Design of targets

[Die Judicii]

Forgive me for being ignorant (at least I admit it) on this matter, but I'm looking for reasons, and history on the matter.
The only time I've ever shot at a range was as a guest at a pistol club.

To me it seemed ridiculous, and I couldn't fathom any reasoning behind why,,,,,,,,, but was told "That's the way it's always been done."

So I'm asking,,,, why are the paper targets (bull or aimpoints) printed in black ?

When the sights on pistols/rifles are also black or similar.
I could not get my head around trying to aim at something black,,,,, with a black foresight.

Even the average scopes have black reticles.
If I'm out zeroing my rifles I use cardboard targets with the center bull/target marked with white marking fluid,,, which is a breeze
to use when having a black reticle overlaid on the target.

So why are the average targets black on white,,,,, when its much better to have white on black or other color ?

[Oldbloke]

I'm hearing ya. Plainly stupid.


White makes sense. I just use red stickers from office works or ebay.

[Oldbloke]

Heaps of targets if you google it. I made up this one years ago. BandW printer is all thats needed. But use the stickers now.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30476840063 ... media=COPY

Target Square 2.pdf

(17.66 KiB) Downloaded 284 times

[deye243]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

[Oldbloke]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

Good/fair point.

[bladeracer]

Forgive me for being ignorant (at least I admit it) on this matter, but I'm looking for reasons, and history on the matter.
The only time I've ever shot at a range was as a guest at a pistol club.

To me it seemed ridiculous, and I couldn't fathom any reasoning behind why,,,,,,,,, but was told "That's the way it's always been done."

So I'm asking,,,, why are the paper targets (bull or aimpoints) printed in black ?

When the sights on pistols/rifles are also black or similar.
I could not get my head around trying to aim at something black,,,,, with a black foresight.

Even the average scopes have black reticles.
If I'm out zeroing my rifles I use cardboard targets with the center bull/target marked with white marking fluid,,, which is a breeze
to use when having a black reticle overlaid on the target.

So why are the average targets black on white,,,,, when its much better to have white on black or other color ?

In target or precision shooting you generally hold six-o'clock. Zero the pistol so that when you sit the black bull on top of the front sight, your bullets hit the centre of the bull. In the 25m Centrefire course of fire you use two targets, one is a 200mm bull, the other is a 500mm bull. Most of us don't adjust our sights for a six-o'clock hold on both, but the good shooters will adjust the sight to give them either a six-o'clock hold on both, or a point-of-aim hold on the big bull. The smaller target is shot statically, the larger one is turned away, and turns to face you for three seconds for you to shoot it. In 25m Rapid Fire Rimfire you have five targets that all turn to face you for as little as four seconds, in which time you bring the pistol to aim, get a sight picture, and put one shot on each of the targets...all in four seconds, standing one-handed.

Some of the better pistols have an adjustable sight system specifically for different diameter targets. The ones I've seen give four positions, so you just turn the sight to the correct position for that target. The Service Pistol target is a huge vertical oval, 750mm tall by 450mm wide, all black. In Service, and all other "practical" disciplines you zero to point of aim, as you would with a hunting rifle. Yes, it can be very difficult to see your black sights against a black background. One Stage of Service is instinctive, no aiming, so the sights don't matter for that one

[Wapiti]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

That's it alright, but to a field shooter who is looking at a pinpoint hit, it's lame.

Still doesn't solve the issue of black cross-hairs in a conventional scope, aiming at a black target.
Maybe that's why precision targets aren't black, they are colours that show the contrast of black over a lighter colour.

[deye243]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

That's it alright, but to a field shooter who is looking at a pinpoint hit, it's lame.

Still doesn't solve the issue of black cross-hairs in a conventional scope, aiming at a black target.
Maybe that's why precision targets aren't black, they are colours that show the contrast of black over a lighter colour.

Well I've been doing it since I was six with open sites you get to see your entire Target and it is very precise similar to using a peep sight you stick the neck or the head of what you want to kill on top of your foresight and let them have it I also six o'clock hold with a scope and I hit a lot of stuff waylay out in the boonies won't say what because there's a whole thread on here s*** Canning it

[deye243]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

Good/fair point.

In ISSF back in the 90s we were taught to use the area hold principle not six o'clock hold where you actually aimed about three to four inches below the bull so there was a visible white area directly between the bull and your foresight theory was your eyes would see that area grow larger or smaller and gave a better Precision shot I personally didn't like it.

I preferred the six o'clock hold but with the rigidity of coaches back in those days soon ignored them and did it me own way and shot myself into A and b B grade including free pistol standard gun sport pistol centerfire and air pistol.

