In order for shooting to be constructive it requires several things. A shooter, a gun, ammunition, hearing protection, vision protection and targets. In order for shooting to be enjoyable it requires us to at least make a concerted effort to hit the targets. To measure precision accuracy usually involves paper targets and measuring devices. While constructive, this type of shooting seldom generates smiles, at least until the shooting is over. In the good old days of handgun silhouette shooting we had what I refer to as “instant gratification.” The clank of the bullets on steel followed by the tipping over of the targets produced smiles. At least some of this satisfaction returned to shooting with the advent of shoot and see stick on targets. While they provide instant gratification as the bullet strikes the target they are used up quickly and they aren’t cheap. I have recently added a new target to the mix that provides smiles and is actually economical. The target is made by DA TARGETS based out of Allentown PA. It is made from self healing polymer and provides instant impact identification by changing colors as it is impacted by bullets.
I handgun hunt and participate in GSSF matches. In order to do well with both of these activities requires practice. While I truly enjoy shooting there are times when practice becomes a chore. I am always trying to pursue ways to make shooting more pleasurable and easier to fit into my schedule. There is no question that the DA TARGET helps to achieve both of these goals. They recommend screwing the target to a solid background which I am sure would work great in most situations. In my case the target is going to be used in several locations so I decided to try a bit of deviation from the instructions. I built a frame to hold the Half Size Silhouette target and used common jack-chain to support it. Leaving one link slightly open at each end allows the target to be quickly removed from the frame and also allows me to adjust the height of the target quickly. The target frame can be left at our range and upon arrival I can have the target swinging in 30 seconds. This also allows me to take it to our other range where we have steel swinger targets hanging from log chain and quickly attaching them to the heavy steel frames. It worked perfectly.
Since I hunt with over 20 different handgun cartridges I decided to try out several of them on the target so see exactly what kind of reaction the target would present when impacted with bullets from .22 to .45 caliber. I have some handguns with larger bores than .45 but the lack of suitable bullets in .475 and .500 preclude me from shooting the DA TARGET with those guns. DA TARGETS doesn’t recommend using large meplat flat points or hollow points on the targets which can cause premature wear on them. I was also curious about how long it would take the self healing process to return to ready to shoot condition. One concern I heard prior to setting this up was whether or not I would have the ability to do any real precision shooting. That would be one of the scenarios I intended to address.
The weather here has been terrible for several weeks limiting suitable shooting time. These targets are sensitive to temperature as far as their overall color and you order them according to your local climate. The target I received was made for temperatures between 60°F and 100°F. When the temperature is ideal for shooting this target reaches a bright red/orange color. They also have targets available for temperatures from 45°F and 80°F which are red when ready to shoot. The targets will be black when bellow their temperate range.
In the case of my target I purposefully put it outside at 9°F and it turned coal black. I brought it into the house which my wife keeps very hot and in about 5 minutes it was orange again. I soon discovered if the target is slightly dark and the sun is out simply sticking it in a closed up car that is sitting in the sun will have it to its intended color in minutes. You can shoot them when they are cold but the best visual impacts happen in their intended temperature range. We did some plinking with the target while it was black and it most certainly worked.
The weather finally improved enough for some serious plinking. I recruited my son to assist in filling the target full of holes. First up I had to break in a new 9MM Glock 17. I filled up several magazines then started some point shooting and double tap practice. After the first few cycles I realized something, instant gratification was back. As I shot the target doing double-taps and point shooting, the instant visible impact on the target was a huge aid in adjusting my grip on the guns as well as following the front sight to the target. When you can see exactly where you are hitting it is easy to perfect technique. I can see this being a great teaching aid for law enforcement agencies and any shooter for that matter. After about 50 shots in rapid succession we took a break to see how long it would take the target to heal. Within 2 to 3 minutes the target turned back to solid color.
Next up, my son took a .22 Single Six and proceeded to riddle the target with holes. Another lesson learned. Some .22 ammo will not make a large bright impact mark. The hotter ammunition created yellow impact marks that were nearly identical to the 9MM FMJ ammo. The beauty of this target with the .22 is you still get the gratification of a visible impact but you don’t have to reset anything. After the target was once again allowed to sit for a few moments the .22 holes all but disappeared as the color changed back.
Close examination revealed tiny black dots on the target. After shooting this silhouette style target with the .22, I knew immediately I was going to order some other DA Targets to set up just for the .22s. Once again seeing impacts will quickly put a smile on your face.
It was time to move up in diameter. The .40 S&W, 10MM and .45 Colt were all chomping at the bits for their turns. With each round of shots the impacts would appear and the impacts would heal. It was a blast, literally. Aside from the fun, I was working with a handgun that I am planning on killing some coyotes with.
It is a 10MM custom Glock on which I recently installed a Ultradot Matchdot 2 Green in Carver mounts. I played with the reticles that are available while shooting the DA TARGET. To get a precise aiming point I turned it to the 2MOA dot. For those that question whether or not you can do any precision shooting with this target, I can now say yes. It was pretty simple. I already had the gun close to sighted in. I shot a hole that instantly appeared as a yellow dot a bit over ⅝” in diameter and that became my aiming point. I already knew where my point of impact needed to be so using the quick turn elevation/ trajectory knob I adjusted the dot till it was slightly low of the yellow splotch then fired for confirmation. After that simply aiming at the same point produced a nice tight group. DA TARGETS advise against shooting the target with flat point bullets. Sometimes the mischievousness comes out, and we wanted to see what would happen with the large meplat bullet from the 45 Colt. We shot just a few to see what the actual impact would do to the target.
The gun is a John Linebaugh big 45. Think of it like a .454 that is too light and you will get the picture. You can probably imagine the load with the 350 Keith bullet. Upon impact the impact area was huge and bright yellow. This added to the fun factor as well. Catching that pocket cannon in full recoil while simultaneously creating the hole in the target and throwing a shovel full of dirt from the backstop up in the air was quite the show. After healing they left a small hole in the target that didn’t close all the way. Even with that hole, a 9MM passing through it would still touch all the way and make a visible impact. Now we know why they said not to do it. Lesson learned.
While I had a ball shooting the target there is one thing that I don’t think can be overstated. This target vs. the steel cutouts that we normally shoot, allows the bullet to pass through into a backstop that we already know is safe. I have shot steel for years and I have had bullet splatter come back and sting me. While I am only aware of a few instances involving serious injuries from shooting steel targets, we know it has happened and will happen again. I really like the fact that the issue is eliminated with the DA TARGETS. Another thing I like about these targets is they are American made. When given the choice I will virtually always spring for American made products.
In closing this product is safe, durable, economical, American made and above all it is fun to shoot which means it brings smiles to plinking sessions. After putting a few hundred holes in it looks barely worn. It sells for $79.99 and since it will endure thousands of shots I consider it a bargain.
Stay safe and good shooting-RDY
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