man shaped targets

koorbloh · Apr 27, 2009

how do they make you feel?

I heard they had problems with soldiers not wanting to shoot men in ww1 or ww2 maybe? after switching to man shaped silhouettes, they had less troubles.

I shot at one one night with a friend...his choice...

it was strange.

i'll stick with target shaped targets, or critters, if I can

Coug91 · Apr 27, 2009

Let me ask you this... if a soldier is afraid to shoot at a human shaped target, how do you think he would feel about shooting a real person? I personally have no problems shooting a human shaped target. I also have no problem shooting at a 1" ink dot on a 9" paper plate or 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. target don't have to be elaborate to be effective training aids.

Front sight... front sight... squeeze.

koorbloh · Apr 27, 2009

Coug91 said:
Let me ask you this... if a soldier is afraid to shoot at a human shaped target, how do you think he would feel about shooting a real person? I personally have no problems shooting a human shaped target. I also have no problem shooting at a 1" ink dot on a 9" paper plate or 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. target don't have to be elaborate to be effective training aids.

Front sight... front sight... squeeze.

re: the bolded part: that was the point of switching to man shaped targets, to get soldiers used to shooting at things that could be people...

so, you don't see your target? you just see the point of impact? the shape doesn't have any effect on your shooting?

When shooting at a man shaped target, I couldn't think of it as a person, but I tried to focus on shooting at a grouping of lines because it was weird shooting at something that looked like a person.

GixxerPete · Apr 27, 2009

How do they make me feel??

I shoot holes in them with extreme prejudice, just like any other target shape.

In fact when I shoot my LCP at the range I switch from bullseye type targets to a human silhoutte type target. The LCP is never going to be a bull shooter, and trying to do so is an exercise in frustration. But take a man-sized target, aim center mass and let her rip (or go Mozambique if you like

) and it seems like much more realistic training for it's intended purpose.

FWIW, when I went through Basic many moons ago, all the range/qualifying targets were man sized/shape silhouttes. I had no problems shooting them, and don't recall hearing anything about Nancys not being able to shoot man shaped targets?

Metonymy · Apr 27, 2009

I agree with Pete. I'll put holes in any piece of paper all day long. It's just paper. I have no emotional attachment to it.

As for shooting a real person? If the situation ever arose that I had to draw and take aim... it's well past the point of me feeling "sorry" for someone.

KillermondoDude · Apr 27, 2009

military went from picture targets to sillouette targets

GixxerPete · Apr 28, 2009

Oh I should add that shooting targets of Osama Bin Laden or Mullet Man and especially Barney at Champions is always good times.

I will have to admit the target of a cute chick pointing a gun at you from a car seat is a little disturbing. Do I shoot her, or hit on her and say "hey nice gun, wanna go shooting sometime?"

I asked about them and they said that and other similar targets are there for LEOs who want to train on threat assessment, hostage situations, etc.

Coug91 · Apr 28, 2009

koorbloh said:
re: the bolded part: that was the point of switching to man shaped targets, to get soldiers used to shooting at things that could be people...

so, you don't see your target? you just see the point of impact? the shape doesn't have any effect on your shooting?

When shooting at a man shaped target, I couldn't think of it as a person, but I tried to focus on shooting at a grouping of lines because it was weird shooting at something that looked like a person.

OK.. I missed the last phrase. Human shaped target de-humanizes "the enemy".

I see thet target and familiar enough with my guns to know where to put the front sight (or reticle) to hit where I aim so that the size of the target really doesn't matter (at normal engagement ranges forthat weapon).

I'm always amazed when i see people freak out shooting the 25M alternate M16 range on paper... the point of aim/impact is the same for all of the (ranged) targets. Put the front sight center of mass and squeeze.

Front sight... front sight... squeeze.

(I may have to add that to my siganture)

koorbloh · Apr 28, 2009

KillermondoDude said:
military went from picture targets to sillouette targets

I swear I saw it on the history channel....(and they never lie)

hmm, might have just been making stuff up

koorbloh · Apr 28, 2009

Coug91 said:
OK.. I missed the last phrase. Human shaped target de-humanizes "the enemy".

