This is an open discussion regarding targetry that people have used and the why or why not of the systems that they have used. Users, manufacturers and vendors feel free to opine your recommendations.
I will start with the last 21 years of my Pro-Life and what I had access to at the home range or while traveling at other training facilities. I had access to pneumatic steel, movers, turners and static steel. I’ll lists the pros and cons of what I have used in the past and current.
For pistol work this was a standard system for training/qualifying the masses. http://www.actiontarget.com/products/fixed-turning-target-stand/. We could run a line of 14-ish shooters. The system is coordinated on a computer program and a programmable telephone to activate the turning targets on a preset time frame. We typically used the “bowling pin” cardboard target as a Q-target. I typically used this system for qualifications and would use other systems for training and skills building.
Pros-
The setup was standard and you could conduct qualifications quite rapidly and efficiently due to the setup. Shooters reacted to the target’s turning to face them and turning again to end the course of fire (CoF). If you had a time standard for a CoF this is a great system.
Cons-
A rubber band on the top and a clamp on the bottom hold the cardboard targets in place. Because it is a turning target, it does not have a four points of contact to anchor the target in place. Often in inclement weather the targets would “break” away from the clamp or rubber band attachment. Wind, rain and snow all have an effect on this system and its durability.
Plate racks and dueling trees. http://www.letargets.com/content/at-102-pt-dueling-tree-heavy-duty.asp. http://www.letargets.com/content/at-103-pt-plate-rack.asp. These were pistol caliber grade and I used them often for teaching speed and accuracy. Very durable and great for “walk back” drills and doing “man vs. man” competitions.
Pros-
Rapid too little reset time. So you could run lots of reps with shooter relays, etc.
Cons-
These bad boys are heavy and large. We left these in place at the range. Parts are welded and bolted together. I wish it was more portable for travel training.
Steel targets for carbine work, with or without the swinging head target. http://www.letargets.com/content/at-208-pt-hostage.asp. This was/is one of my favorite type of targets to work skills and drills from. It was used on our annual carbine “qual” for the 50-100 Yd. ranges. At 50Y you had to hit the swinger and 75Y and 100Y were the torso hits. These targets would take a beating on 5.56 at those distances.
Pros- Durable targets that worked well for pistol and carbine caliber ammunition. I recommend designating them as such to prolong their lifetime.
Cons- They are heavy, welded and bolted together. So, yes, they are durable. If one wanted a portable target for travel to multiple locations this system has its limitations. We would move them in a trailer pulled behind a UTV. Also, the “X-stand” is not as stable on soft earth. The ends of the stands are pointed, so beware of gouging yourself or the inside of your truck-bed, trailer.
45 degree Static Steel http://www.letargets.com/content/at-211-45-degree-static.asp. This was one of my favorite targets for speed and accuracy drills with carbines. It is an elliptical target face that replicates a 12” circle target. I like the 12” target size for replicating the vitals/lungs/heart of a human. I would dot these all over the range at varying distances and widths to practice barricade/vehicle and positional shooting.
Pros- Durable and smaller than the PT Target. Much easier to transport. But still bulky for transport.
Cons- I wish it was available in an 8” circle for increased accuracy drills.
Cardboard IDPA/USPSA Target stands http://www.letargets.com/content/ct-ts100-challenge-targets-range-pro-target-stand.asp. Uses 1”x2” slats for securing the cardboard to the wood. Lightweight and easy to move. We used sandbags to keep them from blowing over in windy conditions. Again the ends on the stand base were pointed, so I pierced a few seats inside the issued car from time to time transporting them.
B-C Zone Steel. http://mgmtargets.com/tactical-targets/tac-bccz-with-armor-plate-post-and-tube-base?cPath=11&. I used these at other “non-home” agency ranges. Great targets for working speed and accuracy. The host agency would not allow M855 at their range so I can’t tell you how they held up to that specific ammunition, but we hammered these plates with M193 and they kept on ticking.
Pros- The base stand is angular, so not as pointed or prone to puncturing your pants or the inside of your car if you travelled.
