August is National Shooting Sports Month. The goal is to enjoy time at the range and also introduce new folks to the fun and challenge of pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting. To help our readers enjoy August days at the range, we’ve included a set of six fun targets. These PDF targets are free to print and use.
While AccurateShooter.com focuses on high accuracy shooting, probably 95% of rifle shooting is done for fun at targets inside 200 yards. Shooting at targets just for fun is actually very engaging and enjoyable. Here are five targets that offer an entertaining challenge for a fun day at the range with friends.
Here are FIVE FUN Targets for your next range trip.
Right Click Each to Download Printable PDF Version.
Fly Shoot Grid
Aim for the 10 flies in boxes one by one, top to bottom rows. Then, for more challenge, aim for the 7 small black circles, using the vertical and horizontal lines to align your cross-hairs.
For a final, tough challenge with an accurate rifle, try to hit the small yellow inner circle in the very center of the three radiation hazard symbols (see right). That central circle is smaller than a bullet-hole, providing a serious challenge.
Dart-Board Target
With this fun Dart-Board Target, aim for the four outer bullseyes, then go for the center bull. The colored darts provide additional targets. With an accurate rifle you can also aim for the colored stripes.
NSSF Billiards Table Target
This Billiards Table Target offers 15 brightly-colored numbered balls with the cue ball at the bottom. Aim for the numbers, shooting 1-15 in sequence, or alternate between stripes and solids. You can also draw an “X” on the white cue ball (or attach a paster), and use that to set your zero. This target is fun for shooting outdoors with rifles at 50 or 100 yards or indoors with pistols.
Poker Target — Get the Best Hand
With this playing card-themed target, each shooter takes five shots and the one with the highest hand wins. You can also shoot for four-of-a-kind, against the clock, fastest four (without a mistake) wins.
Five Bull Challenge Target for August
This colorful NSSF target has five different bullseyes. Use it at closer ranges with pistols, or at 100-200 yards with rifles. Start with the center bull then shoot the four smaller bullseyes.
August is National Shooting Sports Month. Many indoor ranges are offering promotional specials this month. Range sessions may be reduced in price (or free) and you’ll find discounts on guns, ammo, and accessories. Shooting indoors is fun, and at many indoor ranges you can shoot in the evening after work. But when shooting indoors you should always be extra careful. Follow all key gun safety practices and adhere to proper range “Etiquette”. We also recommend double hearing protection — plugs under muffs.
The NSSF (NSSF) offers a useful Range Safety and Etiquette video. This 8.5-minute video explains safe practices, especially at indoor ranges. In the video, the moderator list the basic rules of gun safety, before covering key range etiquette topics such as range officer commands, how to uncase your firearm on the range when you first arrive, and what to do if a firearm is accidentally dropped. There are also safety tips specific to handling both semi-automatic handguns and revolvers.
BAD RANGE BEHAVIOR — Five Things NOT to Do at the Range
Here are the five worst behaviors we’ve seen at indoor ranges. These behaviors are both dangerous and inconsiderate. Any one of these behaviors can get you permanently banned from an indoor range.
1. Sweeping other individuals after loading a weapon behind the firing line is very bad. All your weapons should be empty until you reach your shooting station.
2. Turning the handgun sideways while trying to clear a malfunction or insert/remove a magazine. This will point the muzzle at a fellow shooter. Or, after shooting a gun, the shooter fails to clear the weapon and then places the gun somewhere near the shooting station with the muzzle in an unsafe position.
3. Reacting unpredictably when firing a high recoil handgun. We’ve seen people take a second shot by accident with the muzzle way off target.
4. Not obeying range commands — in particular continuing to shoot during called cease-fires.
5. Poorly aimed shooting that hits target frames or carriers, causing ricochets.
Seven Types of People at the Gun Range — HUMOR
This video is satire, but with lots of truth in the characterizations. Laughter guaranteed.
