn copied off half a dozen a4 sheets in plain black marker,
 
I don't see the purpose of trying to shoot groups on a plain, non-symetrical target without a consistent point of aim
The "stalker test" with a deer silhouette is useful to see where people actually shoot in relation to the deer's anatomy but only the guys with 20x or better scopes can see the feint grey ring for the "hit" zone ...

I have also very rarely had a deer stand 90deg side on with both legs lined up and its head up!

The one thing I do think it is useful for is for novices who are fixated on a point of aim and not fixated on the 3D object in front of them
It allows a removal of that and shooting for a "kill zone" which is often much bigger than the accuracy of the rifle or shooter combined.
it is confidence instilling and gives a realistic representation and reinforcement of "centre leg centre chest" shot placement
 
I don't shoot for group tho. The 'group' I measure is the accumulation of as many single shots, if that makes sense. A flat, one dimensional target isn't ideal but i can't see spending $150 on a 3D archery target and shooting it to bits within a month.;)~Muir
 
I find this a really good target to Zero with as you get cross hairs lined up with the four black squares - just get equal yellow all around and squeeze. http://www.remington.com/~/media/Files/Targets/target2.ashx

Field practice - clay pigeons or a gong are excellent as just hold on and squeeze. When shooting live deer it's much more important to get bullet through vitals than shooting a tight group, hence use a slightly bigger target and concentrate on bring rifle up onto sticks and squeezing and not worrying re that last fraction of a mm.
 
I have used a simple black and white target. Got them from a guy on eBay.
had good service and cheap, plus do the job.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Deer-Stalking-Shooting-Target-/191577272537?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2c9ae530d9

 
When I was training my son and his friend for their first deer hunting, I took the brown corrugated deer targets used for archery practice in front of a solid foam backstop, and put them out in grass and woods ( with a backstop, of course ), so they could learn to pick a spot where there is not little spot. Archery is good training for this, so they caught on quickly, and could soon put bullets where I told them to hit. The targets are cheap, and can be patched with a piece of grocery bag and a glue stick.
 
I once used some targets that had a life-size colour picture of a roe deer on one side, and a matching diagram of its anatomy on the other: the idea being that you would have to make realistic choices when shooting but could analyse your shot placement in detail when you went downrange afterwards.

Stupidly, I didn't make a note of who'd printed the targets or find out where they'd been purchased from, but I remember being impressed by the way knowing the "answer" was on the back of the sheet made everyone think about trying to shoot the inside of the deer and not just its silhouette.

Look at, http://shop.textalk.se/se/artgrp.php?id=11491&grp=307482
 
Enjoyed this fun target on an A4 sheet at 100yds. Got to practice the neck shots...:D

DSCN1046.jpg


By right most of us should practice more off-hand shooting. I try shoot the 22 every day off-hand but just don't have the time to fire enough rounds.

edi
 
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