[Jimbo]

Howdy Folks,
Thanks for the help on the tang sights. I have aquestion about target size. I have a place to shoot that I can place targets out to 400 yards. I'll be shooting these with my Shiloh Sharps in .45-70 and Ballard in .38-55. I want to place them at 100, 200, 300, and 400 yards. What size should I have the made in either rectangle or round?
Thanks, Jimbo

 

[butlerford45]

Jimbo I don't know, but would be intrested in finding out as well. What are the appx sizes of silhouette targets?

 

[Graybeard]

I have a target in the shape of a buffalo that is 16" x 26" and as you can imagine has a lot of empty space in that dimension for misses. We've used it the past two years in a buffler match at the 2nd and 3rd annual shoots of the folks from my Single Shot Rifle Forum. Distance first time was 250 yards, the second time 261 yards.

All shooting was done with BPCRs using vernier tang peep sights. First time with two Browning BPCRs and one Browning TH. Second time a lot more folks got involved a lot of different guns were used. Match was a five shot any position from sticks shoot. Several perfect 5 of 5s resulted and most hit 3-4 at least. We'll most likely move it back to 300 yards this April for the 4th annual.

Maybe this will give you some ideas.

Round is nice but likely gonna cost more to make than square.

GB

 

[texasmac]

For scaled silhouette drawing you can contact the NRA and request their NRA Silhouette Handbook. It provides all the details on how to make properly scaled silhouette. The book provides patterns of each silhouette on a grid for easy scaling. By the way the rough max width x height - standard shooting distances are:

Chickens 13-1/4" x 11-1/4"- 200M (218.7 yds)
Pigs 22-1/4" x 14-1/4" - 300M (328 yds)
Turkeys 19" x 23" - 385M (421 yds)
Sheep 32-1/4" x 26-1/2" - 500M (546.8 yds)

To make them for a shorter distance just scale the width and height proportionally. Hope this helps.
Wayne

 

[Omaha Poke]

Target Size

Tex, It is getting late here so I will just say that if you want I can give the size of the targets used at the Quigley match in Forsyth MT this past year. I believe they are constant from year to year. The distances range from 200 (230 this year) to 800 (789 this year) yards. I will have to go to my drawings and records of the shoot tomorrow to get the exact sizes. Let Me know if this will help. I wil post them any way. Omaha

 

[texasmac]

Omaha, I was responding to a question Jimbo had on target size. I provided the sizes of BPCR silhouette, but after rereading Jimbo's question in which he mentions either square or round targets, he must be referring to something other than silhouette target. Maybe Jimbo can clarify?

By the way, I would be interested in the type and size of the Quigley match targets. I assume, maybe incorrectly, these are not chicken/pigs/turkey/sheep type target. Thanks.
Wayne

 

[butlerford45]

Texas Mac it wuz me whyt ax'd fer silhouette size. All I have access to is mild steel, I think its something like ar320 or something like that. Could you guesstimate an appropriate thickness? and What are the base sizes, I think I'd like to see them fall over every once in a while. Could make the base larger on one side so that I can make'em stay up if that's what the situation calls for.

 

[texasmac]

Hi Butler. The following is from the NRA Silhouette Handbook.
Note that their recommendations assume the use of High-Power rifles, which use the same silhouettes as BPCRs. I'd assume, and you know what they say about assumptions, that a softer steel would be OK if limited to BPCR. Since I do not have any direct experience on the type of material and thickness some use for BPCR maybe others can comment. In most cases I understand they follow the NRA recommendations which state:

"It has been found that some low strength steels and some high strength steels are not satisfactory, because of the extreme damage done to then by high velocity bullets" The NRA further states the best steel to use is described om the ASTM specification A-514. It includes several which varies from about a BHN (Binell Hardness Number) of 320 to 400. The silhouette handbook lists several recommended steels, one of which is AR320.

The silhouette thickness is 1/2" for the chicken and pigs, 3/8" for the turkeys and sheep. The feet (stand) are to be made of the same material as the silhouette and are 3"x4" for the chickens, 2"x4" for each leg of the pigs, 3"x3" for the turkey, and 4"x5" for the sheep.

Wayne

 

[Omaha Poke]

Target sizes for the Quigley shoot this past year were as follows:

Buffalo at 789 yds 6' x 6'
Octagon (stop sign) shape at 600 yds 4' x 4'
rectangle at 525 yds 28" wide x 33" tall
rectangle at 411 yds 22" wide x 30" tall
diamond at 360 yds 34" from point to point (each side 24" I believe.
Bucket at 230 yds 18" across top, 14" on bottom, 20" on sides
bucket shot off hand, all others shot sitting over cross-sticks

Eight shots for record on each target with no sighters before start of string.

sorry I don't know the thickness of the steel, but it as to be pretty substantial to withstand the thousands of rounds that hit them each day.

Hope this helps, Omaha :grin:

 

[Jimbo]

Target Size

Texas Mac,
Sorry if my question was confusing. I didn't mean silhouette shapes. The targets will be made out of T-1 1/2". I just was wondering which shape would be better. By the way, I have a Browning Citioi 525 for sale. I got it thinking I would try Sporting Clays, but I want to concentrate more on the BPCR game. There a few more things I want to get for this sport. Thanks for everyone's input.
Jimbo