Best Target to shoot a group...

SW CQB 45 · Oct 8, 2020

from 25 yards with 58 year old eyes?

I want to sandbag a couple of revolvers I plan to sell. Since they are more target oriented, I feel showing the accuracy potential will be a plus.

The problem, my eyes are not good enough to hold at the same place on the target every time to shoot the best possible group.

I am not an experienced "sandbagger"(HA!) but will try my best. I am willing to try something other than a heavy sharpie mark, 2" or 3" orange dots, B8s... etc. Hell, maybe a B27 neck hold will work for me.

I shot this group with a SACS Pro last year and it was pure guess on my part to hold 6 o'clock

I then shot 25 and 15 yards with 230 ball (same gun) just using a barricade for support at 25 and no support at 15. I aimed dead center as best as my eyes could see.

I feel I could do better with sight alignment if I had 18 year old eyes.

I dont know what targets are used in the images above, but they cleaned out some old jail cells and found a bunch of these targets and gave them to me. The paper is fragile but if its not windy, they are good to go.

thanks in advance

Nevada Ed · Oct 8, 2020

I have a 38 snub nose and the sights are not the best for accuracy............

I have tried a black felt pin, a hot Pink tip and even a yellow tip to see if I could improve my groups.

Guess what..............

My accuracy improved with a 6" barrel !!

6string · Oct 8, 2020

It's an established fact of accurate pistol shooting that sight alignment is far more important than the type of target chosen. Also, it's a fact that the human eye cannot focus on the sights and the target at the same time. To try and do so invites errors in sight alignment and (worse yet) trigger control.
Competitive target shooters are very familiar with the concept of "snatching a 10" to describe unintended wild shots that are way off.
But, to answer your question, the best target to establish the accuracy potential of a handgun (with its very short sight radius) is a large blank off-white target that is perfectly square or round.
By denying the eye a specific aiming point, you can focus on sight alignment, trigger control and follow through.
The subconscious will inherently keep your sight alignment hovering within the center area of the blank paper target.
This is similar to the way that peep sights work on a rifle: get the eye to focus on one critical thing and allow the subconscious to align that with a secondary reference.
As the trigger is released, you will also better be able to know if you jerked your shot.

Try it. It works!

tominboise · Oct 8, 2020

I typically use an adhesive orange dot 3" in diameter, in the center of a paper plate. These are cheap and effective for me. FWIW, I am 60yo, wear glasses, etc.

DeplorabusUnum · Oct 8, 2020

Bright colors for old eyes

I bought a Henry rifle and it came with the usual stag horn sights. I couldn't hit the ocean with it from 50 yards. I thought the gun was ****e until I changed the sights to optic green rear and optic red far. Immediately the gun became more accurate. Wayyyyyyy more accurate.

Other thing I learned about pistol shooting with my old eyes is that it helps to have glasses with the focal length set so the sights are in focus, not the target.

SW CQB 45 · Oct 8, 2020

I recall reading a magazine article many years ago, Ayoob vs the Ransom Rest. I think he got close.

what target does bullseye shooters shoot at?

thanks for the info, keep it coming.

6string · Oct 9, 2020

Follow up on a couple previous points.

"what target does bullseye shooters shoot at?"
Bullseye shooters shoot matches at regulation targets. However, we frequently train using the aforementioned technique in my previous email.
Nevada Ed makes a good point about barrel length. Sight radius (the distance between the front and rear sight) has a tremendous impact on how critical exact and precise alignment of the sights needs to be. A short sight radius can increase shooter confidence, as it makes your hold appear more steady. However, tiny errors in alignment cause huge changes to point of impact. Worse yet, because the error is so small,the shooter is oblivious to it and assumes the gun or load is inaccurate.
A long sight radius magnifies percieved unsteadiness in your hold. My Hämmerli free pistol has a sight radius over 12" long. The slightest tremor looks huge. But, if you train with it, the offhand accuracy potential is phenomenal.
DeplurabusUnum makes a good point about glasses.
Bullseye shooters that need corrective lenses often get a special prescription for 20/15 vision as this aids in sharp acuity of the sight alignment.