Double-Up on Hearing Protection When Shooting Indoors
When shooting rifles and pistols indoors we recommend quality muffs with earplugs underneath, offering double protection. When inside an enclosed range, with other shooters blasting away right next to you, you really need effective hearing protection. But you also need to hear range commands and be able to communicate with your fellow shooters. That’s why we recommend electronic muffs with plugs underneath.
2023 Smallbore and Air Rifle Champion: Cecelia Ossi
Story based on article by CMP’s Sheri Trusty
At the 2023 National Matches at Camp Perry this summer, 21-year-old competitor Cecelia Ossi achieved a remarkable double-discipline victory. Ossi placed first in the new Three-position (3P) Smallbore and Air Rifle Aggregate combo event. She did this shooting both outdoors and indoors. This was a great “twin win” by a very talented young lady. A member of the rifle team at the University of Nebraska, Ossi recorded a historically great performance at Camp Perry this summer. Cecelia won the 3P Smallbore and Air Rifle Aggregate with a score of 2421-60X.
For 2023, the CMP created a Three-Position Smallbore and Air Rifle Aggregate Championship for those who competed in both disciplines. Earning the inaugural win in the match was the talented Cecelia Ossi, who shoots for the University of Nebraska rifle team. The CMP had modified the match schedule to allow shooters to compete in Smallbore matches on Camp Perry’s outdoor Petrarca Range as well as in Air Gun events at the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center located just next door — all during the same day.
The 2023 National Matches marked the first time Ossi shot outdoors at Camp Perry. The unique environment gave her the opportunity to test her skills: “Shooting outdoors created a lot of challenges, which is why I loved Camp Perry. You have to figure out how the wind is affecting your shooting, and it’s very rewarding when you get it right.”
Ossi has one more year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and then she plans to join the Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) in Georgia. “I trained with [the USAMU] for a week this summer. I’m really excited about joining them in 2024″, she said. Ossi labels herself a perfectionist, and marksmanship provides a venue to be the best she can be (as the Army would say).
“Marksmanship gives me the opportunity to be a perfectionist. It’s very interesting and mentally challenging to figure out position and challenge myself to be perfect in everything I’m doing.” — Cecelia Ossi
A former gymnastics competitor, Ossi transitioned to marksmanship in her junior year of high school. She is now at the University of Nebraska, where she competes with the rifle team. Ossi is now heading into her senior year at Nebraska. “Marksmanship taught me a lot about the mental side of competing. I think I would have done better in gymnastics had I known all that. The mental side can outweigh the physical side. That’s something that’s overlooked in a lot of sports.”
Ossi said her coaches played a big role in her early, rapid success: “I had phenomenal coaches that helped me progress quickly. They knew my goals and how to help me meet them. They were a huge part of this.” Ossi trained with coaches Tom Fister, Tab Rhode, and Bill Burkert in Pennsylvania and with Peter Fiori (Senior) in New Jersey. Mindy Miles is head coach and J.T. Schneiring is assistant coach at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Cecelia Competes with both Air Rifles and Smallbore (.22 LR) Rifles
Ossi shot the air rifle competitions with a Walther Monotec rifle, and she shot smallbore with a Walther KK500 equipped with custom modifications. “My parts are mostly custom built by Peter Fiori, Sr. He played a big part in my marksmanship”, Ossi explained. Both her rifles have very sophisticated stocks that allow precise adjustment of cheekpiece height and buttstock height/length/angle to suit the three different positions that she shoots: standing, kneeling, and prone.
Camp Perry — Shooting Outdoors with Electronic Targets
Camp Perry’s unique shooting environment drew Ossi to the 2023 National Matches. “Camp Perry is the only place I’ve had the chance to shoot team matches. I had never shot team smallbore before. That was very fun. It’s fun to bring the team aspect into shooting and work together”, she said. “Each person shot a different position, so it highlighted each person’s strengths. I was nominated to shoot standing, which is my strength, so that was fun.”
