September 5, 2021
Below is an unusual target. We bet you have never seen one of these targets before. It’s a 50-Yard sighting target for the M1 Garand (and other.30.06 Springfield vintage military rifles). It is designed to let a rifleman confirm his zeros at multiple yards, all the way to 1000 yards. The target is only 50 yards away, so he can establish zeros in a very short shooting range.
Here’s how it works. The target is at fifty yards (50). Start at the bottom and aim at the black circle. Next, check your come-up and start clicking step-by-step at the various horizontal lines for 200, 300 and 500 yards. This is not “spray-and-pray” — you must have a good idea of how many clicks you will need based on the ballistics of your ammo. This target is calibrated to the U.S. Military’s M72 Ball Ammo. These targets can be purchased at Champion’s Choice ($0.75 per target) or Creedmoor Sports (12 for 5.95).
Kevin Thomas used this target to zero in on a Talladega Marksmanship Park D-Day Anniversary Match. Kevin used the target to chamber both his M1 Garand and his M1903A1 Springfield, which are both chambered for.30-06 Springfield cartridges.
Zeroing at a Short Distinction — How to Use the 50 Yard Sighting Target. I needed to zero my M1 Garand as part of preparation for the Garand Match at CMP’s Talladega Marksmanship Park. But, time was tight. I didn’t have the time to go to my normal range and verify zeros at actual yardsages. A 50-yard zero target was able to save me. The target was made for M1s with the M72 National Match ammunition. It allows shooters to establish good zeros at 200 to 300 yards, 500 to 600, 600 to 1,000 yards, if they have a 50-yard range.
Although I don’t know when the 50-yard Sighting Targets were created, they have been around as long as I have been playing this game (longer than my knowledge allows). It consists of a tall target with a smallish, black bullseye at the bottom. The bullseye serves as an aiming point only. The vertical line that runs from the top to the center of the target, almost to the top of paper, is the bullseye. These intersecting horizontal lines are marked 200, 300 and 500 respectively.
This target was made for the M1 Garand rifle and used then-issued M72 national match ammunition. This ammunition launched a 173gr FMJBT round at 2,640 FPS. It was a great load at the time, supersonic up to 1,000 yards. This ammo is not very common these days but it isn’t a problem to the handloader. The 175gr Lapua Scenar HPBT is my standard match load for M1 Garand. It delivers remarkable ballistic performance. My Garand load is a good match for this 50-yard target. This is by design. It’s not worth reinventing the wheel when Lake City already knows what works!
The shooter places the target at a distance of 50 yards and checks its vertical alignment with a plumbbob or a carpenter’s level. This is to ensure that the target is vertical. Once the target has been set, the rifle can be fired and the group is noted. It is then a matter of zeroing the rifle normally to align the groups with the vertical line at the required elevation. Once your group has reached the intersection of the horizontal line marked “200” and the vertical line marked “200”, your rifle’s zero at 200 yards will be established. You can now count the clicks and go. You can now raise the impacts to match the line marked “300”, and you will have a zero at 300 yards. Continue to increase the targets. You can now go to the range at all distances if you have these settings recorded in your data book. You may not be in the X-Ring if you do it carefully. However, you will be well-centered and ready for any future shoots.
An M14/M1A can be used to target the same target, but at shorter distances. The ballistics of both the M118LR and the current M118LR look similar enough to get you on target at all distances. It will probably only require a half MOA change from the 50 yard zero you recorded. Similar bullets, but moving at a slightly slower 2,550 fps. You’ll still be in the ballpark.
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Tags:.30–06, 50-Yard Target. Champions Choice. Creedmoor Sports. Kevin Thomas. Lapua. M1, M1 Garand. M1903, M72. Sighting Target.
