What do you shoot at? For practice I have been going down to a indoor range to shoot bulls eyes with my 1712. I went to shoot our monthly match started on turkey's and shot a nine. For me that's above average. When shooting rams I relies that I was shooting at the ram not a spot. I know when a shot breaks clean. And shooting a bulzeye you always have a x-ring. So you experienced shooters. Do you put the animal in quadrants, center the dot, aim at a leg?

Thanks for your help

For white targets I am looking to break the shot with front sight inside the animal. For dark targets I seem to have more luck breaking shot on belly or top of leg.
T

Nine turkeys is great. I would keep doing whatever your doing

I like to set my gun to shoot high and then aim at the top of the leg that goes into the base on chickens and turkeys. For rams and pigs I aim at the bottom of the belly between the legs. I think I will try shooting at one of the legs on rams and pigs to see how that works. I like the idea of aim small miss small, but if I can't hold the gun on a small target it takes a long time to pull the trigger.

I just noticed the other post about aiming at different spots on white and black targets. Our targets are black, maybe that is why I like to aim at the belly. The black dot doesn't get lost on the body. I put it on the belly or just barely underneath it.

[quote="joemo"]Nine turkeys is great. I would keep doing whatever your doing

I guess I need to be clear. After turkey's things went down hill. I missed the first five pigs. Since they look as big as a pumpkin when I was on the animal close I took the shot. Not aiming at a spot.

You need to pick a spot and everybody's is different. Whatever you choose has to be committed to memory and filed in your subconscious. Some reason mine is a little left of center and have to adjust sights to compensate. Probably because I approach right to left. If practicing indoors make up a set of stencils spray paint the critters on cardboard for targets. Bullseye target is better than nothing but not the same as the actual animal.

As example we shoot a club single shot iron sight Ram only match targets hung on chains . 10 shots then re paint . Get several shots same place you can see it and that mark draws subsequent shots like a magnet. If regulation silhouette targets had a spot painted on would be easier, and not as much fun.

Boats

This year I hit on an idea. I put a "dot" on the spotter board where I want to aim. Rather than just aim for the black I mentally assign a spot on the target...left facing ram; where the horns and body come together, right facing pig; top of hump, stem of chickens, etc. On my spotter board I put a dot to help me remember where to aim. It is more a mental stimulus than anything, but it works for me. Also helps with the corse adjustments of my Williams Receiver sights.

Every time I go to a new range my "aiming spot" changes. The light is different, the angle to the target is different, my attitude is different. So I spend the practice time finding my new aiming spots.

This may not work for you, but its the best I've come up with - and may get altered as things progress.

Michael

Well said on the aiming spot changing with light and Iron sights. I have a tendency to shoot high when light is weak. Mostly because I open up the aperture, front post gets fuzzy and indistinct. Hold according to the visible solid part not the true top of the post. So when light is low I take elevation off the sight just a little bit and pay attention to not shooting at the top half of the critter. Scope that is not an issue with me.

Good trick is make a 3x5 card with outline of the target put a spot on it were you want to hit. Stick them were you look at it all the time. I put it on the dash of my car. Helped me with picking a spot on Turkeys. Smaller target it's easy to shoot at the whole animal instead of a spot. Same idea as your spotter board dot, which I plan to copy by the way

Boats

I'm still waiting on an Ipad or Tablet with target shapes that the spotter can simply touch and mark the hit/miss. If I knew how to program one of these we'd already have it.
I'd have a red dot for my aiming spot, a black spot marking my last hit and grey dots marking previous hits. The program would record my hits/misses and at the end of the match would give me a graphic showing where my all shots are going.
I saw something similar in Arizona, but it didn't record the hits.

If we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs.

Please feel free to steal this idea - all I want is the app once its working (and 1.5% of everything you make after the first million).

Michael

Snaketail that is one of the best ideas I've ever heard.

I'm notorious for forgetting a spotter board, but I would never forget an ipad with an ap. Hell I use my iphone as my shot timer now.

I'm thinking that it would be possible to have shots 1-5 color code etc so you could see all 5 shots as opposed to just the last one. I spotted for Ronbo down in Tucson at a black powder match and he had 5 color coded pins so he could track the adjustments to his vernier sights.

There are a few folks up this way that I'm sure could help with the developer work for an ap like this. I love it!

snaketail2 wrote:I'm still waiting on an Ipad or Tablet with target shapes that the spotter can simply touch and mark the hit/miss. If I knew how to program one of these we'd already have it.
I'd have a red dot for my aiming spot, a black spot marking my last hit and grey dots marking previous hits. The program would record my hits/misses and at the end of the match would give me a graphic showing where my all shots are going.
I saw something similar in Arizona, but it didn't record the hits.

If we had ham we could have ham and eggs, if we had eggs.

Please feel free to steal this idea - all I want is the app once its working (and 1.5% of everything you make after the first million).

Michael

Check out the "Marksman Shooting Log" app for iPad and iPhone. I think it does all this stuff.

Dustin

Here is a spotting boad from our Club Single Shot Swinger match. Squad has 6 shooters 3 shoot at a time off relay 2 spot with scopes third keeps score. Each shooter is identified with the pins color. I can tell you having each shot perfectly spotted and recorded is a big advantage training and developing good offhand shooters. Break your shot make your call and glance over at the board to see the strike. Instant feedback.



It can be done this well in Regulation silhouette, good spotter, good scope and attention to whats going on. Afraid it's not often the case at club regulation Smallbore Silhouette matches were spotters are rarely seen. Not high tech but works well. I have photographed the board at times, when a nice tight group was recorded.

I should add the best spotter shooter combinations rarely say anything, Regulation silhouette My shooting buddy and I used to use hand signals. Finger on the pin for a confirmed hit, wavy hand if we are not sure of the actual strike, wave it off and no pin if the strike cannot be seen.

Boats

Here is the app Dustin mentioned. http://marksman-app.com/
Can't tell if there is an option to face the targets left and right.
And, of course, I have an Android phone.

Investigating.

Good tip, I just hit the buy button for one, will give it a try

Boats

There are some good information here. I will get out and try some out

snaketail2 wrote:Here is the app Dustin mentioned. http://marksman-app.com/
Can't tell if there is an option to face the targets left and right.
And, of course, I have an Android phone.

Investigating.

I saw some folks using it at nationals (their son is the programmer I think). It was slick. Lets you record a match, and even a whole season. You can see where you were hitting last time, or last week. etc. It was all very user friendly, if you have an ipad. I might have to go out and get that tonight too.