Camp Perry employed electronic targets for the National smallbore matches for the first time this year. Ossi enjoyed this modern technology: “The electronic targets were a big reason why I decided to shoot smallbore at the National Matches. The electronic targets brought a bigger crowd overall for the matches and made the whole experience really great. The staff did really well making the matches run smoothly.”
Path to Success — How Young Shooters Can Win a Spot on College Teams
Ossi’s rushed entrance into competitive marksmanship gives her a unique view into the challenges young college hopefuls face, and she is open to advising young recruits as they maneuver through the college process: “I talk to a lot of recruits and young rifle shooters. The biggest thing, when you’re looking to get into college, is putting yourself out there and introducing yourself. It says a lot about you, and the coaches remember that.”
Ossi said college recruiting rules limit the connections between college hopefuls and coaches, so she encourages young marksmen to talk to college athletes like herself: “Don’t hesitate to reach out to college shooters. I’m always open to answer questions. You can always talk to collegiate shooters when you can’t always talk to coaches.”
From Gymnastics to Competitive Shooting After years of training as a high-level gymnast in her early teens, Cecelia transitioned to marksmanship competition in her junior year of high school. She had little time to perfect the skills necessary to earn a spot on a collegiate team, but she applied the discipline she learned as a gymnast to her new sport and achieved success. Her high school rifle match performances earned Ossie an invitation to join the University of Nebraska-Lincoln rifle team.
“In my junior year of high school, I had to retire from gymnastics due to injuries, and I felt a little lost,” she said. “I had done a lot with 4-H shooting sports — muzzleloader, shotgun, you name it. I did a lot of different disciplines, so I had a little bit of shooting experience.”
When Ossi learned a friend’s sister was a member of a collegiate rifle team, it opened her mind to new possibilities: “I dove right in. The coaches were amazing, and it brought me to the college 1 ½ years later. It was a quick transition from gymnastics to shooting.”
Ossi applied her gymnastics training to marksmanship: “I think all that training as a high-level gymnast played a part. I knew how to train for long hours every day, and I knew how to set goals. Having physical discipline and mental discipline helped. It was just a different sport.”
CMP Online Resources for Junior Competitors and Parents
The CMP has good resources for junior competitors on the CMP Website. There you will find information on youth shooting programs, along with College Connect and Guide to College Recruiting. These are excellent resources for parents and juniors.
Are you looking to get started in tactical/practical competitions? Or perhaps you already have have some PRS/NRL experience but want to upgrade your equipment and enhance your match results. Here are eight videos that can help you improve your game. These videos feature top tactical PRS/NRL competitors and George Gardner of G.A. Precision, considered one of the founding fathers of the PRS game. You’ll find other related videos on the Long Range Precision Shooters YouTube channel.
How Accurate Are The World’s Top PRS Shooters?
In this video, MDT put three top centerfire PRS shooters to the test, running them through some of the most difficult stages. The goal? To showcase the level of accuracy and precision these top shooters can achieve. From shooting off barricades to hitting targets from rooftops and rocks, these shooters demonstrate why they are considered among the best in the world.
Cartridge Choice for PRS and Tactical Competition
This video reviews many of the different cartridge options popular for PRS-style competition. The video examines pros and cons of various cartridge choices, focusing on accuracy, recoil, mag-feeding, and value for money. This segment features G.A. Precision owner/founder George Gardner.
Most top PRS shooters are using 6mm cartridges these days. These deliver excellent accuracy with lower recoil and cheaper bullet cost. Popular choices include 6 Dasher, 6 BRA, 6mm Creedmoor, 6XC, and the new 6GT cartridge, which is sort of a stretched version of a 6mmBR. It has a bit more case length for better feeding, and greater case capacity than a 6BR so you can shoot 105-108 grain bullets at 2950 fps with ease. That’s a popular Dasher accuracy node that the 6GT can achieve at somewhat lower pressures.
