Given that target shooting is one of my interests, I decided that I didn’t particularly like the price of commercially available targets, and I thought I could do better. I made this target many years ago, but for some reason it only now occurred to me that I ought to post it here so that others could use it. This is a PDF that will give you four targets on one 8.5×11″ sheet, and it has a grid spaced at 1/2″ to aid in measurement and sight adjustment. The extra lines should help to align thick or awkward crosshairs onto the center. It has fields for weather, range, and reloading data.
Get them here: Download Walter’s Targets
They should be mostly self-explanatory, but here are what the fields are intended for:
DATE | Date that target was used |
TEMP | Temperature |
WIND | Wind direction/Speed |
PSI | Atmospheric Pressure |
GUN | Firearm Identification |
TWST | Twist rate |
RNG | Distance to target |
SLOPE | Vertical angle to target |
BLT | Bullet |
PWDR | Powder |
PRMR | Primer |
CASE | Case |
CHG | Powder charge, one for each target |
Bonus: Zeroing at Odd Ranges
Those with military experience will remember the 25 meter (or so) ranges that were used to achieve 300 meter (or so) zeros on their rifles. In my city, the closest range to me has a max length of 22 yards. The next-closest is 30, and has a rule that all targets must be kept at maximum distance for rifles. This means I can’t use a standard 25m zeroing target. I also don’t always want to zero at 300m.
My solution to this was to use a ballistics calculator – specifically, Strelok Pro, but many others will work. I type in the zero that I wish to achieve for my rifle, and then tell the calculator to give me the bullet drop at 22 (or 30) yards. This gives me the displacement on the target.
For example, on an AR-15 carbine with Federal XM855 ammo (these ranges don’t allow steel, but this is just an example), I set my zero for 328 yards (300m) and look at the drop for 22 yards. The calculator says I will have to adjust up by 0.5 inches. Instead of adjusting the sight. I put a mark on my target 0.5 inches below the center. I can then aim at the center of the target, and adjust my sights so that the bullets hit that mark. Assuming that my calculator and the ballistics data I entered are accurate, this should achieve a 300 meter zero.
Thanks for reading, I hope someone finds this useful.
Bonus: Bonus
Here’s a link to the awesome Revised Improved Battlesight Zero, for those who want to make the most of AR-15 iron sights. Adds 50y/200m and 100 yard settings to your elevation knob.