Jim

Moo Moo · Oct 9, 2020

I shoot competitions with ISSF targets which are similar to Bullseye targets so I believe. Also use a six o'clock hold under the black 10 to 7 scoring rings. Black sights on a black scoring circle is difficult to pickup. Therefore with adjustable sights and messing with POA and POI, I aim just below the black 7-10/x scoring circles.

robrossk · Oct 9, 2020

All great comments - but I think your accuracy was pretty darn good my friend!

SW CQB 45 · Oct 9, 2020

thanks to all

I frustrate myself as I feel my sight alignment with my current vision is not consistent.

I have to blink a lot and clarity seems inconsistent.

I hope to try it out this weekend.

both revolvers are 6"

Ignatz · Oct 10, 2020

Sometimes shooting at a blank piece of paper works best. The bullseye is now one less thing to think about.

Tom K · Oct 10, 2020

For shooting groups and sighting in, I use a center hold with a target of my own design that is a black diamond that is 2" on each side, on a 1" grid. I use 11x17 paper for more leeway. It's easy to center the sights in elevation on the horizontal points of the diamond, and center the top point of the diamond for windage.

Round bullseye targets are round only for ease of scoring. They do not provide a good, distinct picture for sighting unless you are using aperture sights, and even then a diamond would be just as good. Oh, and a diamond is ideal for a scope with crosshairs.

murphydog · Oct 10, 2020

I did a lot of six o’clock round black bullseye hold target shooting with handguns with square topped sights, which made little sense to me.

I would think a target with an aiming square, or with a distinct contrasting horizontal aiming point, would work better with flat sights.

BE Mike · Oct 10, 2020

Whatever you are using seems to be working for you. Most pistol shooters these days shoot at very close ranges for accuracy, which is a waste of time. Good for you for trying to give yourself and your equipment somewhat of a challenge.

H Richard · Oct 10, 2020

Here's a link to free targets you can print out from your computer . There are many styles to choose from. FREE TARGETS from TARGETZ.com

AJ · Oct 10, 2020

Do not hold the revolver/pistol for the entire slow fire string, if that is what you are shooting. In a match it is 10 rounds in a 10 minute time limit for bullseye shooters. I rest my arm and my eyes between shots. One round every minute.I use the B.R.A.S.S. method that I was taught in the Corps. Breathe, Relax, Aim, Sight, Squeeze. Give it a try...........

mikerjf · Oct 10, 2020

I wish there was a target for Glocks that had the bullseye low and left...

AJ · Oct 10, 2020

mikerjf said:
I wish there was a target for Glocks that had the bullseye low and left...

Use a spotter for your aim point. We use to do that when qualifying with USGI M1911A1's many years ago. Shoot at the bullseye and see where your group is, then go the opposite direction and distance and put up a spotter in that location. If shooting low & left by 6 inches put up the spotter high & right by 6 inches. If done right you should be in the bull.

Since I am not a Glock shooter I have a question. Don't Glocks have adjustable sights?

Turn4811 · Oct 10, 2020

I am the same age. The biggest help was new glasses.

6string · Oct 11, 2020

Following up on a few vision related comments.
Besides making sure your lens prescription is up to date, there are a few other choices.
1) Get a dedicated pair of glasses to correct for 20/15 vision.
2) Get an accessory aperature attachment. Search for "Merit Eyepiece" and you'll see what I mean.
3) Get a dedicated pair of competition glasses such as those made by Knobloch or Neostyle.

Jim

Merit Optical Attachment from Brownells: A Cure for Fuzzy Sights

Knobloch Shooting glasses in Karlsruhe, Germany - Shooting glasses K1, K1-P, K2, K3 K4, K5 and Fittings by Knobloch Optik

Best Target to shoot a group...

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