Shooting target

Shooting targets are objects in various forms and shapes that are used for pistol, rifle, shotgun and other shooting sports, as well as in darts, target archery, crossbow shooting and other non-firearm related sports. The center is often called the bullseye. Targets can for instance be made of paper, "self healing" rubber or steel. There are also electronic targets that electronically can provide the shooter with precise feedback of the shot placement.
Most targets used in shooting sports today are abstract figures of which origins often are not given much thought, but given the military and hunting origins that started most shooting disciplines it is not hard to understand that many of the targets at some point originally resembled either human opponents in a battle or animals in a hunting situation. For instance, the well known circular bullseye target might originally have resembled a human torso or an animal being hunted. Notable instances of shooting targets with martial origins which are considered abstract today, are the field targets used in Det frivillige Skyttervesen where the original intent was to resemble amongst other wheels of vehicles (S25 target), barrels (tønne), bunker openings (stripe 30/10 and 13/40) or enemy personnel (1/3, 1/4, 1/6 and 1/10 figure, minismåen, etc.). The origin of these targets are not usually given
Mostly important for paper targets.
FITA targets are used in archery shooting competitions within the World Archery Federation. The targets have 10 evenly spaced concentric rings, generally with score values from 1 through 10. In addition there is an inner 10 ring, sometimes called the X ring. This becomes the 10 ring at indoor compound competitions, while outdoors, it serves as a tiebreaker with the archer scoring the most X's winning. The number of hits may also be taken into account as another tiebreaker. In FITA archery, targets are coloured as follows:
3D targets are life-size models of game used in field archery.
Dart targets are a special form of bullseye targets.
In the outdoor air gun discipline field target metal targets of various shape and forms are used. The metal plates are often shaped to resemble small game animals, although there is currently a move towards simple geometric shapes.
Clay pigeons are clay discs thrown into the air to imitate flying game birds for various clay pigeon shooting disciplines (e.g. trap, skeet, sporting clays). Formally known as Inanimate Bird Shooting.
In fullbore target rifle within the International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations (ICFRA), competitions can be held in either a short range or long range format, with distances either in yards or meters. F-Class shoots at the same targets as Palma, but during the scoring process an extra inner ring (which is half the diameter of the V-bull) counts only for F-Class. While short range is shot at a different target size for each of the six distances, long range is shot at the one and same type of target at different distances. Below are the official target sizes, and approximate subtensions in milliradians and arcminutes depending on distance.
In matches organized by the International Practical Shooting Confederation, both steel and paper targets are used. Currently the only paper targets used for handgun is the IPSC Target (formerly Classic Target) and the 2/3 scaled down IPSC Mini Target (formerly IPSC Mini Classic Target). The center of these paper targets is called the A-zone. Additionally, for rifle and shotgun "A3" and "A4" paper targets and the "Universal Target" is used. For steel targets, standardized knock down targets called "poppers" are used. The two approved designs are the full size "IPSC Popper" (formerly IPSC Classic Popper) and the 2/3 scaled down version "IPSC Mini Popper" (formerly "IPSC Classic Mini Popper"), while the Pepper Popper and Mini Pepper Popper is now obsolete.
Within International Shooting Sport Federation disciplines, variations on bullseye targets are used for rifle and pistol events. In international competition, electronic scoring targets (ESTs) have replaced physical paper targets, eliminating manual scoring. For shotgun disciplines, clay targets are used.
In metallic silhouette shooting only knock down steel targets featuring animals are used.
The Popinjay (from the French papegai, or "parrot") is an ancient form of target for crossbow shooting. Originally a bird tethered in a tree, it developed into a complex painted wood target atop a tall wooden pole. The popinjay would form the centrepiece of a major shooting contest and many shooters would try their skill repeatedly against the same target. Scoring was awarded for shooting off various parts of the target.
Human silhouette targets are use for military and police firearms training.
Mannequins are sold for use as practice targets. Examples include The Ex, which resembles a woman, and another resembling former United States President Barack Obama.