Favorite Target for Load Development

[Rock Home Isle]

My favorite targets used to be grapefruit when Dad had more grapefruit than he and the neighbors could eat. I got shopping bags full of grapefruit & even after squeezing gallons of juice I still had enough leftover to stick out at the 100 yard line for sighting in.

That’s visual…

 

[morehops52]

I bought a HUGE roll of white butcher paper about 15 years ago. I hung it in the garage so it pulls down just like a paper towel would. I pull down a long 6' (?) piece and cut it off with my pocket knife. At the range I use whatever size I need and staple one or more 3" orange dots, which are the only targets I've had to buy in all those years.

 

[cynthialee]

Shoot and See are my favorites

might not be traditional, but I don't have to walk down range every few shots to get an idea where I am hitting


older eyes and all

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Shoot and See are my favorites

might not be traditional, but I don't have to walk down range every few shots to get an idea where I am hitting


older eyes and all

I’ll admit that I like the shoot-n-see targets. But they tend to get scratched up and the black really flakes off once that happens.

 

[oldwood]

Try this.......For years , I've used 4" squares of orange duct tape. Always highly visible , always stick to most any target paper , cardboard , etc. .Iron sights require high visibility for easy target acquisition , and hold repeatability.

 

[Stykbow]

The company I work for has a ton of scrap paper from printing construction drawings. It’s 36” x varying length. Use that and stick on dots or I just draw a circle for the bullseye. Yeah, I’m cheap.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

The company I work for has a ton of scrap paper from printing construction drawings. It’s 36” x varying length. Use that and stick on dots or I just draw a circle for the bullseye. Yeah, I’m cheap.

Great for patterning shot guns…ere, smoothbores…

 

[Stykbow]

Great for patterning shot guns…ere, smoothbores…

Yeah, good for that too. I usually make four or five bullseyes on whatever size the scrap is. I can shoot for a long time without having to change targets.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Yeah, good for that too. I usually make four or five bullseyes on whatever size the scrap is. I can shoot for a long time without having to change targets.

 

[52Bore]

NMLRA 3 or 6 bull targets.
Size is about 24x30
100 targets for $30 - or use to be.

 

[William O.]

Generally it is recommended to use, at least, 50 yards for load development. But, I'll modify that a bit. Start at 25 yards from a rest to learn where your sights are pointing. If you are on paper, move back to 50 yards. Traditional wisdom is to begin with a load that equals your caliber. e.g. 50 cal./50 grains real bp. Shoot five shot groups and increase charge by 5 grains until your group closes to where you want it. As said by others, the target need not be fancy. Paper plate with a felt tip marker 'X' or targets from Walmart are just fine. Good shootin'

Excellent advice. Load development should be methodical changing only one variable at a time; that being the amount of powder. Keep the patch material and lube the same for every shot and do not adjust the sights, that comes later.

I'm also a fan of the Shoot n See type targets, especially the stick on targets. Normal paper targets just don't allow me to see the holes made.

 

[user 49399]

I get my targets (boxes) from our local CO-OP feed stores’ cardboard bin. I’m cheap too.