Painting steel swinging targets ? What colour is best ?

[Down Under Hunter]

I have just finished spraying up 3 large steel plate targets that I plan to use as swinging targets at 300, 600 and 1000 meters.

The 2 shorter plates I applied white paint, then a coat of flat black, then I put a 8 " white solid circle in the middle.

The larger target has had a coat of flat black, then white, then a 10 " black centre circle.

Should I be able to see the bullet strikes on this color scheme. I sure Hope I hear them.. BANNNG !!!

Cheers

 

[CatShooter]

You WILL hear them "clang"... but you probably won't see the bullet splats in the black sections of the targets. The bullets will remove both the black AND white paint underneath, and leave an almost black splat of lead.

Paint them all white.

.

 

[Distributor]

Just use a cheap white paint, Apply fairly heavy with a brush, I use small orange stickers for an aiming point, I have no problems seeing them on my range out even past my 1 mile target. Can see them plainly even from a ridge top prolly 900 yds past my bench.

Eric

 

[Shawn Carlock]

I use cheap rattle cans of flat white primer. It dries almost as soon as it hits. I too paint the whole plate white. Black is difficult to see hits on.

 

[eshell]

I'll agree to the white as well. We also tried a hi-viz yellow that improved overall visibility, but didn't help mark hits any better than white. Anything you shoot them with that will do a good job at distance will burn the paint off down to bare metal, as pointed out by Catshooter.

This target was shot at 1150 yards with several rifles up to .300WinMag/Berger 210s. The smallest were my daughter's .243/105 Scenars and the sideways stuff is FGMM 168 SMKs. Closer = bigger splashes.