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Paper Targets: Why are there BIG BLACK BULLS?

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JungleShooter

JungleShooter

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Sep 5, 2018
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WHY are most bulls' eyes so large and so dark? 





Most of the paper targets of official competitions seem to have a very large bulls' eye. And that bulls' eye is black, the darkest "color" in the "spectrum".





I am asking because my target scan and scoring app only works with official competition targets.





And the problem with BIG BLACK BULLS is... —

that when they come charging they can easily gore me in the chest.

Sorry, I got distracted, let me try this again:




The problem with BIG BLACK BULLS is... —


that I can't see my impacts at larger distances....

I already use a 3-18x50 for 100y.... [sad emoji] 





Why do official competitions — where scopes are the norm — keep using big black bulls...? [thoughtful emoji] 





Enlighten me, plz. [smiling emoji]

Thanks.



Matthias





PS: Please, AGN, fix our forum so we can use emojis again!


 
I figured it was the old iron sight thing.

I would get a bigger scope….I kind of think of 25X as the bare minimum, for target shooting anyway.

You can shoot really good groups with a 12 or 15 X scope. But I’ve never been sitting over the target thinking gosh I wish I had less magnification.

As far as the targets go, I want my aim point to be as small as I can see. 


mike


 
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Mike,

The view of the target or the size of a red dot is simply not so important. You're fooling yourself. What is important is that your target view is the same shot to shot. Even as my vision got worse with age, I can still shoot tight groups, but I'm not always so certain where they will be! When shooting with pistol iron sights, I have to use my reading glasses to keep the front sight in focus. Everything else can be a blur, but that front sight is critical to accuracy.
 
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OK, thanks for the answers so far. I appreciate it! 



To be sure: From my very limited experience with iron sights shooting a Benjamin Trail pistol with a (felt) 100lbs trigger pull I remember how the size of the bulls was very important and range dependent.



But the OP question was: Why do official competitions — where scopes are the norm — keep using big black bulls…? 



Thanks for your replies. [smiley emoji]

Matthias



PS: Please, AGN web designers — FIX the emoji function!!
 
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this is a Benchrest forum and i'm curious

What official competitions are you referring to ?

WHY are most bulls' eyes so large and so dark?
Why do official competitions — where scopes are the norm — keep using big black bulls...? [thoughtful emoji] 



Enlighten me, plz. [smiling emoji]

Thanks.



Matthias

Click to expand...


 
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Dick,

that's a valid question. 

I'll attach a PDF with a bunch of target shooting disciplines -- each with the size of the bulls' eye they use.

Most of them are very large, the smallest are usually 2 and 3 inches small. Very few have about 1" diameter. But if I'm trying to shoot MOA groups, well -- one inch is all I want to hit, or half an inch..., so a bulls that covers my whole group isn't helpful to me....



Just wondering why things are the way they are. Sure makes no sense to me when shooting with a scope....

Matthias



Attachment:

download.png
View attachment Targets. Target Scoring. TargetScan App. Supported Target Cards or Disciplines. 2021-06.162430...pdf


 
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I need those big black bulls. Otherwise, I can't see them. In any case the target is supposed to be a blur if you are correctly concentrating on your reticle or front sight. What problem?
Click to expand...


With Iron Sights...

For the OP. There was a time when most competition was shot with open sights. In those days the idea was to sit that nice fat ball on top of your front post and adjust your POI to hit center of bull. That nice fat ball makes a pretty good match for an aperture. It just fits in there and leaves a nice concentric white line around the outside between the rear sight and the bull helping to center everything up nicely. So those targets are either for shooting open sights or for shooting pistol matches USUALLY.

Leave it to lazy range managers to use them for matches requiring the use of optical sights.
 
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OK Matthias

here in the US we do not use any of those

these are the Air rifle bench rest targets used here

plus they are also the targets used in worlds air rifle bench rest competition

25M

25m Target.1624332316.png


50yds

50m target.1624332360.jpg


and the new national50 target

target3.1624332511.png
Click to expand...


Strever, I have a question then. Why do they make the 8 ring black? It's very hard to see if you have shot it, and I could see where where someone might shoot twice at a target not noticing that they have a shot in the 8 ring?

Thanks bud

Jimmy
 
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They have been designed for iron sights since bullseye shooting originated. The 600 and 1000 yard ones are enormous .

Bob
Click to expand...

Bobby has it!

That said, solid black target bulls were not, so far as i know, used in serious Benchrest matches, but more for prone and offhand events. Iron sights, with aperture rear and globe fronts common, and shooters “clicked” for windage, since a globe isnt very good for holdoff.

LD
 
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