I tried to get these to actual size, I believe it works if the picture is downloaded and viewed with MS Paint. Using internet Explorer and with my screen resolution at 1280 x 1024 it is very close to actual size. You will see a few battle scars on some of these, note the one on the edge just under the chickens beak.
Here I will show some great close-ups on how the animals rest on the stand. The rail they are setting on has a small pedestal that the feet of the animals rest on. This sets them so that the bottom of the animals foot is even with the face of the colored steel in front. This keeps the pedestal the feet rest on from being damaged.
The formula for the difficulty factor shows a calculation relating the size of the target in relation to its distance away. The size I used for the targets was the NRA design without the widened foot that the smallbore targets have. So the smallbore targets have a slight advantage over the high-power. The term "Minute of angle" is familiar to a lot of shooters and very familiar to me because I am a Registered Land Surveyor. It is a measurement of angle. One minute is one 60th of a degree. Scopes are listed in the amount of movement in minutes of angle per click, being usually 1/4 or 1/8 of a minute per click. All that being said, I calculated the area in square inches of each target. I calculated the area of a square minute in inches for each target. I then divided it out to give the factor for the area of each target in square minutes of angle. This is a direct relation to how visible each target is.
The grid lines you see on each target are the minutes of angle.
The Chicken has an area of 2.3 square inches at 40 meters (131 feet). It calculates to a Difficulty Factor of 10.9 square minutes.
The Pig has an area of 7.1 square inches at 60 meters (197 feet). It calculates to a Difficulty Factor of 16.7 square minutes. What can be disappointing at times is shooting through the hole under the pig.
The Turkeys are as tough as it gets. From the top of the back to the top of the foot is about 2.25 inches. The Turkey has an overall area of 7.25 square inches at 77 meters (253 feet). It calculates to a Difficulty Factor of 9.3 square minutes.
The Ram has an area of 16.2 square inches at 100 meters (328 feet). It calculates to a Difficulty Factor of 12.4 square minutes. Note the nick on the nose of the Ram. There are times when you nick it just enough to spin one foot off the pedestal, it makes you feel better about those that go between the feet. Sometimes you will just graze the top of the foot, only leaving a light line over the top of it and be just enough to set it back of the pedestal.
Although the Chicken has a slightly lower factor that the Ram, it does not necessarily mean the Ram is easier to hit. Shape was not factored in at all. The Chicken has a more uniform size compared to the rams elongated irregular shape. None are all that easy, but everyone likes the pigs best!
Below are the full views of the racks as we have them at Ben Avery Shooting Facility. We are shooting a 60 round match. The first bank of 5 to be shot are the lower left. The second bank is the upper left and the third is the upper right. In a 40 round match, All 10 targets are set along the top and shot from left to right.
You can see what are called "Swingers" that are used to practice on and sight in with. Those are out all the time so when you are at the range to practice, you do not need to go down range and set targets, just touch up the paint once in a while. You can also see the chicken wire behind the bank of chickens. The chickens are the smallest targets and closest and they sure can fly sometimes.
This rack showing the Pigs is interesting and worth noting. You can see a lot of hits high and some barely getting the pig. There are 3 of 5 with a near miss in the top left alone. If you or your spotter are paying attention, it can be noted while you are shooting and an adjustment can be made in your scope to get you back on target. My wife and I also try to look at the targets on the ground sometime, if they are visible and laying on the back side, you can see where you hit.
This picture of the Turkeys was fortunate timing. If you look at the top left, just under the rail, you can see the 3rd Turkey falling. Its shadow is visible at the bottom left in the area where the 2nd Turkey would be.
I think he missed! You can see the dirt fly from a miss at the top left side. The Rams size makes it a bit easier for you and the spotter to know where you hit. Sometimes you hit it dead center in its mass and it seems to float straight back off of the rail. If you nick the top edge of it near the center it puts a downward foce onto the feet and it will spring up off of the rail as if it jumped up about 8 inches to a foot when you shot it, this can happen shooting at the pigs also.
HOME ........... RANGE RULES ........... RIFLE RULES
CLASSIFICATIONS, SCORING & AWARDS .......... TECHNIQUES 1
TECHNIQUES 2 .......... TARGETS1 ..... TARGETS2
TESTING & MOUNTS .......... MY WIFE AND I ...... MY SHOOTING HISTORY
SILHOUETTE HISTORY .........SCOPE ADJUSTMENTS AND BALLISTICS
CLEANING ........ CUSTOM ENGRAVING