# Target colors does it matter?



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

OK I'm looking at some steel plates at the scrap yard to hang for targets. I have probably 800 yards to work So I figured I'll set up maybe 4 targets at different yards.--DING!- love that sound.

This may sound like a silly question but I was just going go with white and red or black bulls-eye and I was wondering is there a certain color that's known for being the best for some reason? Or dose it really matter?


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Shouldn't matter unless your color blind.


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

Well as you know the round strikes appear as gray splotches. So white will make it stand out. Red will give you a good center point contrast to the white, but I do not know if the Gray of a strike will show up well. 

I'd say go with a Black paint on the silhouette with a white bullseye that way you get a "Ding" on any hit, but get positive visual feed back on bullseye hits.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

I also agree that white would likely be a good choice.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Paint is cheap. Buy the generic stuff at Home Cheapo or Blowe's. Since you're going to repaint them from time to time anyway, just buy several colors and see what you prefer.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Back Pack Hack said:


> Paint is cheap. Buy the generic stuff at Home Cheapo or Blowe's. Since you're going to repaint them from time to time anyway, just buy several colors and see what you prefer.


Good advice. You will also want to consider what the background of your range area looks like. How can you create good contrast between the targets and the range in order to allow shooters to readily pick up targets. Obviously white targets in the winter time with snow would not be ideal.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

I had some "extra" paint laying around, . . . painted my 6 inch round "dinger" with some blaze orange paint.

Was real easy to pick up the target, . . . also works well with irons (I don't like black targets with irons), . . . and the hits were easy to pick out.

Just what worked for me.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

We always use the florescent orange spray paint. Makes a good contrast against the natural colors.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> We always use the florescent orange spray paint.


I also always use orange fluorescent, because you know that Zombies always wear orange beanie caps, and to kill them you must have a head shot. Color should depend on whether you are zeroing in a scope, orange or white might be best, or if you are practicing shoot that 8 point buck, then it should be a buck outline, or if you are defending your BOL, the target should be digital camo.

Make sense?

*Rancher *


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Might I suggest a new color that's on the market now? It's called _Hillary. :tango_face_grin:_


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

All good responses. Starting out 800 yards give yourself every advantage . Larger area that contrast the back round then smaller area inside , that contrast the border. as skills in prove you can change the conditions to improve your skills.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

azrancher said:


> I also always use orange fluorescent, because you know that Zombies always wear orange beanie caps, and to kill them you must have a head shot. Color should depend on whether you are zeroing in a scope, orange or white might be best, or if you are practicing shoot that 8 point buck, then it should be a buck outline, or if you are defending your BOL, the target should be digital camo.
> 
> Make sense?
> 
> *Rancher *


I was thinking also I might get another one, . . . kinda helmet shaped, . . . paint it light blue, . . . might be good practice.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

dwight55 said:


> I was thinking also I might get another one, . . . kinda helmet shaped, . . . paint it light blue, . . . might be good practice.


Put a couple of holes in it and post it by your locked gate entrance, ... you do have a locked gate correct?

*Rancher*


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## KUSA (Apr 21, 2016)

The bright orange is the best for sure. I don’t like white paint. It screws with my eyes.

Bright green isn’t too bad either. Just don’t get anything too natural if you have trees in the background.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Just dont paint any black. You should be Ok. Learnt that back in the old po po days. Not sure about a dangling steel target but them which is stationary can be perforated pretty easy with a zesty round dependent on the distance..momentum..humidity etc. Hopefully the swingers deflect em down. Perhaps the Watchman..Uncle Slippy or the Gunsmith fellow can break out their slide rules and do some physics on this. Now a steel target tilted forward will make them take a nose dive right in front of the target..at least with .38 spc. wad cutter target loads. Thats all I know about that.


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## Gunn (Jan 1, 2016)

When I was in High School, I had a 1963 International Scout that was painted bright orange. My girlfriends father always told me it made a great target, so I am on the side of orange.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Well since you will be dealing steel targets, you'll be relying on the ping of the bullet hitting the target, rather than sight. This post reminded me of a year ago when I was making paper targets for the range, I have access to a plotter so I can make pretty large targets. To make a long story short, I soon found that black or dark color makes it hard to see bullet holes, perhaps not a deal breaker, but I soon went to brighter colors yellows and oranges....ect.


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