Resources What color are your targets

[cavedweller]

I have both FFP and SFP $$$ scopes, and a black reticle on a dark brown or dark green or black target with a leaded up KZ does nothing to improve steadiness in a marksman. IMO.
If some day I’m a MD, I’ll figure out how to disguise target mounting methods in such a way as to make bracketing damn near impossible.....Yeah I know…. This threads about paint. Feeling very "salty" after thanksgiving gravy.

My point, Light colors on face-plates with highly contrasting KZ's, definitely helps level the playing field in HFT where the use of additional magnification isn't allowed.

When it’s a cloudy dark day and targets are deep in a woodland lane, even a well contrasted target can be a challenge.
AAFTA does have a rule about hiding or disguising a KZ, but that rule is very subjective in nature.

Whats the end goal here? Attract more people, frustrate less people. just my thoughts. And WFTF (with the big scopes) apparently agrees.

The more matches I shoot the more convinced i am that dark targets should be required to be placed in light areas!

 

[JW.]

Nevada is going all white faceplates with black kz's for 2026 along with a slightly revised layout.

While it is less 'fun' it will be easier to see the kz's on certain lanes and for painting/repainting this is a huge time saver (two cans for all the targets). We had a lane that was brutal for most of the morning, I got to shoot it as the first squad and could hardly see the kz and the target was freshly painted...it only got worse. When we cut the lane it did not seem like the light/dark thing was that extreme, but I suppose we cut it in the late afternoon but shot it in the morning.

 

[Motorhead]

Nevada is going all white faceplates with black kz's for 2026 along with a slightly revised layout.

While it is less 'fun' it will be easier to see the kz's on certain lanes and for painting/repainting this is a huge time saver (two cans for all the targets). We had a lane that was brutal for most of the morning, I got to shoot it as the first squad and could hardly see the kz and the target was freshly painted...it only got worse. When we cut the lane it did not seem like the light/dark thing was that extreme, but I suppose we cut it in the late afternoon but shot it in the morning.

Yes ... the lane I sat there eye in scope waiting for my eye to dilate to actually see the KZ hole. 1st shot good ... keep eye in scope and load a second by feel as taking eye off scope you would never see KZ again in time allotted

 

[cavedweller]

Yes ... the lane I sat there eye in scope waiting for my eye to dilate to actually see the KZ hole. 1st shot good ... keep eye in scope and load a second by feel as taking eye off scope you would never see KZ again in time allotted

Imagine looking through a $1700 plus scope at 2 pm and the only thing visible is a slight bit of chrome from a target clamp……

 

[Cloud9AG]

ASC has 30 naturally painted targets out for our FT match tomorrow. There are several that are black crows and buzzards or gray rabbits and armadillos and placed in the shadows of the woods. It's just the way we do things.

 

[Avator]

Hopefully clear when I'm done with them.

 

[cavedweller]

ASC has 30 naturally painted targets out for our FT match tomorrow. There are several that are black crows and buzzards or gray rabbits and armadillos and placed in the shadows of the woods. It's just the way we do things.

Wish I was closer by 10 hours as I really enjoy your course

 

[JW.]

The more matches I shoot the more convinced i am that dark targets should be required to be placed in light areas!

Field target needs more challenges, people rarely time out, targets are clearly numbered with strings leading to them, in other shooting sports things are not this easy.

Check out the NRL Hunter series format for challenging lane layouts (blind lanes with targets hidden like game) and severely limited time for taking/making all the hits. If you want physical and difficult, there is the Precision Rifle Series. Both are very similar to FT but with their own special twists. But for both series top shooters will occasionally time out if they are not working on all cylinders, that is simply not a factor in FT.

There were three targets per lane in Oregon, first few lanes I was close to short on time (30 seconds), after two days I had close to two minutes left out of four and never timed out. Everyone was saying there should be more than four minutes for three targets but if you have your process down you only need a little more than half the allowed time.

