PRS Talk Target acquisition

[firefighter1178]

I have been shooting PRS for a number of years now, I have always struggled with target acquisition. I am color blind so when the target gets beat up it’s hard for me to find it. Looking at tinted glasses to maybe make the targets pop more. Anyone else have similar issues.

I have tried better optics and that didn’t change anything Nightforce ATACR but currently running a Burris XTR Pro. 

 

[hlee]

Better optics may help, but you’d need to spend into tier 1 (ZCO, TT, etc) for a hope of an appreciable improvement.

I also have some red/green color blindness, and blood trailing an animal mostly turns into quartering an area until I trip over it.

Regardless of anything else, color blindness correction glasses are 1000% a scam.

Target acquisition starts with getting the gun pointed in the right direction before looking through the glass. Find the reference points. Sight over the optic to the target. Some people use a top mounted RMR for this purpose. Then drop into the scope. Just like finding that big buck in a tangle of underbrush, you’re looking for shapes.

That said, a beat up Grey target in an earth tone background can be hard for anyone to spot quickly. There’s nothing better than practice.

 

[Sheldon N]

Agree with hlee, the key is reference points. Spend the time prestage to get a very precise mental image of where the target is located, both under magnification and with naked eye.

Then as you're building a position take an extra moment to carefully line up the rifle and your body so that you expect to already be on the target in scope when you first look through it. If you can do this accurately then the target should already be in front of you and easier to find.

Ideally you should never be panning around looking for targets in scope on the clock. The key training point is learning to be extremely precise in how accurately you point the rifle when building a shooting position.

A good training drill is to set your scope on max magnification then dry fire different positions and different targets trying to have the target appear in scope first look every time.

 

[firefighter1178]

Agree with hlee, the key is reference points. Spend the time prestage to get a very precise mental image of where the target is located, both under magnification and with naked eye.

Then as you're building a position take an extra moment to carefully line up the rifle and your body so that you expect to already be on the target in scope when you first look through it. If you can do this accurately then the target should already be in front of you and easier to find.

Ideally you should never be panning around looking for targets in scope on the clock. The key training point is learning to be extremely precise in how accurately you point the rifle when building a shooting position.

A good training drill is to set your scope on max magnification then dry fire different positions and different targets trying to have the target appear in scope first look every time.

I do all that, but still struggle seeing where target ends and dirt starts. I guess I shouldn’t have use the term target acquisition. Most the time I know where on the range the target is. Just seeing the target in relation to dirt.

 

[Sheldon N]

That makes sense. I've never struggled on that aspect, but am not colorblind myself so don't have direct experience.

Maybe at your next match when you find a stage that's challenging to see the target edges ask some squad mates if you can look through their scope and see if it helps at all. I would think a TT or ZCO or newer Kahles would be an improvement over your Burris.

 

[Mongo68]

As someone else that struggles after the target is shot to gray, I wish the MDs would paint the target post as well.
But it’s a me issue so I don’t ask.

 

[Mulepackhunter]

Shot a match recently and they used pool noodles on the posts in different colors, dont help with color blind but was nice for me.

 

[Criver600]

A red dot can help

 

[firefighter1178]

A red dot can help
View attachment 8717634View attachment 8717635

I shouldn’t have used the word acquisition, my issue is more seeing where Target ends dirt starts or seeing targets in shadows. Everything is pretty gray to me being color blind.

 

[mmlook]

what's your visual acuity?

if its any less than 20/80 or so after correction, you may just need a new Rx
or maybe a different type of correction

possibly a new eye doctor, lol

 

[ForgeValley]

I shouldn’t have used the word acquisition, my issue is more seeing where Target ends dirt starts or seeing targets in shadows. Everything is pretty gray to me being color blind.

Lol, I had that problem at a recent NRL hunter match. I'm not colorblind, and have a zco, so I just took my best guess and sent it. Results were mixed.

 

[hlee]

Sometimes the steel is just hidden by the shadows and terrain. Not much you can do about it when everything looks the same color. But, it IS a bit like picking a game animal out of the surrounding area. What doesn’t belong? The twitch of an ear, the glint off of an antler tine, the curve of a leg, etc. What does the target look like? Is it on a t-post? Part of an array on an A-frame? Circle, diamond, square, IPSC? Look for straight lines that don’t belong. Look for curves that don’t belong.

 

[firefighter1178]

what's your visual acuity?

if its any less than 20/80 or so after correction, you may just need a new Rx
or maybe a different type of correction

possibly a new eye doctor, lol

I don’t have or need correction lenses just color blind.

 

[mmlook]

I don’t have or need correction lenses just color blind.

are you sure?

more or less what you are describing is a lack a visual acuity/spacial resolution

if you haven't had an eye exam in the past year or so, I would start there

are you able to read black and white menu's in low light?
streets signs at night?

 

[firefighter1178]

are you sure?

more or less what you are describing is a lack a visual acuity/spacial resolution

if you haven't had an eye exam in the past year or so, I would start there

are you able to read black and white menu's in low light?
streets signs at night?

I actually go to the eye doc twice a year

 

[mmlook]

I actually go to the eye doc twice a year

And your visual acuity is better than 20/40?

for reference, I worked in an optical lab and as an optician all through college.
and then my family are all optometrist.

if you are over 25, you likely need some kind of correction.
even if its super small, like 0.25D or 0.50D

that could make all the difference while shooting

 

[KnowNothing256]

Another thought, in addition to some of the other suggestions you've received:

Studies have shown that brains can get better at identifying visual patterns if they're trained to it. Consider a training regimen where you practice looking at targets through a scope sight picture, especially in against more challenging backdrops. Even TriggerCam photos should be effective in developing those neural connections.

It might be a challenge to get the set of photos to practice with, but I bet you could socialize the request and get folks to send you TC photos of targets to which they have access. You can even take screenshots of many of them from videos of shooters that post their competition experiences, I'd bet.