Why do people post pics of targets...

Here and elsewhere I see targets posted all the time, mostly in reloading forums and there usually is info as to bullet, weight, powder. powder charge and gun.

I only post the good targets. https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?media/albums/targets.141/

Had a large pile in the basement, to many. Had to get rid of them.

Had one target with 3- 70 gr Rem match 243 bullet holes , within 1" of each other. All 3 hit the target sideways @ 100 yards.

Why do people post pics of targets...

Pride

They'll be broken on the wheel !


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There is a guy that posts quite a bit on the forum on a particular brand of rifle. I was always impressed with his hundred yard groups and then I found out that he shoots off of a lead sled. Not so impressed now. I agree with the Op that a person should describe how the group was obtained. It's also true that we rely on an individual's honesty as to how far away they are from the paper.

WVsig said:

I see it a lot on this forum and others where people post pics of their targets saying this gun is accurate or not accurate but they do not post any details.

A pic of a target IMHO is useless if you don’t say if it was shot off hand, from a rest, what distance it was shot at, the round that was used etc....

Context is everything, There is a huge difference between quarter sized groups off a rest at 10 yards and the same group off hand at 25. Shooting from a rest is a whole different ballgame than offhand. One tells you how accurate the gun is the other tells you how accurate the shooter is. LOL

I guess I am confused.

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I agree. Without comment ntext pictures mean nothing.

Typically someone asks for the relevant info.

It’s also might be people just get excited about liking their gun and they forget that info initially.

WVsig said:

I guess I am confused.

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Me, too. I just have never thought to post anything about it. Glad you did.

The background certainly helps understand the data (target). Like I shot this at 100 yards with my Ruger GSR from a bench position with first shots being off and then adjusted the scope towards the center. About a 20 round group. Sometimes people are just so happy either with themselves or their firearm and the accuracy they obtained.

dh1633pm said:

The background certainly helps understand the data (target). Like I shot this at 100 yards with my Ruger GSR from a bench position with first shots being off and then adjusted the scope towards the center. About a 20 round group. Sometimes people are just so happy either with themselves or their firearm and the accuracy they obtained.

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I like em when they set the context AND experiment with variables in a series of targets. Different powders, different bullets, different grip style.

Bragging rights, sometimes.

Unfortunately, anyone can claim a target shot at 5 yds to be from 25 yds.

Posting targets is typical of websites or forums dedicated to a particular make of gun – a sort of reaffirmation and celebration that we all bought the ‘right’ gun.

In that context, posting targets might have the benefit of indicating a particular gun’s potential.

And it might help others with the same make and model of gun narrow down types of ammo to try to find what the gun ‘likes,’ for example.

WVsig said:

Context is everything

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I try to give distance, load data, shooting style, firearm, and post pics of the firearm with the target. Always nice to see someone's favorite target load with a pic of the gun that shot it.

RikSors said:

Unfortunately, anyone can claim a target shot at 5 yds to be from 25 yds.

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Some may be bragging. Others are just so doggone pleased they found a round or round that will perform well from their gun for their needs, maybe after spending a day or two working up ladder loads to find the perfect combination.

As Odd Job suggested, if you are that concerned about how the target grouping was accomplished, as for specifics. In the grand scheme, the patterning is usually only relevant or memorable to the shooter.

It's like when American Rifleman was doing their obligatory fluff piece on some Kimber handgun and the author was raving about how it was one of the most accurate handguns they've ever tested and listed 1.69" to 1.97" groups.

Not bad.

Until you read the fine print and realize that they tested it at 15yds instead of the usual 25yds. My Glock 19 will do an inch at 15yds.

The other annoying thing is when people say how accurate their gun is and then post a picture of a 2" group at 7yds.

Uh... That's not accurate. My most inaccurate handgun is a Taurus G2c and it will do a 1.5" group at 7yds. At 25yds, it opens up to 5"-6".

You can never tell how accurate a pistol is by shooting it at 7yds. My S&W Shield would do the same 1.5" at 7yds, then due to a defective barrel, did 12" at 25yds. It went back to S&W.

Had I been like most CCW folks and just shot it at 7yds and say it's good enough for carry, I never would have known that it was dangerously inaccurate at longer distances (but I would have hopefully eventually noticed the bulge in the barrel).

I like to watch accuracy videos where the shooter has one camera focused on the gun and another zoomed in on the target. Thought I'd like to try that but haven't a clue how to go about doing it. Plus I don't have a video editor program either.

