The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: alfsauve on January 07, 2011, 03:49:43 PM
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This'll be a strange one.
I noticed the other day, NSSF was touting the PDF targets on their web site so you can print your own. There are, I know, a number of web sites with targets. But here's the rub. I don't like shooting plain bond paper as targets. It tears and it's far too white. I know just enough about paper to be dangerous. What we normally use is 20# bond with a brightness in the 90-92 range. What I'd really like is something rougher (more rag?) and tan, just like the targets you buy. Newsprint, I have and is too thin and light. Poster board and card stock too expensive.
So where can I get "target paper"?
Now there are some caveats, of course.
- Would prefer two sizes, 8-1/2 x 11 and 11x14 (or thereabouts)
- Could cut my own if it came on a roll
- Would love the price to work out in the 1-2 cents/target areal
Anybody got suggestions? Paper, right now, appears to be at a cyclical low cost so this might be a good time to stock up, if I can find what I want. (20# 90bright bond for printers is $23/5,000 on sale.)
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Just go to Staples or any other office supply store. I buy different weights and colors of paper for target posters,etc..
Hope this helps. Good shooting
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Cheap, 20 lb resume paper comes in a variety of colors and is relatively close to plain printer paper in cost at the big box stores.
I used a heavier bond last year for mine. The didn't sway in the wind as much outdoors and they could be found at the local discount department store giants.
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Okay, I may have found it. "Kraft paper rolls"
Right now Staples has 30# 24" wide 1,200' rolls for $46. Cut into 12x12" that's 2 cents a target.
Now if the consistency is what I want for shooting.
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Alf,
Do you know what the target printers use? It sounds like you are on the right track, but is it by chance or based on target companies? Like you I've been trying to find a good paper. I don't see that I'll save a ton of money with paper and printing costs, but I'd love to make up my own variety of targets. The problem with "regular" paper is that because of its strength it tears "tear drops" rather than punching holes.
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Target paper is specially made with extra-short fibers to give you clean holes. I never heard of another paper that makes a good substitute. Maybe you've found it. Keep us posted Alf.
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I don't see that I'll save a ton of money with paper and printing costs, but I'd love to make up my own variety of targets.
For "bullseye" stuff, I don't mind buying the appropriate target. For IHMSA, I have cutouts and can spray paint the targets on the paper.
But the bulk of what I'm doing is "action" shooting, and I've gotten to the point that I just need the paper. No printing. I've used D-2s which are nice, but it just an added expense (0.09ea) to have a "printed" target when what I really am looking for is grouping in center of mass.
I don't think Kraft paper (which I've used for "craft" purposes) is going to work, but will tear drop or tear like regular bond.
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What I use for targets is called C1S 8 point and 10 point paper. The 10 pt is the heaviest I can feed through my printer without having feed issues. The 8 pt is slightly thinner put works equally well. It is coated on one side so it appears glossy.
It's a poster board or card stock material and holds up really well for targets.
C1S
08 pt. C1S .239 thickness
09 pt. C1S .261
10 pt. C1S .273
12 pt. C1S .308
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Holy She-ite!
That paper is over a quarter inch thick!
:o
That must take some heavy duty printer.
;D
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Sorry, but I think you left out a zero just to the right of the decimal point, unless of course that is in the metric system.
I use cardstock paper from the office supply aisle at Wally World. It actually comes in one thick pack that is an assortment of day glow colors. Then over by the hardware and paint aisles there is a rack of different types of duck (duct?) tape. They also have day glow green and day glow orange duck tape.
That is what I use for my aiming points.
I don't even bother printing anything out on them.
In the past, I have used the Birchwood Casey day glow orange stickey dots which you can find in the ammo aisle.
I like the cardstock from wally world because it is a suitable heavy paper that also three hole punches rather well. Since I reload, I whave all these sheets...forms really...that I write my reloading info on. Three hole punch that. Shoot about 20 rounds over the chrono. Then shoot a target or two for groups. That is 3 hole punched and placed together insinde my 3 ring binder.
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pardon the triple tap, buttttt....
I picked up a roll of heavy brown craft paper at Home Depot. I will put that up as a backer first and then staple my day glow cardstock on top of that. This is at a special members only range where they put up that black homasote board or that cor-a-plast board as a backer.
The brown craft paper also makes a good wide target for patterning shotguns.
Also, at Home Depot and/or Lowe's they should also sell a heavy rosin paper that comes on a roll . It is what is supposed to go down first before you put down a traditional wood floor.
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...........I use cardstock paper from the office supply aisle at Wally World.
