American Survival Guide – October 2019

[ASGMAG.COM] AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE 79

theedgeofthetopportionofthe2-by-4andthenI staplepapertargetstothecardboard.

Papertargetscanbefoundeverywheregunsaresoldandinmanystyles.I prefera simplebull’s-

eyeorgrid-styletargettogetmyweapondialedinandforlonger-rangeshotsifI amnotusing

feedbacktargetssuchassteelplatestoletmeknowmyshotwasontarget.

Forclose-instandupworkfiringfromthe3-,5-,7-,9-,12-or15-meterlines,I prefertouse

3-,6-and9-inchroundblackdots.I usea templateI madetospraypaintthedotsontowhite

butcherblockpapersheetsandthenstaplethemontomytargets.I findthatusingthismethod

› Some of the best
and most exciting
home range shooting
I have done with my
family has included
shotgun targets. From
old frying pans to
watermelons and
pumpkins, targets for a
shotgun not only add
fun and excitement to
your range, but they
are also a great way
to demonstrate the
devastating stopping
power that these
weapons can provide
you at close to medium
range. Photo by
Annmarie Morris.

allows me the opportunity to tighten my shot

group, and it is considerably cheaper than buying

commercially made targets.

When I am doing kinetic work such as shooting

and moving, or when I want to test how much my

practice has paid off, I prefer the lifelike paper

targets that you can buy that give options for the

person on paper to be holding a gun, a badge or

even offer only a partial shot because they’re be-

hind a hostage. When it comes to targets, the sky

is the limit with tin cans, balloons, steel targets

and even fireworks or fruit being options.

Additionally, I like to set aside a lane for

obstacles and for taking shots from covered

and/or concealed positions such as a window

or the corner of a hallway or building. These

shots require you to practice specific techniques

that would be hard to recreate without building

physical training aids.

‹ Left: In Afghanistan, we built ranges inside

our compounds to train our Afghan partner

forces, such as this Afghan commando on

a remote fire base in Afghanistan. We used

Hesco barriers to protect us from incoming

rockets and bullets. They also worked great

as backstops for our shooting range. You

can use them for the same purpose. Hesco

barriers can be found at Hesco.com