My journey with the defensive handgun began almost 30 years ago when I was made a police officer. The B27 was the most common target in law enforcement at that time. The B27 target is a black silhouette of a male in life-size. Five oval scoring rings are located inside the silhouette. This target was originally used for qualification. However, police departments don’t like spending money so it became the de facto practice target. A common IPSC target is a 30 inch tall, 18 inch wide carboard target. It is shaped to resemble a human head and torso, and has scoring rings (squares and rectangles) in the torso. The IPSC target is more practical than the B27 one, and typically has a brown and white side. It’s made of cardboard so it’s easier to use and lasts longer. The pepper popper was the old steel target. Although it is now available in a variety of sizes, the original pepper popper was approximately 42 inches tall. It was based around a 12-inch circle that replicated a torso. It also had skinny legs and a head section. The pepper popper falls over when you shoot it. It can be adjusted so that a head shot is needed to knock it down. A.45 ACP will do the same, but a 9mm won’t. Other steel targets were used for competition. These targets are usually small squares or circles that will fall over when shot. Back in the day, pepper poppers and other steel plates were available for members to use when practicing. My department even bought a few steel targets. The downside to these targets was that you had to walk downrange to reset them after you shot them. This slowed down matches, training, and practice. The types of steel targets available were starting to amaze me by the time I left law enforcement, in 2005. There were many companies that made them. The prices were also affordable enough so that the average man could afford one. These three Action Target PT hostage targets have been used thousands of times with rifles and handguns.
Before I paid any money, I spoke to many manufacturers and did extensive research on steel targets. I wanted to make sure that I was getting my money’s worth if I was going to spend hundreds of dollars. I wanted a target that would be useful for my defensive handgun training and could also shoot with a rifle. It had to be made of AR550 steel. Other requirements were that it would be reactive and that I wouldn’t have to walk downrange in order to reset it. I ultimately settled on the Action Target PT hostage Target. This AR550 steel target is shaped somewhat like a human torso. It has a base of 3 feet and a target face that measures 24 inches tall (including the head) and 13 inches wide. The 6-inch swinging plate can be flipped to the side of the head section if the plate is struck. The target weighs in at 60 pounds. The safe shooting distance for handguns is 10 yards, while rifles are 100 yards. These targets have never needed painting in over ten years. You can see that they have been painted quite a bit. But one thing is unique about this target: it’s mounted at an angle so it faces slightly toward the ground. The target face is free of bolt heads and welds. This ensures that the bullet impact splash is almost straight down. Although Action Target does not recommend this, I have shot these targets at 3 yards using a handgun. Action Target doesn’t recommend it, but I have found these targets safe to shoot at 50 yard with a handgun. Additional $89. Available are two small swinging steel plates that can be used to create a pelvic hit zone. I loved the target so much that I bought three more. For an additional $89., Action Target also offers two small swinging steel plates for a pelvic hit zone. They have never needed painting and are still as good as new. The target will move to one side, the headplate will flop to the opposite side, and the steel will ring. If the paint is fresh, you can also see the point at impact. This, combined with the fact that you don’t have to go down range to tape bullet holes or reset the steel, makes training sessions more enjoyable. The Action Target PT Hostage Target is my recommendation. They retail for $352 and can be ordered directly from Action Target. A box of 100 cardboard IPSC targets costs about $70, and you’ll run through ’em pretty fast, not to mention the stapler and staples you’ll need, and the trash they’ll create.For more information, please visit actiontarget.com.More On Target Selection:NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Storm Tactical Printable Target Pack62 Printable MOA Targets with DOT Drills – Rifle Range in YARDSThis impressive target pack from our friends at Storm Tactical contains62 printable targetsfor rifle and handgun range use. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Get Free Targets
