Required accuracy / targets

[Taylor]

What accuracy standards do you train for ?  Many targets are pretty generous on the kill zone.  Different "gun skools" use different targets for different reasons.

This is one of the tighter accuracy targets I have used.

https://shop.actiontarget.com/content/riposte-3-kentucky-national-guard-close-quarter-cardboard-target.asp

What do you use ?????

 

[DaveTN]

For handgun; I use these:

https://shop.actiontarget.com/content/b-27ncja-north-carolina-criminal-justice-academy-b-27-target.asp

 

[E4 No More]

http://www.nationaltarget.com/index.php/law-enforcement-targets-ntc-color-photo-targets-c-24_49?osCsid=cf4987abc7f6e5c4e8f8b715425a0d94

 

[Omega]

I use this one for SD practice, I made it so I can print it out on standard 8.5x11 paper then assemble it on the range with tape or staples.  At a distance the vitals are hard to make out, a good thing, so you get an idea of what you hit with fast draw, off-hand, different positions etc.  I do have a color version that shows the heart and aorta in red but I mainly stick with this one. 

I made some with a hostage/friendly in front of the threat for sniper/room clearing type training as well.  But I only use those every once in awhile for fun, I am no longer in that arena.

For hunting, zero, or load work up I just stick with any target that has multiple bulls and some type of grid on it, like the one below..I have various types in my range box, some B/W others color.

 

[Cruel Hand Luke]

There's really 2 different questions here. "What accuracy standards are we training to be able to achieve?"... and ..."what accuracy standard do we train with to achieve that?". 

For me personally (and professionally) we try to direct everything into the diaphragm to neck area (nipple to neck triangle) and/or the face (eyebrow to nose triangle) and that runs the complete circumference of the target ....front, back, sides. Those are vital zones and areas most likely to MAKE people stop what they are doing....not just hurt them and leave the decision to stop up to them. I'm not at all saying other areas don't hurt...I'm saying  all we know about anatomy and biology leads us to those two areas being the most likely to stop people. 

 

As to standards to practice? I like smaller targets. The 3" shoot n see" targets are what I normally use in class as the "optimum" with an 8.5x11" sheet of paper behind it as "still acceptable". By using that we focus on a smaller area and are then most likely to keep even our "misses" in the vital zone area or at a minimum in the torso / minus 1 zone on an IDPA target or C zone of an IPSC target.

 

In my own practice I personally use the pasters from the "shoot n see" targets as my target to aim for and anything within a hand span of that is acceptable which gives about a 3/4" target and a 6" Acceptable Zone. For distance (15yds to 50yds or farther?) I use a 45% IPSC steel target which pretty much covers diaphragm to neck or chin and inside the nipples on most people. By shooting smaller targets you get a better grasp of sight alignment and trigger control and can apply the same skills to hit at much farther distances. After a day of shooting at 3" targets at 5 yards a torso sized target at 25 is easy.  

[Taylor]

The Riposte target in the link considers the 2 x 4 inch box over the nose and eyes to be a stop and the 2 inch wide area down the center ( spine ) to be a stop as long as the hit is high enough to shut off the arms. 

Aim small , miss small.

[Jamie Jackson]

I 100% agree with CHL (Randy) and Omega that having anatomical knowledge...the knowing why we are shooting at what  we are shooting at is a necessity. The rapid incapacitation areas of the human body are pretty darn small. That's good and bad. Good for us if we're the target of incoming rounds... 

Having a working knowledge of human anatomy and realistic expectations of ballistic injury to those targeted areas is invaluable imho.

In training and practice those targeted areas Randy mentioned, and Omega's excellent targets represent are great.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I also find shooting Dot drills (OPS or Tactical response on search) and the Dot Torture (Todd Green) are extremely beneficial.

The F.A.S.T.  (test) is also a good option.

 

http://pistol-training.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/fast-target.pdf

http://pistol-training.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dot-torture-target.pdf

 

 

Edited March 11, 2017 by prag