Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Shooting smaller groups

Makes sense, but they're required to use the official target.

I've monkeyed around with boxes, circles, lining up on edges, et cetera. Nothing beats a properly scaled plus sign, though a properly sized, open centered diamond of correct line thicknesses comes close.

The thing with plus signs, diamonds, squares, etc. (anything that's intended to provide alignment markers for cross hairs) is that they have to be mounted plumb on the back board. If it's off kilter, it'll cause you to cant your rifle when sighting on it. That's why I prefer simple black bullseyes with white centers sized for a particular distance/magnification/reticule thickness. (That's assuming one's reticule is plumb to one's rifle.)

My reticles are plumb, and I hang targets using a level. A trued up plus sign will reveal even a small amount of aiming cant that a bullseye won't.

I'm with the guys that use a black square. I print 'em out in different sizes depending on the distance I'm going to shoot. However, my point of aim is probably different than most since I put the crosshairs on either the lower right or lower left corner of the square.
I never could use or get used to any target with a fluorescent color.
Bear In Fairbanks

I've done the corner of the square routine too, but a custom sized plus sign beats it.

I use a 3/4" black dot target pasters. Think I bought the roll at Sinclairs.

I also plumb the target so I am not canting my gun to match the paper on accident.

Aim small, miss small. Don't make your bullseyes too big or you will loose concentration.

I love these Mountain Plains Targets mentioned earlier. They are heavy with 3 holes punched. THey have all different sizes for all scope powers. Sinclair sells them. I think you can also buy direct.

plain orange on white paper is the wosrt target i've ever used. not enough contrast .

this is what i do ,match your recticle at what ever range you are shooting.i shoot + with 1/4in thick lines at 400yds . 8x32 scope i can see it great and the only way i can't see a bullet hole is if i cut a line perfectly

+1 on using a small level when hanging your targets. We do this when shooting rimfire benchrest, with a 45X scope it is a MUST.

question,why such high mounts on that scope???

You really never get a cheek weld with these. you adjust the rifle with the rest ONLY, then touch the trigger. That's why the rest was $1000. Very anal game, all about the ammo and using the tuner on the end of the barrel. really not that much fun.

Just got back from the range where I shot several groups with diamonds and also some big plus signs.

Comparing these results along with my previous experience shooting at hollow squares has led me to the conclusion that the sure fire guaranteed way to shoot smaller groups is...

Use a higher powered scope!

Seriously, each type of target worked about as well as the next for aligning the crosshairs. The limiting factor was just how well you could see any errors of scope alignment with the center of the square, diamond or intersection of the +. The 9 power scope let me see better than the 6X scope and the 12X scope let me see best of all.

I'll go out on a strong limb here and opine that this is why the benchresters use such high powered scopes like 36X or 45X for their sport.

I read something a while ago about the aiming error inherent in various powers, I forget the exact amounts such as 1/4" aiming error with a 4X, 1/8" possible error at 10X (again, not the exact details but just for an example) but it definitely went down as the scope power went up - assuming a scope capable of decent resolution at 100 yards which is most of them that aren't Wally World specials.

Anyway, bottom line from what I've seen is that any of several different designs work well. Just size them to your scope power. Then as long as you have some decent reference point to align the crosshairs on, the more magnification you can get to resolve aiming errors, the smaller potential groups you can shoot.

For conversation,as it's fresh in my mind...if only because it were an hour or so ago.(grin)

Was playing with a new(to me) Anschutz 54 and needed to scallop the 1pc integral ring/rail(BLK #360),so empties would fly,fly away unobstructed. So the scope came outta th saddle and rail came offa receiver,for the facelift,none of which is a big deal. I never work on sumptin',then not shoot it for confirmation ASAP,because dat's akin to being broken down and that is NOT how I roll.

Anywhoo...I was working with knowed quantities,as the fodder had been proven the day prior,through the very same rifle and I had faith in it's glass(Mk4 M1 10x). So I just hadta torque everything(Gorilla tight everywhere) and poke some holes at 50yd paper.

Started as per my default favorite approach,which is butcher paper wearing black colored dots in accordance to distance,reticle and X's. I like 'em far more svelte than anyone else,but dat's where the Mojo is reliably found. So the first barrage was bearing fruit,as per expectations. I then [bleep] around at the 50yd line,shooting tack heads,nails in the upright position and empty 357Mag hulls set upright.

Yada,yada...no thang.




Remembering that I had some 50' SB targets behind the seat,I poked one on a cardboard backer(butcher paper was stapled directly to tattered particle board,thus the nasty holes) and went to making final zero confirmations. I got lost in the bullseye and I forgot how much I [bleep] hate that orange schit and knew that I was unable to coax rifle/ammo potential,in sucha manner. Walked up,colored a couple/few small black dots and hung fire.

That contrast easily discerned,less any change in terminal tackle. The percentage is huge,though the bad were still tidy.(grin)



I fret reticles,far more than X's and few hate Hubbles more than I.....................

Don't shoot many 4x fixed reticles. Mainly varibles from 1.5 up.

For load development and trigger time I usually use 1" dots on white poster board at 100 yds. Do try to position them with the crosshatch perpendicular and level.



When ya' get old like me and don't seem to be able to concentrate so much, it helps to have a rifle that shoots better than you do. LOL



As for hitting game in the field. JMHO, trigger time and being comfortable with your rifle and load taken with the knowledge of where your first shot out of a cold barrel will impact are much more important than the type of practice target. When you know you know, and you know you know, confidence replaces fear.

Squeeze it easy,

GWB

Well played sir, nice shooting as well.

You just can't keep away from Boxer, can you?

I site in with a 2" black square. Put crosshairs in the lower right, like a carpenter's square, and sight deer rifles to hit the top right corner, ends up 2" high at 100yrds, and very easy to see where to make adjustments as needed.

Square size doesn't matter much when you are sighting on square corners, corners are just as small/precise on a 6" square as they are on a 1" square.

For just punching paper with a duplex reticle I will use a similar target to what you have that allows you to line up the posts. For practicing for game I'll shoot at printable targets that resemble the Game I intend to hunt. I know many use 22LR to practice with and that's fine but I have a 223 that matches my larger bolt guns. I can hand load it with some pretty light and economical practice fodder and it better duplicates my bigger hunting rifles as far as function and feel. Just my opinion.

Interesting approach. I'll have to try that.