[Bob Wright]

I've come to the conclusion most folks aren't better shots because they pick very large targets to shoot at. I see many novices pick the large silhouette and continue to practice with that.

When I got my first .22 Rifle as a youngster, my targets were Prince Albert tobacco cans salvaged from the trash pile. The white oval made a pretty good bullseye, in my opinion.

Then one day my uncle saw me shooting at these and chided me for using such a large target. He turned the cans edgeways to me to present a smaller target. Later it was burnt matchsticks stuck up in a log. Then trying to strike a match with a bullet. I got to be pretty good with that Marlin .22, simply because the smaller targets made me concentrate more on the basics of markmanship.

When I finally got my .45 New Service (At the sum of $32.95) I went back to Prince Albert cans turned edgewise. Never struck a match with my .45, but I became a reasonably good shot with a handgun.

Maybe ya'll might try my method?

Bob Wright

 

[CA357]

Aim small, miss small.

 

[aikimo]

I am new to guns and my instructor said the same thing.. Do not buy the huge human target and shoot all over the place with lots of rounds (as many other guys do at my range). He said choose a small target, aim small, miss small I am trying to follow his instructions.. This is great fun!

 

[WebleyFosbery38]

I've come to the conclusion most folks aren't better shots because they pick very large targets to shoot at. I see many novices pick the large silhouette and continue to practice with that.

When I got my first .22 Rifle as a youngster, my targets were Prince Albert tobacco cans salvaged from the trash pile. The white oval made a pretty good bullseye, in my opinion.

Then one day my uncle saw me shooting at these and chided me for using such a large target. He turned the cans edgeways to me to present a smaller target. Later it was burnt matchsticks stuck up in a log. Then trying to strike a match with a bullet. I got to be pretty good with that Marlin .22, simply because the smaller targets made me concentrate more on the basics of markmanship.

When I finally got my .45 New Service (At the sum of $32.95) I went back to Prince Albert cans turned edgewise. Never struck a match with my .45, but I became a reasonably good shot with a handgun.

Maybe ya'll might try my method?

Bob Wright

great advice Bob!

 

[winds-of-change]

I have used all kinds of things as targets. But, as a novice shooter, I don't want to get discouraged. I like aiming for the bulls eye on a traditional target but I have also shot at knots in a rope tied between two trees, empty shot gun shells, etc. If you give a very new shooter the side of a snuff can to shoot at, it might be a lesson in aggravation making the sport unpleasant for that person. I agree, we should challenge ourselves as we progress. One has to crawl before one can run.

 

[Bob Wright]

I never got aggravated~just more determined!

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

The side of a snuff can? I don't ever remember seeing snuff sold in cans, it was always in those brown bottles.

Not until snuff became a "boy" thing did I ever see snuff in a can.

Bob Wright

 

[GeneralPatton]

I get the large targets at the range, then stick a 6 inch splatter target on it before shooting. I add more 6 inch splatter stickies all over it for multiple clean targets. I guess I could do without it, but it's only a buck and it supports my local range, since my after membership dues I never spend a dime other than the occasional box of rounds.

 

[jgoertz]

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[jgoertz]

I get them out of the trash.

 

[Vincine]

A buck gets me a couple of hundred small index cards at the dollar store. They have larger index cards too. Also small & large paper plates. Another buck gets me a whole bunch of small round colored stickers.

 

[GeneralPatton]

.........
.........

Exactly like that.

A buck gets me a couple of hundred small index cards at the dollar store. They have larger index cards too. Also small & large paper plates. Another buck gets me a whole bunch of small round colored stickers.

I could agree with that, but I shoot at an indoor range and even though I am a decent shot, I'd rather not hit the target system hanger or guideline and spend $50 to have it repaired. But I do sometimes take those little colored stickers and make them may target in a corner of the paper. I just recently bought 150 or so targets from DVOR. 100 of the 100 yard official target, and 50 of the Birchwood-Casey 6 inch stickies

 

[Jagermeister]

Small paper plates. They are cheap and the right size to place in vital areas of the body. One for the head, one for the heart cavity and one in the pelvic area to include the lower backbone. Student should start no further than 10-15 feet to learn control and skills.