I came close in the beginning because I was running an onboard chrony and getting used to a new rear end, field target caddy and altered seated position, had I not been testing out stuff i'd never have been close to being short on time. I should not have this kind of time luxury at a Grand Prix match. I should have been penalized for not having my position, caddy, rear end, chrony all ready to go before the match via just enough time to shoot the lane.

I took a bunch of math classes in college and one professor had tests that you could get 100% on if you knew the material and didn't waste any time. A similar situation in FT would have cost me points/hits for doing what I did during a points match, but as FT is now it doesn't cost me anything because there is ample time (its more akin to grade school math tests than college math tests). Another professor had a test that if you had a phd in chemistry you'd only get 60%, this is dumb like being too easy is dumb, so there is definitely a balance to find.

We had some green strings in Nevada and people were not able to easily find the targets, this is more of what we need. I'm not saying everything on the course should be like this, but there should be some very, very difficult targets to clean via a variety of setup techniques (angle, light/dark, kz size). That's one thing that has been lost in some ways with the 36T for full GP scores, the ability to put variability into the layout has been reduced. Most targets now are around 43 yards and very few are at 13 yards or closer if a course difficulty of 36T is the intent.

Some of the most memorable matches/lanes have been the extremely tricky ones where your comfort zone goes to die (and where you are forced to overcome difficulty). As difficult as it is to shoot in Nevada it makes all the other courses than much easier.

 

[Solo1]

Talk to @isledweller about hiding dark targets in the shadows he’s a master at it!

 

[cavedweller]

Field target needs more challenges, people rarely time out, targets are clearly numbered with strings leading to them, in other shooting sports things are not this easy.

Check out the NRL Hunter series format for challenging lane layouts (blind lanes with targets hidden like game) and severely limited time for taking/making all the hits. If you want physical and difficult, there is the Precision Rifle Series. Both are very similar to FT but with their own special twists. But for both series top shooters will occasionally time out if they are not working on all cylinders, that is simply not a factor in FT.

There were three targets per lane in Oregon, first few lanes I was close to short on time (30 seconds), after two days I had close to two minutes left out of four and never timed out. Everyone was saying there should be more than four minutes for three targets but if you have your process down you only need a little more than half the allowed time.

I came close in the beginning because I was running an onboard chrony and getting used to a new rear end, field target caddy and altered seated position, had I not been testing out stuff i'd never have been close to being short on time. I should not have this kind of time luxury at a Grand Prix match. I should have been penalized for not having my position, caddy, rear end, chrony all ready to go before the match via just enough time to shoot the lane.

I took a bunch of math classes in college and one professor had tests that you could get 100% on if you knew the material and didn't waste any time. A similar situation in FT would have cost me points/hits for doing what I did during a points match, but as FT is now it doesn't cost me anything because there is ample time (its more akin to grade school math tests than college math tests). Another professor had a test that if you had a phd in chemistry you'd only get 60%, this is dumb like being too easy is dumb, so there is definitely a balance to find.

We had some green strings in Nevada and people were not able to easily find the targets, this is more of what we need. I'm not saying everything on the course should be like this, but there should be some very, very difficult targets to clean via a variety of setup techniques (angle, light/dark, kz size). That's one thing that has been lost in some ways with the 36T for full GP scores, the ability to put variability into the layout has been reduced. Most targets now are around 43 yards and very few are at 13 yards or closer if a course difficulty of 36T is the intent.

Some of the most memorable matches/lanes have been the extremely tricky ones where your comfort zone goes to die (and where you are forced to overcome difficulty). As difficult as it is to shoot in Nevada it makes all the other courses than much easier.

I’m of a simple mindset, if you want to grow a marksmanship related sport, focus on marksmanship rather than target obscurity.
Are we testing a shooters vision or ability to guess where a KZ is? I think not. I don’t take shots at game if I can’t clearly see it.
if a match director is concerned that someone(s) may clear their course simply place smaller KZ‘s or add forced positions.
wftf proves this with their faceplate color choices.