The Motivation behind the Equalized Target System has come from listening to shooters wishing for some format in which to shoot the rifles they have in the score shooting arena. Bigger bullets having the advantage over smaller being the great hindrance in getting these shooters on the firing line. Many simply have felt defeated before the first shot is ever fired. There are other ways to resolve this issue, but this seems the most simple to this wayward shooter.
The Design: This target system is based on the .30 caliber and the center of its impact on the target, that is why the restriction to .30 cal. or less . As of this release no one that I am aware of is competing at short range Benchrest with a larger than .30 cal.
For the ETS (Equalized Target System) to work this is where we started. The .30 cal. target has a .050 inch dot at the center, which is scored as an eleven, the 10 ring is .450 inch, the 9 ring is .900 inch and each ring thereafter is increased by .450 inch diameter out to the five ring.
The .243 caliber target has a dot .115 inch in diameter scored as an eleven, the ten ring is .515 inches in diameter, the 9 ring is .965 inches in diameter with each ring thereafter increased by .450 inch out to the five ring.
the .224 caliber target has a dot .134 inches in diameter which is scored as an eleven, the 10 ring is .534 inches in diameter, the 9 ring is .984 inches in diameter. Each ring thereafter is increased by .450 inches out to the five ring.
Let’s do the math now: The accuracy potentional of any firearm is determined by where the center of the bullet strikes the target, thus we have half of a .30 cal. bullet is .154 inches. The very worst shot you can make and still score an eleven is .179 inches from the center of the dot. that is .154 + .025 ( thats half of the dot) = .179 To put it a little differently, the largest group you can shoot and hit the dot every time is .358 inches.
The .243 has a half dia.of .1215 inches, the worst shot you can shoot and hit the eleven is .179 inches from the center of the dot, that is .1215 + .0575 ( half of the dot) =.179 or the largest group possible and hit the dot is .358 inches.
The .224 cal. has a half dia. of .112 inches, the worst shot you can make and hit the dot is .179 inches from the center of the dot. Again half dia. + half of the dot. Or the largest group and still hit the dot is .224 + .134 = .358 inches.
If a round was fired by each caliber at exactly the 9:oo o’clock position on their respective targets that just grazed the dot they would overlay on centers. This formula works for any caliber smaller than .30 anything larger and it would have to be based on the larger cal. diameter.
Group matches are scored by the center of bullet impact, Score matches are also, that is why the larger caliber has an advantage it can miss center farther and still score high, not so with the ETS.
These targets are computer generated and printed from a printing press, copiers cannot as a general rule reproduce the exact dimensions required for this accuracy level.
The dimensions of the 200 yd targets: The 30 cal. target has a dot .100 inch in dia., which is scored as an eleven, the 10 ring is .900 inch, each ring thereafter is increased by .900 inch.
The .243 target has a dot of .165 inch with a 10 ring diameter of .965 inch with each ring thereafter increased by .900 inch.
The .224 target has a dot .184 inch with a 10 ring .984 inch in diameter with each ring thereafter increased by .900 inch.
The dimensions of the 300 yard targets: The .30 cal. target has a dot .150 inch in dia., the 10 ring is 1.350 inch in dia. with each successive ring increasing by 1.350 inch out to the 5 ring which has a dia. of 8.100 inches. the .243 target has a dot .215 of an inch and the ten ring is 1.415 inches with each successive ring increasing 1.350 inches out to the 5 ring which has a dia. of 8.165 inches. The .224 target has a dot sized at .234 inches and 10 ring at 1.434 inches with each ring increasing by 1.350 inches outward to the 5 ring which has a dia. of 8.18 inches.
Thank you and good shooting.