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Resources What color are your targets

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Motorhead said:
Huh ... NEVER shot an FT match or a single FT target with Reticle Illumination turned on ... or had the need too.
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Then your MDs aren’t making you work lol. Black targets in shaded brush with destroyed KZ at distance get very tough to range and line up a fine reticle. I’ve had to a number of times but not super often. It’s an in case thing. Especially when it’s overcast in the woods and targets are hidden. The bonuses of getting to shoot in the north woods. I enjoy the challenge though. I think the IR is personal preference. I know other shooters on same course and day who say they used it a ton and I never turned mine on.
 
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In the summer I paint the face plates white, w/ orange, green, yellow targets, depends on what color I'm using on the job site. In the winter I paint the face plates black w/ green/yellow/orange targets. This year I painted four of the faceplates a medium tan color w/ lite gray target. it made the faceplate more realistic, and the targets more challenging to see. I had a target 6' up in a tree between two limbs, 40-yard lane, and it was dusky and cloudy, missed it! the lower one on the ground same color same distance I was able to hit it. The difference was the shadowed/darker background up in the bow of the tree. I had gotten used to the brighter colors on the targets! In keeping with the idea of real-world conditions and making it more challenging, I may paint them all like that.
 
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Bramezy said:
White is very difficult to range at 16x. You need contrast to range and white or black or any other solid color dont do it lol 50x is a different story. I have to use other parts of the target to range, even with the detail, my eyes just cannot do it. I use brush, the clamps, the bolts etc...With dull faces like gray you cannot see misses so its a guessing game.
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What you mentioned might explain why a couple of used targets I bought had what I refer to as a ranging feature… like a Shiny glass eyeball or some thing rough glued to part of the faceplate but out of the way
 
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We use mostly yellow face plates or light blue with light red kill zones, it definitely evens the playing field as far as seeing your cross hairs, my falcon has real fine cross hairs compared to my Sightron,2 courses we shoot are open fields and their usually no problem either scope, the other courses 100 ft plus pines well shaded lanes, hardwood semi open on overcast days can be tough without a light color kill zone . I think red should be the standard color for kill zones.
 
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BeMeUp said:
We use mostly yellow face plates or light blue with light red kill zones, it definitely evens the playing field as far as seeing your cross hairs, my falcon has real fine cross hairs compared to my Sightron,2 courses we shoot are open fields and their usually no problem either scope, the other courses 100 ft plus pines well shaded lanes, hardwood semi open on overcast days can be tough without a light color kill zone . I think red should be the standard color for kill zones.
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Some folks are color blind... see earlier discussion in this thread... So. a Red KZ may adversely affect them, but IMO, lighter face plates and a good contrasting KZ are the ultimate course equalizer esp when considering a 16X scope limitation / choice in HFT.
 
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Some of my field targets, Some just jump right out and others blend in with the desert and hard to pick out.

field targets 1.jpg
 
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scotton said:
As the person that paints said targets, I would like to recommend tan, grey and black with either yellow or orange kill zones.
I've never had an issue with seeing my reticle regardless of target color. Sounds like more of a scope problem (reticle thickness) than a target problem.
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cavedweller said:
It is true - a lighter faced faceplate speeds up target acquisition and a good contrasting KZ improves holdover visibility.
View attachment 530876
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Black targets in dark lanes, especially at greater distances is absolutely the same as camouflaging the KZ. When all you can see at the end of a 47 yard plus target is the chrome holding the target to a cinder block using a Sightron S3 , you have camouflaged the KZ. And if hunting no reasonable person would take the unethical shot. IMO.
 
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We have just added a new colour to the palette, as it was a damn good offer we now have Florescent pink things in the field.
Add to that yellow.

So people driving by with a airgun addiction, will have NO doubt what go on at this place.

We learned, well at least the end of the 20 foot container at 55 M, painted white and with the sun out on otherwise dark winter / spring days is a bit OMG to look at in a scope.
 
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Peashooter said:
We have just added a new colour to the palette, as it was a damn good offer we now have Florescent pink things in the field.
Add to that yellow.

So people driving by with a airgun addiction, will have NO doubt what go on at this place.

We learned, well at least the end of the 20 foot container at 55 M, painted white and with the sun out on otherwise dark winter / spring days is a bit OMG to look at in a scope.
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Another thing that may factor in, is the time of day a target is placEd during course setup. If said target was placed during a time when the sun reached the target… it may have been visible. But come later afternoon or dark cloudy afternoon light conditions that same target when painted in black becomes almost impossible to see properly at 16x even using a S3 Sightron.
 
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cavedweller said:
Black targets in dark lanes, especially at greater distances is absolutely the same as camouflaging the KZ. When all you can see at the end of a 47 yard plus target is the chrome holding the target to a cinder block using a Sightron S3 , you have camouflaged the KZ. And if hunting no reasonable person would take the unethical shot. IMO.
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I hear what you are saying. It was great to meet you this weekend, hope to see you again next year.
 
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scotton said:
I hear what you are saying. It was great to meet you this weekend, hope to see you again next year.
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Absolutely!
Thanks for teaching me how to actually hit something especially elevated.

Great course !
Great time!
Great people !!
And
Great fun with great shooters!!!
 
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