IRON SIGHTS, what "paper" targets do you use at 100, 200, 300 yards?

[NinjaLoader]

Hello, I battle zeroed my AR15 (A2 Upper) tonight at 25 meters. I chronograph'd my 15 round sight in session and I'm averaging about 2,580 fps with 77 grain SMK's over 24.1 gr RL15. I will work my way up to 24.5 gr (Lyman manual max) in the future.

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I had about a half hour of daylight left so I headed to the 100 yard range, stuck a target up and when I got back to the bench, I realized all I could see was a black square and my .050" (approx) front post looked like it was the width of the target as well. I squeezed off a 5 shot group and then headed to the backboard with two 4" orange circle stickers. Based on the ballistics calculator I was using on my iPhone I should have been a hair under 5" high at 100 yards so I put the stickers near the bottom of the target to help me frame the top of my front post and give me some type of contrast. It obviously helped but I felt like I was guessing as I attempted to split the orange circles in half with the top of my front post.

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The second (and last) five shot group measured approx 1.4" c to c and if you take away the "flyer", the other four grouped under an inch.

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If we all had a dollar for every time we heard some guy start a sentence with "if you take away the one flyer...". Guilty as charged lol.

Both five shot groups were shot with a front bag rest.

Anyway, for those of you who enjoy shooting iron sights and are successful at doing so, what do you consider to be the "best" targets for iron sights at 100, 200 and 300 yards and possibly why?

Your experience could help save me a few bucks and some time, I greatly appreciate any input you may have, thanks.

[antlad]

I've grown to like those big ass shoot n see targets for 1-300. The b8's work well if your eyes are sharp but they are much harder to see your hits with a cheap spotter or rifle scope.

[NinjaLoader]

I've grown to like those big ass shoot n see targets for 1-300. The b8's work well if your eyes are sharp but they are much harder to see your hits with a cheap spotter or rifle scope.

I will check those out thank you. If the target helped me frame the front post better and have good contrast I wouldn't put "being able to see with a spotting scope or rifle scope" u there as my top priority. It'd be a bonus but I know there's gotta be shooters such as yourself who have found and stuck with favorite targets at the specified yardages, I'd love to hear what they are, thanks again.

[T2C]

I download SR-1, SR-21 and MR-31 targets in PDF form and print them on 8-1/2" x 11' sheets of paper. They are plenty big enough to use as a target with a .070" - .074" front sight. The black ball is 6-3/8" in diameter and easily discernable at 100 yards.

If you want to get creative, clip the bottom off the targets before you print them so you have a flat bottom target. It makes indexing the top of the front sight on the bottom of the target much easier and reduces sighting error caused by canting.

[NinjaLoader]

I download SR-1, SR-21 and MR-31 targets in PDF form and print them on 8-1/2" x 11' sheets of paper. They are plenty big enough to use as a target with a .070" - .074" front sight. The black ball is 6-3/8" in diameter and easily discernable at 100 yards.

If you want to get creative, clip the bottom off the targets before you print them so you have a flat bottom target. It makes indexing the top of the front sight on the bottom of the target much easier and reduces sighting error caused by canting.

Thanks, I just checked and I have the standard .070-.074" front sight post, I was thinking of stepping down to the .050 post but will spend more time with the .070 post to practice and gain some experience. The 4" Orange dots I used were just barely discernible to me, I would think 6" for my eyes would be a min. Requirement. I'll google those targets later to see if I can find them. Thanks.

[T2C]

Attached is a photo of a modified target that gives you the main idea. I like to use a torpedo level along the bottom of the target to make sure it is level before stapling it to the backboard.

You can modify the target to suit your needs. This particular one is set up to give me a POI of +2" at 100 yards for a 225 yard zero with a 16" carbine and M193 ball.

There are several websites that have free PDF target downloads. I don't want to get M4C in a trick bag, so I won't attach a PDF file that I do not own.

Chop off the bottom for a 100 yard POI of POA, + 1", + 1-1/2", + 2", etc., to suite your purposes.

[NinjaLoader]

Attached is a photo of a modified target that gives you the main idea. I like to use a torpedo level along the bottom of the target to make sure it is level before stapling it to the backboard.

You can modify the target to suit your needs. This particular one is set up to give me a POI of +2" at 100 yards for a 225 yard zero with a 16" carbine and M193 ball.

There are several websites that have free PDF target downloads. I don't want to get M4C in a trick bag, so I won't attach a PDF file that I do not own.

Chop off the bottom for a 100 yard POI of POA, + 1", + 1-1/2", + 2", etc., to suite your purposes.

I like that idea thanks!

[NinjaLoader]

Attached is a photo of a modified target that gives you the main idea. I like to use a torpedo level along the bottom of the target to make sure it is level before stapling it to the backboard.

You can modify the target to suit your needs. This particular one is set up to give me a POI of +2" at 100 yards for a 225 yard zero with a 16" carbine and M193 ball.

There are several websites that have free PDF target downloads. I don't want to get M4C in a trick bag, so I won't attach a PDF file that I do not own.

Chop off the bottom for a 100 yard POI of POA, + 1", + 1-1/2", + 2", etc., to suite your purposes.

I was thinking last night, get a 10" circle for 100, 14" circle for 200, and as large as I could find for 300. At 100, 200 I could simply hold at the bottom of the circles to achieve my zero's based on my current ballistics:

100: 4.96"
200: 6.92"
300: -.070"

Using your suggestion, I'd want to find a 20" circle at 100, 28" circle at 200 so I could cut off or fold the bottom quarter of the circle. Or, just find a big one, buy a bunch and modify as needed.. If I could find them and they're economical I'd def try that.

I went along with the 25m zero to at least get me on paper at 100. I also realized that since I chronograph my loads that I can make my zero whatever I wish with more precision than guessing that 25m = 300m or 36 yds = 300 yards, 50/200 etc etc. I'm definitely going to keep working the velocity up a little after I get through my current handloads, so, the numbers above are going to change but with 20" and 28" circles I'd have more than enough "wiggle room" to adjust the cut at the bottom..

[NinjaLoader]

So I discovered I had the pictured "SR" NRA targets laying around, better than what I used previously, by far. I'd essentially be holding at the bottom of the black circle/dot.

I posted a picture of other "SR" style targets, I kind of like the black and white (better contrast) as opposed to the tan paper targets. I will do some more research to see if another website offers the particular dimensions of the targets, like radius of black circle, inches between lines, etc..

I'm leaning towards the 600 yd F class target shown in black and white but again, I don't know the size of the circle/black-dot..

[NinjaLoader]

Will modify the double circle target for 100 yards, I have three sheets, so that'll make six. I may just place a piece of duct tape 5" below the bull for 100 and adjust for 200 to try it at that distance.

I thought the pink target (originally bought for my wife for handgun practice) would also be good to try at 300.

I'm also reading up on front post widths and the standard .070-.074" square front post width on A2 and carbine length AR's. I'm going to leave well enough alone and stick with that width. The gun and Ammo shoots better than me so, it's fine.