I see thet target and familiar enough with my guns to know where to put the front sight (or reticle) to hit where I aim so that the size of the target really doesn't matter (at normal engagement ranges forthat weapon).

I'm always amazed when i see people freak out shooting the 25M alternate M16 range on paper... the point of aim/impact is the same for all of the (ranged) targets. Put the front sight center of mass and squeeze.

Front sight... front sight... squeeze.

(I may have to add that to my siganture)

hmm....sounds like I should get some actual training... :redface:

also, it seems that pete has called me a nancy, lol :lol:

maybe it's just ingrained too deep in my brain to not point guns at people...seems like a lot of you guys don't have a problem with it in certain situations (the right ones, of couse)

DJ Nathan V · Apr 28, 2009

I've never had an issue shooting silhouettes.

GixxerPete · Apr 28, 2009

koorbloh said:
also, it seems that pete has called me a nancy, lol :lol:

Well I was referring to my fellow maggots... err.. trainees in basic, but if the shoe fits... :thefinger:

maybe it's just ingrained too deep in my brain to not point guns at people...seems like a lot of you guys don't have a problem with it in certain situations (the right ones, of couse)

Pointing guns at people you do not or are not sure about shooting is bad. Pointing a gun at bad people you do want to shoot is perfectly acceptable.

koorbloh · Apr 28, 2009

GixxerPete said:
Pointing guns at people you do not or are not sure about shooting is bad. Pointing a gun at bad people you do want to shoot is perfectly acceptable.

agreed, but I have a barrier that says all people don't need shooting (at least for now)

GixxerPete · Apr 28, 2009

koorbloh said:
agreed, but I have a barrier that says all people don't need shooting (at least for now)

Some folks just need killin' :devil:

Coug91 · Apr 28, 2009

GixxerPete said:
Some folks just need killin' :devil:

If the situation warrants.

Boogieman065 · Apr 29, 2009

In law enforcement, they shot at actual pictures of real people holding weapons. This is done in order to react to threat and eliminate it.

In the Army, we shoot at all black silhouettes, no actual details of the "person" or any display of threat.

sunofnun · Apr 29, 2009

this is a funny thread...

I was down at the range in renton w/pete..

I picked a target that had some chick inside a car looking out her window. I picked it cause I thought it looked fun to shoot at, as I'd never shot a full color target...

I noticed however, even though I had no feelings about the target one way or another people kinda looked at me as I drug it over the counter towards the door..

I guess I got the impression that the people were thinking "man that guy must be mad at his 'significant other' cause he's shooting at a lady in a car target!!"

I went in and promptly shot it up.

maric 57 · May 4, 2009

the difference from one of the standard bulls eye targets to a target where you had to find the center yourself was pretty weird. i'd never shot anything but targets with easily visible centers until i entered a glock match and they had cardboard perforated tombstones. close up the perforations were visible, but at a distance you had to use your best judgement. form me it was a lot more different than i thought it would be.

Lefdrgn · Jun 23, 2009

shooting silloettes

I am a firm believer that everytime you are at the range you are putting yourself in training, you are training for a day you hope will never arrive. The day you use the weapon for its designed purpose, to shoot and kill. It is not a pretty picture but it is IMHO the truth. I only shoot at silloettes or person sized targets, and generally from within 15 yrds, every once in awhile I send it out to 25 but this is a unrealistic distance for any civilian engagement with a side arm. A cross hair or bullseye target is great for sighting in but unrealistic for real life application. The bad guy in your house or robbing your mcdonalds won't have a target, they have their vital organs and in reality chaotic backgrounds. I train myself to shoot double tap to the center mast and 1 to the head. But it is also important to train yourself mentally for not just your target but where the bullet travels if you miss or have a through ad through wound. It is a scary prospect that I pray I never run into, but I want to be prepared for if that god forsaken day ever does come. If I draw on a person they no longer are a person, they are that silloette and they made that decission.

Keep it up guys!

-Lefdrgn

man shaped targets

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