I made a thing.

I’ve been doing sustained fire almost exclusively for 6 months in my training regimen.  The range that I use has shooting sessions are 40 minutes long then a cease fire for target check/change.  Repinse and repeat.  It’s ok for two shot drills timed and rapid because the number of shots isn’t huge in a 40 minute session when under commands…But if you’re shooting 5 shot strings it turns targets into tatters quickly especially 45.  So I have to wait for target check. 

So I ordered a 10 inch steel gong.  Painted with a black 5,5 inch circle centered and a white ring.  Shot 50 shots of Rapid 5 shot strings in 20 minutes.  This was just a 22 but the results speak for themselves.  Gong and stand was less than $150.  So if your range is ok with steel targets at 25 yards it might make a decent training regimen.  It makes a nice plink when hit!

Post a link if you can

Tilt the top toward you a bit so splatter goes mostly down.
And with an audio recording and the Audacity program, you can calculate bullet velocity!
Nice!

that's awesome. i used to love shooting steel...something about hearing that ding.

when i was involved in dynamic shooting sports i used to practice at a local range that had a very similar time/break interval....

what we came up with was setting up a heavy cardboard target in which we cut a through hole.....the concept being that all the shots would/should traverse the hole and not end up in the uncut surrounding portion of the target.

thought i might mention it

NuJudge wrote:Post a link if you can

https://ctstargets.com/collections/kits/products/2x4-x-base-pro-kit

Ashley, Nice work!
Roto Metals has targets on sale now too: 
https://www.rotometals.com/search.php?page=1&section=product&search_query=targets

OMG that is exactly how the great Col T.D. Smith trained before he fired that phenomenal 597 in ISSF Center Fire on old targets. He had a 25 meter target in steel with a cutout slightly larger than the 10 ring (I think) and a gong which hung behind the target. He could make that gong ring all day with this modified Colt 1911 shooting .38 spl wadcutter. I am not 100 % since I am getting old but I clearly recall reading about this.

that sound like a great system to train with

nice work, your so smart

Can't understand the use of a plate with a hole in it, hitting a gong behind it.
Why not just shoot the 10-ring sized gong?

All I see is your misses showing up on your holey plate. Do you want that?

There is a rationale for having a slightly larger than a black “9-ring” disk. First, right now my ability is say, 85% within the 8 ring and most 8s are close. Second, you need a defined aiming black on a white background to give definition. As you can see in the distance of the photograph, the background is not uniform nor is it the same as a target paper in color.

I had thought of having a steel gong just behind a paper target but the complexity seemed unnecessary. If it misses the steel I still get feedback with no ping! And the smaller overall size makes me aim for the center better. Maybe that gives me better training. As for why a 10 inch plate? The 7 ring is 11 inches in diameter, the 8 ring is 8 inches. This removes half of the 7 ring off the target. I want to keep 90 % of my hits within the black and everything else inside the 8 ring. I’m NOT there yet wit the 45, but this will give me good feedback to get there.

and we like the noise. lol

I have never shot steel and therefore may be totally off.  It certainly won't be the first I am out in left field and therefore will apologize in advance.  Anything that helps one train and advance can be useful.

I do wonder if this might provide the wrong sort of feedback.  E.g., I carefully follow my shot plan, execute and hear a ding - bingo, a success.  Shoot again, another ding and so on.  Positive feedback I am doing it right - I got this!  However when I look at the target after the string and see numerous wide hits in the white that nevertheless had indicated success with a ding, I wonder if an unsuccessful shot process was being promoted.  Just speculating.  Perhaps a 10 ring size gong might better serve the process, surrounded by paper to provide a correct sight picture and provide shot location feedback.  

Sustained fire is tough - I watch the dot - try not to get distracted by flying bits from the target and thus a shift of focus away from the dot.  I don't try to remember all my calls during the string, although I certainly see when the break wasn't where I thought it would be, but calling shots during sustained fire is an entirely different discussion.  

If a gong works for you, and you can perceive or better, measure improvement, then go for it!

I think it’s a matter of getting feedback based on your skill at the time.  Eons ago, I read an article on mental management that stated to count the number of hits in each ring.  Then calculate the percentages and add them up from the 10 ring down. When you reach 80% that ring (or maybe one higher) is where you should accept that shot as a shot within your present skill set.  This was to prevent a marksman from beating himself to pieces mentally for shooting a 9.  It was well within his current skill set so take it as an acceptable shot.

Edit: I just looked at my last 60 shot 2 shot drill target scoring. 75% of the hits on my target are within the 8 ring. So that’s my skill level currently. I’m not gonna beat myself up for the 8s, but within a session or 2 I’m gonna start scoring some hits as an 8.5. That will become my acceptance criteria.

I have to use the rifle range to train at 50 yds. If it isn't busy I post a target, but if it isn't, I shoot steel. There is an array of different size discs, so I choose one that corresponds to the size target ring I want to train on. By doing that, I am only rewarded with the "clank" when the shot is desirable. If no "clank", I don't know or care where it might have been, as I am only interested in recognizing good hits. (The Ed Hall principle of shooting!)