Air Gun Home :: View topic - AirGunHome Shooting Competition Month 184

Gerard · Member

I wouldn't describe the holes I'm getting as perfect. Most are okay, but I get the odd tear if two shots are within less than 5mm of each other. That's because typing paper is awful for pellet shooting even with the best wadcutter pellets. I've tried running 8.5" x 11" newsprint through my printer and shooting at that, both supported on cardboard and by itself, but it's pretty much just as bad. What one wants is really stiff paper with very short fibres... which is what's used on internationally sanctioned air gun targets such as those made by Kruger and Edelmann. The very short fibres tear very easily. Folding a corner over is likely to break off a triangular piece of one, compared to folding typing paper which can be done 20 or more times before it'll get close to breaking.

What I've been doing for these contests is using a spray adhesive to affix the paper to the cardboard, and that helps a little. The stuff was left over from an instrument case I had to line with foam, called 3M Super 77. Stinky stuff but it works well on paper as it does with foam. When I run out of that soon I won't be replacing it. Don't like breathing the fumes.

For my first entry or two here I folded the ends of the paper and pressed it up against my old roughly 10" x 10" putty target box, first heating the electrician's putty ('Duct Seal') with a hot air gun then smoothing with a putty knife, allowing to cool for a few minutes then rubbing the paper onto it. Then I got lazy about cleaning the pellets out... But yesterday I wasted half an hour plucking pellets out with an awl and then smoothed it over once it was mostly clean, and I'll be going back to using that for the October contest. Much cleaner holes, though some oil does leech into the paper from the putty and stain it.

Most of my target shooting nowadays is at my 7" x 7" steel trap outside the porch, with Kruger targets dropped into that. Perfectly round clean holes even if two shots are within 0.2 points overlapping each other. 0.1 point overlaps can be a bit tricky to spot through the scope, but examination with an Eagle Eye tells the tale on good target paper just fine. If someone could point to some paper stock one can buy blank in 8.5" x 11" size or a larger size we could cut down for printing these match targets on that'd be great. Or if the match could shift to using standard 7" x 7" air pistol targets... we could just print on the back sides of those, with the right printer options set up. Could get a bit tricky though as my printer (a Lexmark all-in-one) doesn't have that size available, and setting it up as a custom size always seems to result in off-centred printed targets. Still, I use all my old 10 metre targets for printing 4 x 6 metre reduced targets on the backs. I've set up a 6 metre range up in the bedroom and hallway for evening practice sessions when I don't want the noise of pellets hitting the cushioned, padded trap outside to bother the neighbours. I cut the printed targets into quarters and they show a small mess of holes in one corner where my full-scale shooting landed, but nothing where the bullseyes are. And at 6 metres my sight alignment is a match for 10 metres owing to the trajectory of my Pardini K12 set to 450fps.

Sorry, more info than you asked for. I do ramble...

ace · Member

thanks and no problem i do appreciate any tips i can get.
i was told by someone that maybe ironing the paper before shooting might help ? i have noticed the paper feels a little damp when I'm placing them on my target box. its a simple thing to do i think I'll try it next time I'm practicing.

Gerard · Member

When I started shooting a couple of years ago I read somewhere that baking typing paper targets would allow clean holes. Didn't really work. I even bought the wrong Kruger targets by mistake - the 'practice' type which were a bit cheaper - and since they tore horribly (who would want to practice on that?!) I tried baking a bunch of those. They turned slightly brown and I figured great, they're more brittle, they'll cut nicely... nope. Still tore horribly. Useless. So I ended up using most of that pack of 250 targets against putty. Worked fine that way. If the pellet has something firm to cut through just behind the paper, doesn't much matter what, it should leave a clean hole. A lot of people just tape or pin the paper to cardboard for that reason.

vitalymezh · Member

Just want to share my manner to get clean holes in any printed targets, step by step:
1. Buy in dollar store (or steal from your kids) modeling clay

2. Print your target and stick modeling clay balls in places you supposed to hit, if area is large make bigger balls.
Press with your thumb down and then spread to all desired directions.
If you lazy, don't do the balls, just spread ugly peaces of modeling clay...
When I shoot pistol practice I do the ball big enough to cover the black part of 10 m pistol target.

3. Put your target on any backstop (I use carton box filled with old magazines and newspapers) and shoot, shoot, shoot!!!

4. Take out the target and gather the modeling clay left for the next round.
Target no.5 was shot without clay, just carton backed. See the results and defferences:

5. Scan you target and post on Airgun Home Competition!

Shoot safe and have fun!!!

ace · Member

Thats interesting thanks.