The B-C Lollipopper. http://mgmtargets.com/gravity-moving/double-lolli-popper-with-bc-c-zone-uses-your-2x4-post. Every time I got a chance to use the range with this target I had loads of FUN. It has the 8” circle lollipoppers that move all directions on the stand base when struck by a bullet. I could practice a variety of drills for speed and accuracy on this target. I never had a chance to transport it, but based on the design it seemed to break down easy for transport to multiple range locations. I would have to check with the manufacturer, but it appeared that the plate could be unbolted and reversed on the mount for longer service life of the steel. If anyone has experience with that feel free to share.
RST Steel Target. https://www.rsrsteeltargets.com/product/000-RST.html. I have been using this for about a year now. I grabbed it for its versatility of travel and multi-function. The stand is lightweight and accepts either 2”x4” to hang the steel target or slots for 1”x2” slats for cardboard targets. The steel is A-B-ish zone sizing. Great for speed and accuracy drills. The mounting bracket is bolted to the steel, so you can reverse it if needed. The system is modular to allow adding a head-swinging target. https://www.rsrsteeltargets.com/product/023-RSTHOSTAGE.html.
Pros- I can break this down and setup very quickly for either steel shooting or cardboard. Compact and lightweight for travel training to other venues.
UNK- I don’t have enough time on these to determine their durability compared to the other steel I have shot. That being said after about a year of using these with .45, 9mm and 5.56 I have not observed any pitting. I have been shooting it at conservative distances. Time will tell.
Paper Targets – I will list what I have used over the years as my go-to targets and why I like them. I normally spray glue them onto cardboard.
B-8. http://www.amazon.com/Repair-Center-Pistol-Target-Official/dp/B00R87L65G. I love these for accuracy drills. Pistol and Carbine.
SR-1. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/79...yard-slow-and-rapid-fire-paper-package-of-100. Same. For accuracy drills. Zero sights/optics
VTAC. http://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-dstt-100.htm. Great versatile target. Use for Zeroing, accuracy drills, speed drills, etc.
I also carry a variety of 8x10 colored printer paper. It replicated the vitals/heart/lungs of a human area. I use them for speed drills or multiple colors for decision making/discrimination drills. I also have a variety of paper copies of Dot Torture Drills, Skoal Shoot, etc. to grab and practice.
What has everyone else used? Share what you have had access to and why you like or dislike the product.
Cheers
I will start with the last 21 years of my Pro-Life and what I had access to at the home range or while traveling at other training facilities. I had access to pneumatic steel, movers, turners and static steel. I’ll lists the pros and cons of what I have used in the past and current.
For pistol work this was a standard system for training/qualifying the masses. http://www.actiontarget.com/products/fixed-turning-target-stand/. We could run a line of 14-ish shooters. The system is coordinated on a computer program and a programmable telephone to activate the turning targets on a preset time frame. We typically used the “bowling pin” cardboard target as a Q-target. I typically used this system for qualifications and would use other systems for training and skills building.
Pros-
The setup was standard and you could conduct qualifications quite rapidly and efficiently due to the setup. Shooters reacted to the target’s turning to face them and turning again to end the course of fire (CoF). If you had a time standard for a CoF this is a great system.
Cons-
A rubber band on the top and a clamp on the bottom hold the cardboard targets in place. Because it is a turning target, it does not have a four points of contact to anchor the target in place. Often in inclement weather the targets would “break” away from the clamp or rubber band attachment. Wind, rain and snow all have an effect on this system and its durability.
Plate racks and dueling trees. http://www.letargets.com/content/at-102-pt-dueling-tree-heavy-duty.asp. http://www.letargets.com/content/at-103-pt-plate-rack.asp. These were pistol caliber grade and I used them often for teaching speed and accuracy. Very durable and great for “walk back” drills and doing “man vs. man” competitions.
Pros-
Rapid too little reset time. So you could run lots of reps with shooter relays, etc.
Cons-
These bad boys are heavy and large. We left these in place at the range. Parts are welded and bolted together. I wish it was more portable for travel training.
Steel targets for carbine work, with or without the swinging head target. http://www.letargets.com/content/at-208-pt-hostage.asp. This was/is one of my favorite type of targets to work skills and drills from. It was used on our annual carbine “qual” for the 50-100 Yd. ranges. At 50Y you had to hit the swinger and 75Y and 100Y were the torso hits. These targets would take a beating on 5.56 at those distances.