That is why I post images from my app. It pulls together the image of the target and any information I put in the fields for the firing set.

Glock 19, Gen 5 at 10 yards with Blazer 115 gr FMJ. This is the first 100 rounds out of the box. The only modification was a 3.5 disconnector. I think it’s worth posting as I was impressed with the accuracy out of the box.

I try to keep enough info on the target to prevent questions.

Here is a target that I shot offhand with a Glock at 1000 yards while I had a hangover. Would that be more believable if I wrote that down in pencil on the target? And I swear that I did not just find this picture on the internet and stick it up on here. Oh no! So now all of you need to realize that I am a better shot than you are and that I know more about everything than you do. I also own the Colt Python that General Custer used at the Battle of Little Bighorn. I bought it at a pawn shop for $24. Are you jealous of my amazing shopping skills? I would put a picture of it on here but my camera just broke.

WVsig said:

I see it a lot on this forum and others where people post pics of their targets saying this gun is accurate or not accurate but they do not post any details.

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Simply an expression of pride (or frustration), I'd guess. I don't know that I've posted any online (might have), but if I'm impressed with my results I do tend to bring the target home from the range for a day or two.

It's more self-gratification, and less information sharing or seeking, other than "for me, I can shoot this gun good".

Now, there have been times I've been tempted to post for actual info- I have a Savage 1907 in .32 that I can't figure out how to shoot. If I brace it firmly on a sandbag I can hit cloverleafs on the bulleye at 7 yds. Standing and shooting offhand at that same distance I have "groups" of close to 2 ft. This doesn't occur with any other gun I own, regardless of vintage, caliber, or condition. I concentrate and try to replicate the same grip, stance, etc, but it's like it's shooting knuckleballs instead of bullets. It's just weird. Someday I might post a target for the board's amusement and dissection, if I ever can refrain from tearing one to pieces...

I'll do it on camera where you can see me and the target while firing. That's where steel comes in handy, especially with the brand new P-10S, which is one of the most accurate subcompacts I have ever used...note "I" That instant feedback of, "yeah, he hit it" or, "nope, that was a miss" is handy. I also will note here that I am, compared to anyone on the internet, a horrible shot.

Interesting thread:
I do post pictures of targets & typically the post is about achieving a level of accuracy for a firearm & what I want to do with it. Perhaps it is because this is how I was taught, it all starts with having a load that's accurate enough for what your trying to do with the firearm/load combo. I was also taught to use the best possible methods to find that accuracy level. Seems kink of pointless to look for 1/2moa 10-shot groups @ 100yds with a bull bbl'd 223rem bolt action offhand. Same goes for testing target loads with pistols /revolvers and using a ransom rest or some sort of rest.

I actually like when people post pictures of what they're doing. Yes some are 7yds but that's ok with me. Perhaps that's their level of shooting or they're simply showing other shooters that everyone has to start somewhere.

I've posted these groups before trying to show other reloaders different things to look for when unexpected fliers keep showing up.


A couple years ago I bought a nib 686 and was working up loads to shoot shotgun shells @ 50ft. We set shotgun shells up instead of bowling pins and shoot them @ 50ft instead of 25ft. Same rules for bowling pins just shotgun shells for targets. Using 38spl brass and 158gr cast bullets seated long/bottom crimp groove. I came up with this load @ 50ft for shooting shotgun shells. 6-shot groups @ 50ft.


So when I started playing around with 357 brass and looking for plinking loads I kept getting those groups pictured above, 4 or 5 shots touching and fliers. I was using a 110gr wc bullet in those 357 cases that had a short seating depth. Little neck tension couple with 357 brass that was all over the place. Anywhere from once fired to brass that looked like the puppy played with them for a week or 2. Ended up tossing most of the brass and buying 2000 new pieces of 357from starline. Needless to say the groups shrank to bughole with the new brass.

More targets was looking for plinking loads for a beater 44mag/629. Wanted something that would do 1 1/2" @ 25yds. 1 1/2" groups @ 25yds in more that reasonable for a plinking load. 1" groups @ 25yds seems to be the gold standard. Anyway it didn't take long to find a couple loads that would do 1 1/2" groups @ 25yds. 13 of them actually


Note the 4 or 5 shots touching and the fliers. Time to go thru the 44mag brass and cull a bunch of it.

Different targets posted for different reasons. Some find the info useful, others not so much.