CLICK HERE for a full write-up on a 6GT rifle build by Mike McCasland (Texas Precision). This includes load development suggestions and a 6GT reamer print. The popular 0.120″ freebore chamber allows for the majority of high-BC 6mm projectiles. Mike had good luck with the pointed 107gr Sierra Match Kings (SMK), as well as the 110gr Hornady A-Tips in his rifle.
PRS Tactical Division — Rifle, Ammo, Optics, and Set-Up
In this video MDT Shooter Matt Stiner explains the basics of competition in the PRS Tactical division. The video covers rifle, cartridge choice, optics, and key accessories. He also explains how to set up your PRS Tactical rig for best results. In addition Matt talks about bullet and brass options.
PRS Ace Shows Skills Barricade Technique — with POV Video
This video features 2015 PRS Champion David Preston shooting the PRS Skills barricade. Dave Preston has been among the best in the nation running this PRS stage. Dave nearly always shoots 100% with the fastest recorded time. In this video you’ll see him successfully nail all eight shots in under 43 seconds. This includes a POV sequence (4:35 time-mark) showing the actual view through Dave’s scope.
The PRS Skills Barricade is an 8-round, 4-position stage featured at most PRS matches. It’s called a “Skills Stage” as it is run the same way at every national match and gives shooters the ability to compare skill levels based on hit percentage and speed. The target is a 10″ plate at 400 yards. There are four different positions, with two shots each. Most people run this stage in about 70 seconds, while Dave does it in the low 40s!
Know Your Limits PRS Stages — Pro Tips
This video showcases how 2018 Oklahoma PPS Champion Clay Blackketter approaches Know Your Limit Stages. With these particular type of stages you have to make judgment calls about your rifle’s accuracy and your ability to hold on target. You can boost your score by shooting the smallest target(s), but you risk losing points if you miss. Clay explains how best to manage a Know Your Limits stage.
PRS on a Budget — Converting a Basic Rifle for PRS Use
Top of the line rifles for competition are exceedingly expensive, but there is another option if you have a rifle in the safe that doesn’t get much use. Top F-Class shooter and wind coach Keith Glasscock notes: “I converted my .223 Remington varmint rifle into a Tactical class/PRS training rifle to save costs on ammunition and barrels so I can get better, faster.” Keith shows a very logical way to get started in the PRS/NRL game.
Bare Minimum: What You Need To PRS/NRL Competition
Like most shooting sports, PRS/NRL precision rifle competition can seem daunting once you start adding up the costs for the rifle, the optic, and all the important gear. We note the maximum price limit for “factory class” has risen steadily over the years, reaching $3000 currently. So even in the least expensive division, you can expect to put out a serious chunk of cash. This month, Dustin Sanchez talks with Brian Whalen about the minimum gear you need to start shooting long range and still be competitive.
1. Rifle (1 MOA capable)
2. Ammo
3. Bipod
4. Optic
5. Data Management (App, Kestrel, etc.)
“Road to the PRS” Episode One Presented by Kestrel Ballistics
Join Jeremy Flinn, the owner of Stone Road Media, as he begins Precision Rifle Series (PRS) shooting with the help of respected instructors and shooters. Follow along with Jeremy and Katie Godfrey of Kestrel Ballistics as they travel to eastern Pennsylvania to meet instructor Jordan Glassman, a renowned long-range shooting specialist and PRS beginners match instructor. He helps get Jeremy in preparation for an upcoming PRS Beginners Match.
This Saturday Video showcase was suggested by Boyd Allen.
While this site is primarily about accurate rifles, we know many of our readers enjoy handgun shooting also. Here are four videos that can help readers improve the speed and accuracy of their pistol shooting. You may never win a Bianchi Cup title, but these tips can help in a club IDPA match, or the pistol stages of your next 3-Gun match. The star of these videos is Doug Koenig, 19-time Bianchi Cup champion. Koenig, who has won numerous National and World pistol titles, is considered by many to be the best action pistol shooter on the planet. His speed, consistency, and accuracy are without peer.
