Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What was "the American Standard Target"?

The last few years I've collected a few examples of Colt-King Super Target Revolvers, i.e. Double-Action Colt Revolvers tuned with modified short actions and equipped with target grips and sights by the King Gunsight Company of San Francisco in the 1930s or early 1940s.

The 1939 King Catalog has the image of a much-perforated target on the cover and we are told inside D.W. King set a record by scoring 917 out of 1000 on the American Standard Target, shooting one of these revolvers offhand at 200 yards. Another World's Record of 14 successive 10-ring shots offhand at 200 yards on te same target is also mentioned.

Naturally, I'd like to take some 200 yard offhand shots at the same target. Can anyone identify it, or describe how big was it?

These days they'd just post 3 of those shots and call it a record

What are the dimensions of the Standard American Target for 200 yards? Those I have measured lately differ from those I measured some 15 years ago.

Answer (By Major Whelen): The dimensions of the standard American target for two hundred yards are as follows:

12 ring 1.41 inches in diameter
11 ring 2.33 " " "
10 ring 3.36 " " "
9 ring 5.44 " " "
8 ring 8. " " "
7 ring 11. " " "
6 ring 14.80 " " "
5 ring 19.68 " " "
4 ring 26 " " "
3 ring 34.22 " " "
2 ring 46 " " "

The balance of the target, 4 feet wide by 6 feet high, counts one (1).


[The black was 8 inches.]

However, please note that the above dimensions are for shooting from a rest, 11 and 12 rings had to be added to make rested shooting more competitive.

The target for the offhand had the same dimensions, but the smallest ring was the 3.36" 10 ring.

Dam good shooting.

Great! Thanks much. Can you tell me where Towny Whelen published that information?

Is it still possible to buy this particular target anywhere?

Arms and the Man (aka American Rifleman), Volume LXIX, No 23 (August 15, 1922), Page 35.

The target, itself, states a rifle was used - offhand.
????

I believe a Schoyen-Ballard, in 1903. In 1904 the famous Harry Pope tied this record, also scoring 917/1000 at 200 yards offhand. He put 94 of his 100 shots in the 8" black using a .33-cal Stevens-Pope rifle with his own barrel and a telescopic sight. Both records were soon broken.

The NRA 50-yard slow fire pistol target (B6) has the same dimensions, apart from the addition of an X-ring, and it only goes out to the 5 ring.

50 yard slow fire Standard American Target - 8, 9 and 10
rings black. Target No. B-6, B-6(T) is Tag board, B-6(P) is Paper
and 6(C) is Repair Center.

X ring ......................1.695 in
10 ring .....................3.36 in
9 ring .......................5.54 in
8 ring .......................8.00 in
7 ring .....................11.00 in
6 ring .....................14.80 in
5 ring .....................19.68 in

My apologies, in my obsession with King's Super Target Revolvers, I didn't notice that "rifle" reference, and just assumed that the boasted feat had been done (as if by Elmer Keith) with a revolver. Pshaw!
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Goosey, thanks for the reference. You must have a hell of a library.