New AP shooter--teardrop-shaped holes question

[Dipnet]

I'm a BE shooter who has been slow to pick up air pistols (like I need another 'gun' addiction). Just started a postal match and bought tag paper targets for the first time (had been shooting xeroxed targets).

I'm shooting a Morini 162M with Diabolo pellets. The thicker tag paper is likely contributing to the irregular holes; however, I was wondering if the hole shape was indicative of a velocity drop? Thanks, dipnet

[Gwhite]

Very unlikely. Most US made targets are very poor for air pistol. You need heavier paper, with short fibers. Kruger, Edelmann, Cibles etc. are all good. I usually buy from Kruger USA: http://www.kruger-us-targets.com/index. ... -b-40.html

Even on a bad day, a Morini will make nice holes in good targets.

[rmca]

Dipnet

Get the targets that Gwhite mentioned and you should be OK.

To get rid of all doubts, get out the chronograph and clock your Morini. As a thumb rule, most air pistols shoot better at around 508 to 525 ft/sec (155, 160 m/sec) muzzle velocity.
Place the chronograph about to feet from the muzzle. Try to do it outdoors, as some indoor lighting can interfere with the measurement.
I'm probably preaching to the choir here... as I followed the .32ACP thread with great interest... ;)

Expect a slower velocity with heavier pellets (8.2gr) and faster with light pellets (7gr). As for testing, there are a LOT of topics on this forum...

Hope this helps.

[Rover]

In the meantime, try putting a fresh target over your old one for stiffening. You could also try drying a stack of your targets at a low temperature in your oven.

It's a shame American companies cannot produce a decent AP target. You can offset the cost of the Euro targets by shooting 10 to 15 shots per card, since they cut such clean holes.

[Scrench]

I had the same problem with a Postal match I shot in Europe that required me to download odd-sized targets off the internet. The best solution has already been given, buy quality Kruger targets as Edelmann's are no longer available, but in this case I couldn't. So I copied them onto regular paper, then made a circle of double-sided tape a little larger than what I expected to hit on the back-side, as well as on the corners, then taped that to thick corrugated cardboard. It works a little better if you use Kruger targets instead of cardboard (so still a reason to buy Kruger's), and although I was able to score it, I still got some tearing as you can see below (you can see the different color of the backing material in the holes, and yes, I put a circle of ds tape around the back of each black bull). The idea is to keep the target paper as tight as possible against the backing material. But that was with wadcutters.

You said you are using diabolos, which you should for 25 or 50 yard BE (use a high-quality pellet). The domed shape of a diabolo cannot cut as clean a hole as a flat-headed wadcutter, so you are going to get impact depressions around the perimeter of the holes if you use regular papers, even backed as I suggested, which can make it hard to distinguish if you are just touching the next highest score line on the target or not. Don't doubt your Morini for a second, guns that only shoot around 350 fps can still cut clean holes. Your Morini will always shoot way above that. What I would consider getting is a scoring gauge to help you determine exactly where you hit, and if you get into serious competitions you will probably need one of these anyway: http://www.champchoice.com/store/Main.a ... y&c=RASGSG



Hope This Helps,
Scrench

[Gwhite]

In the meantime, try putting a fresh target over your old one for stiffening. You could also try drying a stack of your targets at a low temperature in your oven.

It's a shame American companies cannot produce a decent AP target. You can offset the cost of the Euro targets by shooting 10 to 15 shots per card, since they cut such clean holes.

If you want to save money on targets, buy 5 bull strips and either cut them into centers, or modify a regular target to hold them:

http://www.targettalk.org/viewtopic.php ... ip#p222248

[spektr]

Hair spray stiffens up cheaper Americsn Target Company targets to cut good holes with my 777.... Just a light spritz of the black will do it, too much and they curl and who cares if you have keyholes in the white......

[Dipnet]

I've become lazy with chromo since I use same BE loads; however, looks like I should double check AP velocity. I got a good deal on a new 162M from ISS, but the cylinders were dated 2011 and suspect nobody wanted a mechanical trigger. The targets from American Target Company; they are heavy tag paper and suspect that is the problem. Thanks all for advice, dipnet

[BobGee]

I shot an AP match on Saturday using our standard pistol association targets and RWS Meisterkugeln 7.0gn wadcutter pellets with a FWB P44 pcp pistol. As a warm up I shot on the back of a target to confirm my grouping (not good!). Strangely, the holes seemed to be oval along the vertical axis like the pellets were yawing in the vertical plain. It was not an air pressure thing. When I shot on the front of the (same) target they were perfectly round. Just goes to show that the way paper is laid up, even in competition grade targets, can affect the hole shape.

Bob