Keep Both Eyes Open
When shooting a pistol two-handed, “on the clock”, it’s almost always better to shoot with both eyes open. And during a “move and shoot” action pistol match, you surely want to have both eyes open. Keeping both eyes open improves depth perception and helps with target transitions.
“To me it’s very simple — I wouldn’t drive my car with one eye closed. I wouldn’t walk around the house with one eye closed. To me, it’s all about your vision, your depth perception.” — Doug Koenig
With both eyes open you’ll have better depth perception and peripheral vision, Koenig says. Moreover, you will also be able to transition from target to target more quickly. In a timed, multi-target stage, you’ll want to move your head/eyes to the next target right after you break a shot. You’ll find that you will then reflexively move the handgun on to the new target when you swing your vision on to it. Don’t linger on the target you just shot — move to the next.
Acquire First Target
In this video, 18-Time Bianchi Cup Winner Doug Koenig explains how to acquire your first target quickly, and make sure your first shot is a hit. Doug notes that a perfect first shot will positively affect the many shots that follow in a competition:
Make Fast Follow-Up Shots
In this next NSSF Video Koenig demonstrates how to make Fast Follow-Up Shots and how to transition from target to target quickly. Grip, stance, consistency are all important Doug explains.
Trigger Press and Trigger Control
In this fourth video, Koenig talks about key techniques that apply to all pistol marksmanship — not just speed shooting “on the clock”. With any handgun, Doug explains, you should focus on consistent trigger control. You want to avoid yanking the trigger or anticipating recoil.
Doug Koenig’s List of Championships:
10-time World Champion
19-time Bianchi Cup winner
2016 NRA World Shooting Champion
More than 70 National Championships
6-time World Action Pistol Championship Winner
3-time World Speed Shooting Champion/Steel Challenge
Shoot 101 Quiz
How much of an expert are you when it comes to firearms and ballistics? Test your knowledge with this interactive test. Guns & Ammo magazine created a series of features called Shoot 101. These articles provide “how to” information about shooting, optics, and outdoor gear.
On the Guns & Ammo website, you’ll find the Shoot 101 Ballistics Quiz. The 15 questions are pretty basic, but it’s still fun to see if you get all the answers correct.
You don’t need a lot of technical knowledge. And it’s not all about flight ballistics. Roughly a third of the questions are about projectile types and bullet construction. Note, for some reason the layout doesn’t show all the possible answers at first. So, for each question, be sure to scroll down using the blue scroll bar on the right.
August is National Shooting Sports Month. The NSSF, through its “+ONE” campaigns, encourages all dedicated gun owners to invite a new shooter to the range this month. Here’s the challenge to our readers — make a commitment to introduce at least one new person to the shooting sports this summer.
The +ONE Movement — The Mission
The goal of the +ONE campaign is to build the ranks of shooters. The idea is basic — make a commitment to act as a MENTOR and encourage at least ONE new person to get involved. As the NSSF says: “If just one in three of America’s recreational shooters adds one new person to the shooting sports, we’ll secure a strong future for generations to come.”
NSSF encourages gun owners across America to take part in the 2023 #RangeChallenge held during August, National Shooting Sports Month. For the seventh year, National Shooting Sports Month celebrates the sport of target shooting by encouraging firearm owners to enjoy a summer day at the range — preferably with friends or family members.
National Shooting Sports Month Target and Gift Cards
For National Shooting Sports Month there is a special target you can download and shoot (or get from local shooting ranges). Then you can enter your target or a photo of your shooting session for a chance to win one of ten $500.00 gift cards.
How To Get Involved — Get Target, Shoot Target, Enter to Win
1. Download a Target
Download and print the target — CLICK HERE or Right-Click Target Below.
2. Find a Range and Shoot Your Target
Use the Shooting Sports Month host/events map to find a participating range near you.