Pros- Durable targets that worked well for pistol and carbine caliber ammunition. I recommend designating them as such to prolong their lifetime.
Cons- They are heavy, welded and bolted together. So, yes, they are durable. If one wanted a portable target for travel to multiple locations this system has its limitations. We would move them in a trailer pulled behind a UTV. Also, the “X-stand” is not as stable on soft earth. The ends of the stands are pointed, so beware of gouging yourself or the inside of your truck-bed, trailer.
45 degree Static Steel http://www.letargets.com/content/at-211-45-degree-static.asp. This was one of my favorite targets for speed and accuracy drills with carbines. It is an elliptical target face that replicates a 12” circle target. I like the 12” target size for replicating the vitals/lungs/heart of a human. I would dot these all over the range at varying distances and widths to practice barricade/vehicle and positional shooting.
Pros- Durable and smaller than the PT Target. Much easier to transport. But still bulky for transport.
Cons- I wish it was available in an 8” circle for increased accuracy drills.
Cardboard IDPA/USPSA Target stands http://www.letargets.com/content/ct-ts100-challenge-targets-range-pro-target-stand.asp. Uses 1”x2” slats for securing the cardboard to the wood. Lightweight and easy to move. We used sandbags to keep them from blowing over in windy conditions. Again the ends on the stand base were pointed, so I pierced a few seats inside the issued car from time to time transporting them.
B-C Zone Steel. http://mgmtargets.com/tactical-targets/tac-bccz-with-armor-plate-post-and-tube-base?cPath=11&. I used these at other “non-home” agency ranges. Great targets for working speed and accuracy. The host agency would not allow M855 at their range so I can’t tell you how they held up to that specific ammunition, but we hammered these plates with M193 and they kept on ticking.
Pros- The base stand is angular, so not as pointed or prone to puncturing your pants or the inside of your car if you travelled.
The B-C Lollipopper. http://mgmtargets.com/gravity-moving/double-lolli-popper-with-bc-c-zone-uses-your-2x4-post. Every time I got a chance to use the range with this target I had loads of FUN. It has the 8” circle lollipoppers that move all directions on the stand base when struck by a bullet. I could practice a variety of drills for speed and accuracy on this target. I never had a chance to transport it, but based on the design it seemed to break down easy for transport to multiple range locations. I would have to check with the manufacturer, but it appeared that the plate could be unbolted and reversed on the mount for longer service life of the steel. If anyone has experience with that feel free to share.
RST Steel Target. https://www.rsrsteeltargets.com/product/000-RST.html. I have been using this for about a year now. I grabbed it for its versatility of travel and multi-function. The stand is lightweight and accepts either 2”x4” to hang the steel target or slots for 1”x2” slats for cardboard targets. The steel is A-B-ish zone sizing. Great for speed and accuracy drills. The mounting bracket is bolted to the steel, so you can reverse it if needed. The system is modular to allow adding a head-swinging target. https://www.rsrsteeltargets.com/product/023-RSTHOSTAGE.html.
Pros- I can break this down and setup very quickly for either steel shooting or cardboard. Compact and lightweight for travel training to other venues.
UNK- I don’t have enough time on these to determine their durability compared to the other steel I have shot. That being said after about a year of using these with .45, 9mm and 5.56 I have not observed any pitting. I have been shooting it at conservative distances. Time will tell.
Paper Targets – I will list what I have used over the years as my go-to targets and why I like them. I normally spray glue them onto cardboard.
B-8. http://www.amazon.com/Repair-Center-Pistol-Target-Official/dp/B00R87L65G. I love these for accuracy drills. Pistol and Carbine.
SR-1. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/79...yard-slow-and-rapid-fire-paper-package-of-100. Same. For accuracy drills. Zero sights/optics
VTAC. http://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-dstt-100.htm. Great versatile target. Use for Zeroing, accuracy drills, speed drills, etc.
I also carry a variety of 8x10 colored printer paper. It replicated the vitals/heart/lungs of a human area. I use them for speed drills or multiple colors for decision making/discrimination drills. I also have a variety of paper copies of Dot Torture Drills, Skoal Shoot, etc. to grab and practice.
What has everyone else used? Share what you have had access to and why you like or dislike the product.
Cheers
