Which target when testing for the ammo that your rifle likes best? 50 yards checking various brands of ammo. Public range.

I like diamond-style targets for centering my cross-hair. Here are a couple links with several options....

Printable Targets 4 Free

Accurate Shooter target options

The attached Power-Point below are my favorite printable range targets.....

Aim small, miss small. What kind of optic are you going to use. With irons, its more of an issue as to which target you use. With a scoped rifle, it's not much of an issue. Buy some of those orange dots they sell in a pack of 360 and fire away..


I like these because I can aim at the small black diamond in the middle.

tag

Sorry I should have specified: Scoped rifle

I'm cheap. But then again, when I get a chance to spend a few, mostly full days, just shooting a couple times a year, I rack up a lot of targets. I buy a stack of cheap 9" paper plates, mark a big "X" on them with a black Sharpie, turn it 45 degrees so you don't confuse the scope's crosshairs with the target, thumbtack it to a cardboard backer, and go for it.

I do best with small open squares, like benchrest targets. Even when the center is eaten up, the outside bars keep me straight.

I also use contrasting stick-on dots applied to the spendy color-burst targets, lets me get more use from them. I just stick them in an open area for extra aiming points. I pick the size based on the scope.

I use score style targets with 1” bulls, 8 of em when just out fugging around. If serious I use score targets with 1/2” bulls. Don’t have to walk down range as often.

Testing a new lot of TAC22 in fugg around mode.

I just shoot one at white paper, then aim at the hole.

I like it when a fly lands on the target.. But it really fu cks up a good group..

Haha...yep...I agree.

This yellow jacket never knew what hit him.

221 FB at 100 yards - Cooper

Ha!!

Good shooting buddy!! That is my favorite target. Like I said though, it really fu cks up groups. ha ha..

I just use a black Sharpie marker and make several "x" marks on a piece of paper (back side of any target, 5x7 index card, paper plate brown paper bag etc.).

Makes it very easy to put the reticle intersection into the "X" mark on the target for a very consistent/ repeatable for group testing. Low cost too.

My favorite is the Champion Redfield Sight-In Target. When close enough, scope power dependent, I can use each little intersection for pinpoint rimfire shooting. The further the shooting occurs, the larger POI come into use. Today I used the entire target at 1000 yds.

Over the years I've designed about a dozen different targets satisfying the needs of several scopes and a few sets of iron sights. If the dimensions mesh well with one's sights one can do MOA stuff with irons.

I just use what my range supplies.

Electical board with a custom hand made aiming point.
(Free scrap from work, Sharpie aiming point)

A buddy of mine designed a target with 8 black, square bulls with a white center on a half inch grid. The black outline is 1/4” which leaves an open square of 1/2”. The entire bull is 1” across similar to what is on the red/white targets above. Think “window pane”.

Try the 10 and 10 challenge target. It really shows the ability of the trigger puller, the gun, and the ammo.
BSA had a few different versions of the two X test target. I think they were diamonds. It was in the blackrifle challenge post in the AR forum.
The other challenge if you want to try is the ARA factory class target or the USRA IR5050
Both will tell you quickly how your shooting and set up run at 50 yards. I learned a lot trying all three of these target types

Thanks. I will look those targets up. I am working on a couple of 22lr and hope to get to the range soon.

I’ve been buying stickers in various sizes to get more shots out of those spendy “blooming” targets. I stick them all over between the regular bullseyes and also use them to cover previous shots. You get a bunch on a roll, depending on size. Various colors allow easy sighting with different sights and contrast against different background colors.

I prefer dots or squares.

kandpand;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope the day's looking to give you weather you can use and you're well.

Regarding a preferred aiming point I see you've had some wonderful suggestions thus far and I'll try not to repeat any info.

For me it depends upon whether it's sights or an optic being used and then also the power and reticle in the optic. There's a fair bit of personal preference coming into play for me as well, as I don't prefer centering square or diamond shapes, so my default is circles.