 

[hairbear1]

I learnt to shoot when I was a kid with a Russian Baikel air rifle .177. I went through at least 5-6 mainsprings and God knows how many pellets and how many of mum's clothes pegs at ranges around 10-15yds.

I got that good that I was starting to have a crack at the cabbage butterflys and was starting to mount a reasonable tally on them although the dad's cabbages were starting to look a bit ordinary.
I then started hooking into the local Starling and Sparrow populations with great gusto and in 1 year shot something like 400 Starlings and Sparrows.

After a few years dad bought me a BSA Meteor Super .177 air rifle and that really started to wreak havoc with the local Sparrows and Starlings plus I then started to learn how to sneak up on rabbits and head shoot them.
Still got this air rifle and my son has now started to hook into the Sparrows as well.

After a few more years(was now 14) dad bought me a new Stirling(Squibman) .22 rimfire and that got me into the rabbits big time and
now I've got a heap of centrefires and rimfires.

Shooting at things like bottle caps and tin cans is one of the best ways to teach a kid trigger control and breathing plus a few 100 rounds of .22 ammo to help them on their way,regards

 

[Kraj]

I print targets from online, then copy them at the store for nine cents a target. I could have one target on the page of 12 depending on what I'm shooting with and what my goal is. (timed handgun drills/long distance rifle)

 

[Vincine]

. . but I shoot at an indoor range . .

I shoot at an indoor range too, but it's just a small club. We have a wall of Homasote that gets replaced every now and then. I didn't think of hangers.

 

[Jagermeister]

A buck gets me a couple of hundred small index cards at the dollar store. They have larger index cards too. Also small & large paper plates. Another buck gets me a whole bunch of small round colored stickers.

Exactly! That is the way to go.

 

[Intheshop]

Sure,aim small miss small.........but I've never seen a "target dot" on a live Deer?

So,if you are using ANY point of reference(target dot,paint blob,etc)in training for hunting....then you are leaving something on the table.Aim small,miss small is a notion that you can blank out the "whole" and focus on a "spot" that ain't marked.

Very deep subject to be sure.....LOT's of ideas and theory's over the ions of time we have been shooting,"stuff".One of my alltime favs is something that's consider'd very normal in shooting traditional archery tackle(no sights,very similar to shotgun sports)...to the point of being VERY encouraged.We shoot at night,where the only thing being lit up....is the target.And sometimes not even that.And NO,this isn't poaching practice,haha.It builds "instinct".How do you think most "trick shooter's" shoot?You think they're getting a perfect sight picture everytime?

 

[Jagermeister]

Sure,aim small miss small.........but I've never seen a "target dot" on a live Deer?

So,if you are using ANY point of reference(target dot,paint blob,etc)in training for hunting....then you are leaving something on the table.Aim small,miss small is a notion that you can blank out the "whole" and focus on a "spot" that ain't marked.

Very deep subject to be sure.....LOT's of ideas and theory's over the ions of time we have been shooting,"stuff".One of my alltime favs is something that's consider'd very normal in shooting traditional archery tackle(no sights,very similar to shotgun sports)...to the point of being VERY encouraged.We shoot at night,where the only thing being lit up....is the target.And sometimes not even that.And NO,this isn't poaching practice,haha.It builds "instinct".How do you think most "trick shooter's" shoot?You think they're getting a perfect sight picture everytime?

As I said it is good for students to learn control and basic skills. For hunting, I practice on a running boar, fox and rabbit targets. I had to be able to hit the heart chamber 3 out of 5 times at 100 meters as part of my hunting license exam. For shotgun I had to hit a running rabbit 6 out of 10 times. The running rabbit was actually a skeet clay target rolling and bouncing on the ground at the speed of a running rabbit. So, I was not even shooting at a life size rabbit.

 

[Rentacop]

Aiming at small targets is great. It still pays to mount that small target onto a large piece of paper so you can see your misses .
I'm a little tired of seeing humanoid targets everywhere anyway. Sometimes its about bullseyes, precision, accurate guns, discipline, long range and cameraderie . It isn't always about combat accuracy, a fast draw and hitting somewhere in the "5 point" zone .


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