................I like the cardstock from wally world because it is a suitable heavy paper that also three hole punches rather well.
Cool idea Tyler, about using standard sized card stock and 3-hole punching it to put in notebook.
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I have access to an abundance of used building plans, free. I use those for a canvass to draw aiming points on. They work well for patterning shotguns, initial zero of rifles/pistols. As mentioned above, they are too thin to support round holes, but when it is important, I attach Shoot-N-See targets to it, and get very visual, round holes.
Brian
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I was at Lowe's again today and walked right by the brown craft paper. It was 35 inches wide by 140 feet long and it was just $9.98 . That is 58,800 square inches of paper. the equivalent of 628 sheets of 8.5X11 paper.
I will put my still to be chrono'ed ammo in those blue plastic flip lip ammo boxes. I have some special size label made by Avery that I printed out using MS word. When I get to the range I will stick the same label on the target I just shot...all the important info....
powder type
powder weight
bullet type and weight
primer
caliber
average velocity
standard deviation
and average power factor.
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the 3 ring binder also has those plastic divider tabbed dealey-oh's. there is a label on the tabs, one tab/section for 9mm, one for .40, one for .45, and .223.
it makes it so much quicker to locate stuff like that.
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craft/masketing paper. almost always has 2 sides. make sure you use the non shiny side.
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craft/masketing paper. almost always has 2 sides. make sure you use the non shiny side.
I thought all paper had two sides???????? ;D ;D
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craft/masketing paper. almost always has 2 sides. make sure you use the non shiny side.
My bullets pass all the way through, so I end up using both sides. Boy that would save money though.
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I thought all paper had two sides???????? ;D ;D
Except for a Mobius strip. Only one side, but it makes a lousy target.
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OK, I'm a cheap...um, fellow. Since I have to break down cardboard boxes for recycling anyway I break them down to 12x12 or 18x18 pieces and “recycle” them as targets. If I'm feeling real fancy I'll add small pieces of tape as aiming points, but most of the time I just use the plain brown square. I figure outside of a range nothing I'm likely to shoot has a convenient little “aim here dummy” symbol so why should I do my practice with one. I do use “store bought” targets for sighting in or testing new guns
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I thought all paper had two sides???????? ;D ;D
it has 6 actually.
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it has 6 actually.
Just ask Jerry and Bob! They seem to enjoy shooting the skinny sides :o
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70 lb Ivory Color Vellum is very good for this - cuts nice clean holes
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OK, I'm a cheap...um, fellow. Since I have to break down cardboard boxes for recycling anyway I break them down to 12x12 or 18x18 pieces and “recycle” them as targets. If I'm feeling real fancy I'll add small pieces of tape as aiming points, but most of the time I just use the plain brown square. I figure outside of a range nothing I'm likely to shoot has a convenient little “aim here dummy” symbol so why should I do my practice with one. I do use “store bought” targets for sighting in or testing new guns
I have mentioned on here before about our range using the round pieces of cardboard that pizza joints use to put under the pie in the boxes. We get them from a local area store for cheap. They are white on one side and brown on the other and you can get different diameters. Five of the 8" personal pan sizes arranged a foot apart work well for steel plate practice. They type of bullet goes a long way in determining how neat the holes that get punched look.
Also, I have used regular construction paper like kids use in elementary school.....cheap in bulk packs.
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Just an update on this quest.
Rolls of Kraft Paper are a no-go. What you get are little rolls of paper. A real bugger trying to make them lay flat.
If you have a wholesale dry cleaning supply, shirt backers seem reasonable, problem is they come mainly in 8x12 and 8x14
BUT HERE'S WHAT I FINALLY FOUND.
Available locally. It's called Bogus paper and is use for charcoal drawings. Comes in a variety of sizes including 12x18 which seems ideal. It's 70# paper and Dick Blick Art supplies has it for around $0.067/sheet. Other art stores may also carry it. Considering that B-16 NRA targets are $0.099/sheet this is a bargin.
I'm off to buy some tomorrow and will let you know how it works.
http://www.dickblick.com/products/gray-bogus-drawing-paper/ (http://www.dickblick.com/products/gray-bogus-drawing-paper/)
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Well, with everything that has happened, I'm finally getting back to this target thing
The Dick Blick art store didn't have the Bogus paper and wanted to charge me shipping to get it in. Blahhhhh. I can order it on-line and pay shipping. I bought some substitute paper ~70#, but it didn't do to well.
Tonight I brought home some samples of 80# and 110# card stock which I will test tomorrow. Problem is I really want something in the 12x12" or better the 12x18" size.
Now that things are returning to normal, we'll try some of the other art stores.