This sort of small dot is okay for 5 shot group testing, but to my eyes gets a bit chewed out by round 7 or 8 sometimes and it harder to center effectively.



Sorry that I don't have any photos of what I'm currently trying out, but my method as of late has been to go to the linked website, print up a couple samples of a few different styles and then see what I like with each rifle/scope setup.

https://www.targetz.com/

If all of the test arms have similar optics or sights, then you might settle on one that works for you, but thus far I've found that for instance a 4X scope and a 12X or 16X seem to require me to use different targets to wring out the best results.

Full disclosure I'm a bit of a rimfire rifle addict and run a "variety pack" of different models.



Hopefully that made sense and was useful.

All the best.

Dwayne

bsa1917hunter;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope the day down in Oregon is looking to be a fine one for you so far.

My hunting and shooting buddy uses the stick on targets like that exclusively now and he's totally converted.

Since I've got a whole bunch of different printed targets piled up that I'm stull using, I've not quite joined him, but having tried his I can heartily endorse them for rifles with an optic sight for sure. I've not tried them with open or aperture sights yet is all.

By the way sir, that is one fine and fancy group with your 10/22 at 50yds.

My money pit 10/22 with a Green Mountain barrel has not done that small yet with me behind it. Well to be honest neither has my T1X quite equaled that, so color me impressed!

Funny - or conversely not funny - how much another 25yds makes a difference with a .22 and any wind.

When I see some of the groups shown by folks running Vodoo's and Anschutz even out at 100 yds it very literally gives me something to "shoot for" or "aim for".

All the best.

Dwayne

The Green Monster at 50 yds

Greetings Dwayne.

I suffer from the disappearing bullseye myself at times, but have been known to dial up a bit temporarily to preserve it intact, then hopefully remember to dial it back down for “bidness”.

Pappy348;
Good afternoon my friend, greetings to you and yours.

For sure that's what I do on the ones with the variable powered optics, but for instance in the photo I posted only the two center rifles currently have variables on them

My goodness do I ever hear you on remembering the dials for "bidness".....

Was over at buddy's place dealing with some marauding marmots and we're staked out on either side of a rock pile where it's going to come out. It comes out on my side and buddy is looking at me with the very obvious, "Why aren't you shooting bud?" look..

Well sir, I'm not shooting because not only am I on the wrong power, but the parallax setting is still on 200yds from the range session where I was busting rocks on the target backstops!!

I'm thinking that my eyes have taken a complete dump that day, but no, luckily it was just my memory.

All didn't end well for one marmot later on however, but that was indeed after I'd reset everything back to where it needed to be.

You know I used to think I was sharper at one time in my life, but now I'm not even sure about that being a correct memory of events.

All the best to you all down south.

Dwayne

Dwayne,

Yes, we are all well and the weather is hot, humid, and thundershowers expected but have appeared yet.
I hope that you and your family are doing well?

I am just now getting into 22lr rifles and maybe handguns. I started last year with a TC Contender Carbine with a 22lr match barrel from MGM. I also started squirrel hunting again.

I am wanting to test different ammo in each rifle to see which ammo shoots best. I am going to a public range and want to make the best use of the target and trips to the target.

I am seeing that this can be addictive. You have several nice rifles there. If time allows could you tell me the make and model of each? Also which is your favorite?

I like the target that has 4 2x2" squares black. Like BSA I believe in the aim small hit small theory. My aiming points are the corners of the squares. 4 aim points to each square 16 to each target. You reference your vert crosshair to the side and horizontal to the bottom of the square so the intersection of your crosshairs sits on the corner itself. Aim small hit small. Works for me. Been shooting at 50yds with various kinds of 22lr in my M164 Anschutz and M453 CZ hb for the last 2 days. On the least expensive end cost wise at today's prices Federal Auto Match at 21.16 a 325 rd box is the tits in my CZ. My 164 likes cci std vel.. Got a bunch more to test. Trigger time off my own deck bench rest. Good thread...mb

Dwayne, I see I wasn’t clear about what I meant by dialing up. I was referring to raising the elevation to keep the impacts off the aiming point.