3. Review the Game Instructions:
Choose one of three options, then shoot pistol at 15 feet, or rifle at 30 feet.
4. Enter to Win Prizes!
After shooting, upload a photo of you and/or your target OR post a photo or video to your Instagram feed using the hashtag #RangeChallenge for your chance to win one of ten $500 gift cards.
The #RangeChallenge provides shooters of all levels with a fun and competitive game plus a chance to win great prizes. Get a free #RangeChallenge target at a National Shooting Sports Month-participating range or download a target below. Get a chance to win gift cards by posting a photo on the #RangeChallenge website or a photo on Instagram using hashtag #RangeChallenge. You’ll be entered to win one of ten $500.00 gift cards. See the #RangeChallenge website for full details and rules.
Click the target above to get a printable PDF. Or you can get a free #RangeChallenge target at any participating local range. CLICK HERE for more information about the NSSF’s 2023 Range Challenge.
Splatterburst 1″ circles, 62 per sheet, 10-pk $9.99. These can be pasted on other paper backers.
We’ve all seen conventional splatter targets with a single large black bullseye. When a shot hits the target, a halo (usually neon yellow) appears around the bullet hole. This makes it easier to see your shot placements indoors, or at long range outdoors. Today we feature a variety of other targets that also offer the cool halo/splatter effect. We’ve found grids, multiple bull targets, sheets with 62 one-inch circle pasters, handgun training targets, and even white background splatter targets (that produce black halos). Try out some of these targets for fun (kids love plinking with splatter targets).
Tomorrow is the first day of August, the beginning of National Shooting Sports Month (NSSM). Each August, throughout the month, America’s shooters come together to celebrate our sport and get newcomers involved. To help grow the ranks of shooters, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) asks you to bring a new shooter to the range in August. That’s a good mission — adding to the ranks of shooters is the best way to preserve our Second Amendment rights.
This coast-to-coast celebration spotlights the fun and enjoyment of target shooting. Newcomers can take their first shots, and experienced shooters can invite someone new to the range or help an erstwhile shooter rediscover the fun of target shooting. This month-long event involves all the shooting sports — rifle, pistol, and shotgun.
Find Shooting Sports Events Near You
The NSSF’s ShootingSportsMonth.org website offers a comprehensive, searchable database. This lets you search by state, to find ranges, events, and sales promotions near you. Visit the NSSF online database of NSSM shooting events to find matches, clinics, training sessions, special sales — and much more.
Great FREE Targets for Fun at the Range
To promote National Shooting Sports Month, the NSSF offers 17 FREE Downloadable Targets. There are regular bullseyes, as well as Darts, Golf, and more. We really like the Billiards target and kids love the Water Balloons target. You can download all 17 targets for free, and then print them out, ideally with a color printer. Below are six of our favorite targets. Click HERE to download these six targets (3.5 mb ZIP).
What Shooters Can Do to Promote National Shooting Sports Month:
The NSSF says: “As shooters, you serve a critical role in the continued growth of gun ownership and shooting sports participation. We urge you to join us this August for National Shooting Sports Month.” There are a variety of ways you can help this August:
— Introduce a family member, friend, or group of friends to the shooting sports by taking them to a local range that’s hosting an event.
— Spread the word to family/friends and encourage them to get out to the range in August.
— Encourage the ranges and retailers near you to host an event this August and add them to the official events calendar at www.ShootingSportsMonth.org.
Aim for the 10 flies in boxes one by one, top to bottom rows. Then, for more challenge, aim for the 7 small black circles, using the vertical and horizontal lines to align your cross-hairs.
After years of training as a high-level gymnast in her early teens, Cecelia transitioned to marksmanship competition in her junior year of high school. She had little time to perfect the skills necessary to earn a spot on a collegiate team, but she applied the discipline she learned as a gymnast to her new sport and achieved success. Her high school rifle match performances earned Ossie an invitation to join the University of Nebraska-Lincoln rifle team.
Shoot 101 Quiz
