Types of shooting targets, and which one to start with

Your first target should do one job: show you where your shots went, so you can fix the next one. Every type of shooting target below does that job a little differently. Some make hits easy to see from the firing line. Some let you keep score. Some only belong at an outdoor range with plenty of room. Here's what each one is and who it suits. Product details come from the makers' own pages; we haven't shot these targets ourselves.

The types of shooting targets at a glance

"Per range rules" matters. Every range sets its own rules on what you can hang and where, so ask before you buy a box of anything. Our first time at a shooting range guide covers the questions worth asking at the counter.

Bullseye targets

The bullseye is the classic: rings around a center, often numbered for scoring. It's the target for learning to shoot tight groups, because a small center gives you a precise point to aim at and the rings show how far each shot strayed. Bullseye-style designs are also made for sighting in a rifle; Champion's line below includes one.

Bullseye designs vary more than you'd expect. Champion's VisiColor line is sold in five designs: Dartboard, 5 Bullseyes, 5 Inch Double Bull, 8 Inch Bull and 100 Yard Sight-In. The multi-bull sheets put several aiming points on one page, so you can shoot a fresh group on each bull without changing paper. Champion's page doesn't say how hits show on these, so don't assume a color ring.

Plain paper bullseyes are the simplest version. Birchwood Casey's Eze-Scorer 12 x 18 Double Bull's-Eye is "high-contrast black print on bright white paper," two bulls to a sheet. Printable bullseye targets work the same way. What plain paper won't do is make small holes easy to see from the firing line, which is where reactive paper earns its place (below).

Silhouette and B-27 targets

A silhouette target is an outline of a body shape. It gives a new shooter a larger shape to aim at than a small bull, and it shows where on the outline each shot landed. Many silhouettes also carry scoring zones.

The B-27 is a silhouette name you'll run into as soon as you shop for targets. Champion sells one by that name, the Police Silhouette B-27, in its law enforcement target line ("Champion's official law enforcement silhouettes and sight-in targets"), 100 to a pack. Champion's store listing doesn't state the sheet size, so check the listing you buy from. Birchwood Casey sells its own B-27-style design, the Eze-Scorer BC27, as a 23 x 35 inch sheet with a "scoring table for recording hits and values" and a "score card printed on target." That gives you a way to track your progress from one trip to the next.

If you want silhouettes and bullseyes in one box, Birchwood Casey's Dirty Bird 12 x 18 Target Combo has 4 of each, and it's reactive too (next section).

Reactive paper targets (Shoot-N-C and splatter)

Reactive targets are paper or tagboard printed so that a bullet hole shows up in a bright color, which makes it easy to see from where you're standing. This is the type that makes the biggest difference for a new shooter. You don't need a spotting scope, and you don't have to wait for a cease-fire to walk down and look.

• Ring style. Birchwood Casey says its Shoot-N-C 12 x 18 Handgun Trainer leaves "crisp, chartreuse rings around each bullet hole." It has a self-adhesive backing, and the pack holds 5 targets and 110 pasters (small stickers for covering holes so you can reuse the sheet).
• Splatter style. The Dirty Bird combo is sold on "instant splatter feedback" and "heavy, tagboard construction." It's non-adhesive, so you'll need staples or clips.
• Aiming spots. Birchwood Casey Target Spots are self-adhesive 6-inch dots in "high-contrast, radiant orange." They stick onto a backer or an old target to give you a fresh point to aim at.

For the full ranking of splatter, Shoot-N-C and self-healing options, see our best reactive targets.

Self-healing targets

Self-healing targets are made of a material the bullet passes through, which then closes back up. Do-All Outdoors describes its Impact Seal material this way: "The bullet passes through the self-healing target with minimal damage," and the target "reseals itself after bullet passes through." The appeal is simple: there's no paper to change between strings.

Do-All's The Big Gong Show 9" comes with a stand, and Do-All rates it for "all Calibers .22 - .50 Cal. Rifles and Pistols." Do-All also says larger Impact Seal targets "can be used as a paper target backer." What Do-All doesn't publish on that page is a minimum shooting distance, so follow your range's rules and ask the range staff. These are an outdoor-range target. Ask before you bring one anywhere else.

Steel targets

Steel targets ring when you hit them, which is satisfying and instant. They also come with rules paper doesn't. Bullet fragments come off steel, so the maker's minimum distance, the mounting angle and the ammunition limits all matter. Champion's Steel Target Warnings say "15 yards is the minimum shooting distance when using non-magnum class handgun, supersonic .22LR rimfire, and shotgun birdshot ammunition," with longer minimums for magnum handgun and rifle loads. Champion also says the target "must be mounted with the shooting face of the target angled down toward the ground."

Not every maker publishes a distance. Do-All Outdoors' page for its 8" AR500 steel target says it's made of 3/8-inch "AR500 class steel" and rated "for 9mm to 30.06 caliber firearms," but gives no minimum distance. That's why steel is a second-stage target. Read our steel target safe distance guide before you buy any, and our paper vs steel targets comparison if you're deciding between the two.

Target sizes: what the makers publish

There isn't one standard target size. Here are the sizes the makers publish for the targets on this page, so you can match a target to your stand or backer.

Champion's VisiColor designs carry sizes in their names (5 Inch Double Bull, 8 Inch Bull), but the sheet dimensions aren't stated on Champion's page.

Which type a beginner should start with

Start with reactive paper. Seeing each hit light up from the bench is the fastest feedback a new shooter can get, and it works at any range that allows paper. A self-adhesive sheet like the Shoot-N-C Handgun Trainer sticks to a backer without staples, which is one less thing to bring.

Add a mixed pack next. Once you can put shots on paper, a silhouette shows where on a larger shape you're landing, and a bullseye shows how tight your groups are. A combo pack like the Dirty Bird gives you both without buying two boxes.

Leave self-healing and steel for later. They're outdoor targets, they need range approval and a proper stand, and steel comes with a maker's minimum distance you must follow. They're fun, but they don't teach you anything paper can't on your first few trips.

What to look for in a target pack

• Hit visibility. A published color ring or splatter effect beats plain paper for a beginner. If the maker doesn't say how hits show, assume they're plain holes.
• Adhesive or not. Self-adhesive sheets stick to a backer. Non-adhesive ones need staples, so pair them with a staple gun.
• Pasters included. Pasters let you cover holes and shoot the same target again. The Shoot-N-C Handgun Trainer comes with 110.
• Size against your stand. Check the published size against your backer or stand before you buy a big silhouette.
• For steel, a published minimum distance. We don't list steel targets unless the maker publishes one. That's the gate on our how we pick page.

Want more options? Our best shooting targets for beginners ranks the full field of paper, reactive and steel picks.

Hanging your targets

At an outdoor range you'll usually need your own stand. A ready-made stand like the one in our Caldwell Ultimate Target Stand review holds a backer you staple to. Our best target stands ranks the options, and our DIY target stand guide covers the 2x4-and-cardboard route. At an indoor range, the range decides how targets are hung, so ask the staff on your first visit.