This is typical Geezer behavior on my part, assuming others understand what I mean without giving them enough information. The ideas are in my head, but never quite make it to print. Sometimes I go back and read something I’ve posted and wonder how the Hell I did something like that.😳

Sorry for the confusion.

Pappy348;
Good afternoon sir, thanks for the reply and further clarification.

Please don't apologize for confusion which I brought to the conversation though sir - I tend to do that quite well and more and more frequently.

So far I'm just using dots for distance and haven't gone far enough with a rimfire to dial. It's something that's "on the list" but our gun club range only goes to 200yds and when we shoot longer distances in the mountains there's usually enough wind up there that it makes flinging rimfire bullets somewhat more challenging than centerfires, so that's where I'm at with that as it were.

Regarding conversations in one's head, our eldest often will be working with me on a project and say something like, "Just so we're clear, you haven't explained any part of the plan as yet" and usually that's when I'm beginning to tell her about step 3...

All the best and thanks for the exchange.

Dwayne

kandpand;
Good afternoon to you sir, thanks for the reply.

For sure both because it's less expensive than centerfire and also there's something "special" about shooting rimfires, it can be addictive.

I'd be happy to tell you about the ones in the photo sir.

Left rifle is a fairly odd Brno No 5 made in '58. They were made as training rifles for a few middle eastern countries which were getting Russian support back in that time. Most of them appear to have been sold surplus to Australia and New Zealand, so how that one got up here, I'm not sure. It was a gift from my wife years back and I stocked it myself a few years later.

The 2nd from left is a Lakefield Mk II which is the grandpa of the Savage rimfires we see today. Lakefield Arms was started in Lakefield ON in 1969 and this was bought used for me in about '72 or '73. It's like most of the stuff here in the safe, which is to say heavily modified and tweaked by me. The barrel was shortened, the stock reshaped and the walnut fore end tip and grip cap added, it's been bedded and the trigger's been worked over as well.

The 3rd from the left is a money pit early '80's 10/22. I built it to shoot a particular match we used to shoot at our club and ironically won the match with the Lakefield one year, but never with the money pit! It's a Green Mountain barrel with a Bentz chamber, I added a recoil lug at the front so the lug and barrel are full contact and the action floats. It's had parts put into the trigger, firing pin and extractor as well as the hold open changed so pulling back on the charging handle releases it. Oh, it's got someone's Pic rail on it as well. Forget who made it just now though, sorry.

The 4th from the left is a Tikka T1X that's about the most stock one in the safe. I want to say the grip was changed, but that was a Tikka part. There's supposed to be a rail headed this way for it and if it arrives I'll install a Pic rail and change the rings.

The 5th from the left is an older pre-barrel warning 10/22 Deluxe that had very nice wood for that time period. It went away when someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

The right hand one is a Cooey 75 single shot, which was made by Cooey up here in Canada as a training rifle during WWII. It had a bit of rot in the barrel and no stock, so it got bobbed off, then that's the first thumbhole stock I tried to build. They're a direct pull type trigger so it's smoothed up but not fantastic. The scope is an ancient El Paso T8. It actually shoots better than it should if given what it likes to eat. Certainly not as good as the Brno or Tikka, or even the Green Mountain in the 10/22, but not awful either.

As far as the favorite goes, that's a tough question so I'll say a tie between the Lakefield which I've had for 50 years or the Brno which as mentioned was a gift from my wife way back when it was pretty extravagant for us.

Thanks for the reply again and all the best.

Dwayne

Regarding conversations in one's head, our eldest often will be working with me on a project and say something like, "Just so we're clear, you haven't explained any part of the plan as yet" and usually that's when I'm beginning to tell her about step 3...

😜