[Die Judicii]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

Good/fair point.

In ISSF back in the 90s we were taught to use the area hold principle not six o'clock hold where you actually aimed about three to four inches below the bull so there was a visible white area directly between the bull and your foresight theory was your eyes would see that area grow larger or smaller and gave a better Precision shot I personally didn't like it.

I preferred the six o'clock hold but with the rigidity of coaches back in those days soon ignored them and did it me own way and shot myself into A and b B grade including free pistol standard gun sport pistol centerfire and air pistol.

As I said Mate,,,, I've only ever shot at a small country pistol club range (once in my life)
And, NO I'd never heard of 6 and hold,,,, and nobody bothered to try explain it to me.

As a field shooter that whole concept seems just plain DUMB.
So, according to that practice I should re zero all my rifles so that next time with a fox, dog, feral cat, I should aim at the blade of grass in the foreground.


As you say, in the ISSF you aim where the white area is to get a better precision shot.

Seems like it would be far simpler in the first instance if the targets were white on black to start with. (Just sayin)

[Tinker]

That's a very good point.
Military .303 targets were usually a 'tin hat' semicircle, so a 6 oclock hold with a black post foresight would be dead-on.
Fullbore targets for 7.62mm then became a solid black circle, for use with a rear peep and a front ring sight, which made sense.
SLR targets were usually a 'head & shoulders' appearance, which again facilitated a 6 oclock hold.
SSAA targets are usually red or blue.
I agree - white on a black background would make far more sense, and easier to see the holes.

[Wapiti]

Ever heard of a 6:00 hold

Good/fair point.

In ISSF back in the 90s we were taught to use the area hold principle not six o'clock hold where you actually aimed about three to four inches below the bull so there was a visible white area directly between the bull and your foresight theory was your eyes would see that area grow larger or smaller and gave a better Precision shot I personally didn't like it.

I preferred the six o'clock hold but with the rigidity of coaches back in those days soon ignored them and did it me own way and shot myself into A and b B grade including free pistol standard gun sport pistol centerfire and air pistol.

Heck I'm not sh*t canning a 6 o"clock hold at all, I spent many nights at the Belmont pistol club, and too many late ones putting targets away after everyone else f**ked off and left it to someone else.
It works fine at set ranges, like on a pistol range, where you know the bead size in relation to the bull size. There's only so many set target distances to memorise.
However, field shooting is completely different to me than a range, where it's god-knows-what range at an instant, then something completely different 10 mins later as far as you can hold. 6 o'clock sucks then.

[GQshayne]

I only use targets for sighting in, as I do not like going to the range (just the bush for me), so no target shooting for me. I print out my own targets, and they have a faint grid over the whole target with a more pronounced cross in the middle. No circles and no bullseye. I then place the reticle exactly over the target cross. Best target I have ever used.

[Oldbloke]

Isn't it now obvious.

What's needed for scope is different to open sights.

[Fester]

Yeah, the 6 works for pistols and open-sighted levers or 303s, but I am not sighting a scoped rifle inches low.

The best part about one of the SSAA ranges are red on off-white 6-circle 50m targets that are ideal for 100m rifles.

I have tried Fly targets and chink archery targets for shooting the .223 at 300m but nothing can see the holes or groups unless it's the perfect day, not putting a hubble telescope on a hunting rifle as even varminting, the 6-18 Meopta is fine.

[Bugman]

Yeah, the 6 works for pistols and open-sighted levers or 303s, but I am not sighting a scoped rifle inches low.

The best part about one of the SSAA ranges are red on off-white 6-circle 50m targets that are ideal for 100m rifles.

I have tried Fly targets and chink archery targets for shooting the .223 at 300m but nothing can see the holes or groups unless it's the perfect day, not putting a hubble telescope on a hunting rifle as even varminting, the 6-18 Meopta is fine.

You are right about the SSAA 50m targets for sighting at 100m. Definately works for me.

[Wapiti]

not putting a hubble telescope on a hunting rifle as even varminting, the 6-18 Meopta is fine.

That's gold!
But hang on, more magnification and the bigger the Coke bottle on top, the better?

[geoff]

I presume it's because black over white is a contrast and that's what they're trying to achieve. Black background targets are expensive because the whole card has to be printed

Probably just a "because that's the way it's always been" though, a hangover from when you could have something printed in any colour you like so long as its black.

The best part about one of the SSAA ranges are red on off-white 6-circle 50m targets that are ideal for 100m rifles.

This is my preferred zeroing target as well. Can make adjustments from the bench and get it zeroed without having to walk down range. Top tier imo