For those that have yet to attend an Appleseed, the first and last target you will shoot each day will be a Redcoat Target.
The first target you will shoot, there will be zero instruction given (aside from safety stuff). You are told you can shoot the target in any position, with or without a sling for support.
Viewing your first Redcoat target can be embarassing, especially if you do not know the fundamentals of marksmanship. But, it is a GREAT training tool, and a great baseline measurement of your performance. I wish I had saved mine.
The Redcoat has 4 targets stacked vertically, silhouette type targets, and then 1 one inch (4 MOA) square off to the left. You have 13 rounds (magazine of 10, magazine of 3) to put 3 rounds in the top target, 3 below that, 3 below that and 1 in the one inch square.
Why 3 shots? 1 time is luck, twice could be coincidence, three times you are showing some skill.
The stacked targets are representative of distance. Largest to smallest, it is 100 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards and 400 yards. The targets get significantly smaller as you progress.
Then one shot on the 1 inch (4 MOA) square.
If you clean that target, be proud of that! If not, the distance where you got 3 consecutive shots is what we would consider your maximum effective range, or.....your current skill level.
Your goal should be to improve upon that morning redcoat performance at the end of the day.
If you listen and try what is being taught, you will absolutely improve.
I personally LOVE the redcoat target from an instructor perspective. After we teach the prone position, the proper use of the loop sling, natural point of aim, and the 6 steps to firing a shot, I can use the afternoon redcoat target to slam some points home.
Here is 1.....Front Sight Focus, or Reticle Focus.
I have seen thousands of Redcoat targets, and hundreds of "cleaned" Redcoat targets, but very few properly cleaned targets.
If a shooter can place 3 shots in the 400 yard silhouette and one shot in the 1 inch square, that is usually a very TINY group. Often times the shots look like a cloverleaf. But as the targets get larger, 9 times out of 10, the groups get larger. the 100 yard group of 3 is usually a 3 inch sized group. Why is that?
A properly cleaned (in my opinion) Redcoat target would have cloverleaf sized groups in all 4 silhouettes.
Here is why the groups get larger on the larger targets....
THE SHOOTER IS STARING AT THE TARGET! LOL....that simple.
The target sort of invites that, our standing targets on the AQT are HUGE and the 100 yard target on the Redcoat target is also huge.
The shooter has neglected front sight focus, or reticle focus in the case of a scope and has shifted the vision to the target, resulting in a very large group.
I hope this is making sense to those that have shot the Redcoat target. Self Analysis of your targets with the above in mind, just may result in an improvement.
If using a scoped rifle, you can train yourself to concentrate on the reticle by turning that scope power down to its lowest possible setting. No more than 4X would be what I would recommend.
We must follow the fundamentals of marksmanship on the large targets as we do with the tiny targets.
Perfect Practice will result in Perfect scores.
R/
Chris
The first target you will shoot, there will be zero instruction given (aside from safety stuff). You are told you can shoot the target in any position, with or without a sling for support.
Viewing your first Redcoat target can be embarassing, especially if you do not know the fundamentals of marksmanship. But, it is a GREAT training tool, and a great baseline measurement of your performance. I wish I had saved mine.
The Redcoat has 4 targets stacked vertically, silhouette type targets, and then 1 one inch (4 MOA) square off to the left. You have 13 rounds (magazine of 10, magazine of 3) to put 3 rounds in the top target, 3 below that, 3 below that and 1 in the one inch square.
Why 3 shots? 1 time is luck, twice could be coincidence, three times you are showing some skill.
The stacked targets are representative of distance. Largest to smallest, it is 100 yards, 200 yards, 300 yards and 400 yards. The targets get significantly smaller as you progress.
Then one shot on the 1 inch (4 MOA) square.
If you clean that target, be proud of that! If not, the distance where you got 3 consecutive shots is what we would consider your maximum effective range, or.....your current skill level.
Your goal should be to improve upon that morning redcoat performance at the end of the day.
If you listen and try what is being taught, you will absolutely improve.
I personally LOVE the redcoat target from an instructor perspective. After we teach the prone position, the proper use of the loop sling, natural point of aim, and the 6 steps to firing a shot, I can use the afternoon redcoat target to slam some points home.
Here is 1.....Front Sight Focus, or Reticle Focus.
I have seen thousands of Redcoat targets, and hundreds of "cleaned" Redcoat targets, but very few properly cleaned targets.
If a shooter can place 3 shots in the 400 yard silhouette and one shot in the 1 inch square, that is usually a very TINY group. Often times the shots look like a cloverleaf. But as the targets get larger, 9 times out of 10, the groups get larger. the 100 yard group of 3 is usually a 3 inch sized group. Why is that?
A properly cleaned (in my opinion) Redcoat target would have cloverleaf sized groups in all 4 silhouettes.
Here is why the groups get larger on the larger targets....
THE SHOOTER IS STARING AT THE TARGET! LOL....that simple.
The target sort of invites that, our standing targets on the AQT are HUGE and the 100 yard target on the Redcoat target is also huge.
The shooter has neglected front sight focus, or reticle focus in the case of a scope and has shifted the vision to the target, resulting in a very large group.
I hope this is making sense to those that have shot the Redcoat target. Self Analysis of your targets with the above in mind, just may result in an improvement.
If using a scoped rifle, you can train yourself to concentrate on the reticle by turning that scope power down to its lowest possible setting. No more than 4X would be what I would recommend.
We must follow the fundamentals of marksmanship on the large targets as we do with the tiny targets.
Perfect Practice will result in Perfect scores.
R/
Chris