EDELMANN CONTROL TARGETS FOR PISTOL, 25M and 50M

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
By Walter Schumann, former trainer of the German Shooting Federation
Reprinted by permission of Carl Edelmann GmbH & Co. KG.

Control target with black strip in the middle
For Rifle and Pistol
.

1. Exercises for holding
Examination of aiming-position relative to horizontal deviations ( Aiming-position means the relation between the weapon and the body of the shooter ).
Corrections are made until the aiming position is so perfect that the black strip is always behind the front sight of your weapon, even if the eyes are closed. The eyes should be open only for examination and for correcting the position of your body if neccessary.
2. Shooting at the control target
All shots have to be in the area of the black strip. You should examine if there are lateral deviations while letting-off the trigger. If so, observe the body during firing and pay attention to a clean let-off of the trigger.

Once you have learnt how to do this exercise, the control target can be turned so that the black strip is horizontal. Now try, in the same manner as described above, to eliminate vertical deviations.

For Pistol Only .

1. The sight is to be held in the black strip, the eye of the shooter should learn to concentrate only upon the sighting, not upon the target.
2. Shooting at the control target
If the pistol is swinging out to the left or the right of the black strip while firing the pistol, you should examine the fit of the pistol grip. In the firing position, the muzzle may raise a little bit and then fall back into the previous position. Mostly this will be achieved if the grip is developed in a fashion so that the line of sighting goes straight to the arm of the shooter, ( on this the normal position depends ).

Control target with black strip in the lower third
For Pistol
.

1. Exercises for holding
The horizontal strip should be in the sight line of the pistol. Examine whether the aiming position is swinging out of the strip upwards or downwards. If so, correct as long as the right level can be held. The eye stays in the sighting position.
2. Shooting at the control target
Examine whether the sight is swinging upwards or downwards out of the sight line while firing the shot. In this case there are many sources of error, e.g. faulty let-off of the trigger ( the fingers are pulling too; the thumb is pressing ), the wrist position is changeable or the neck bend produces differences in the level of the hits. By the aid of this control target the real source of error can be found quickly.
This target is also very good for perfection of trigger let-off technique. Try to place the hits very close together, doing this you can see very easily, whether the muzzle raises neatly.

Control target with a black triangle
For Pistol
.

1. Exercises for holding
The base-line of the triangle is exactly at the point on which the outer edge of the bull's-eye of a normal target would be. The length of the base-line and the height of the triangle is in accordance with the diameter of the bull's-eye. That means, that the aiming area is just below the triangle. With this training target first the sighting and then the aiming area will be checked. Due to the triangle design it is very quick and easy to see whether the sighting is held correctly, e.g. with incorrect sight alignment or cant of the weapon.
2. Shooting at the control target
Try to place all hits into the middle of the triangle ( area of the 9-ring ). While trying this examine, when firing, that the sighting and aiming areas are OK. When working well and concentrating it will be possible to have all the hits in the middle of the triangle. This element for training is suited in an excellent manner to locate all errors which may occur. Even top shooters should work with this control target during the competition season, because when shooting in too many competitions it is possible that errors creep up unnoticed. Those errors can be detected and eliminated by using this control target.

Control target with a vertical 2/3 strip
For Pistol
.

On this control target the black 2/3 strip ends exactly at the point where the black of the bull's-eye ends on a pistol target. This means that the aiming area is similar to the circular bull's-eye - under the lower end of the strip.
1. & 2.
The control target is an element for training under most difficult conditions:
it forces the shooter to follow through, a neat sequence of movement, if most of the hits are to be in the area of the 9 and 10 rings.
A training for "rhythm of shooting" and for a "good let-off of the trigger" can be done as follows:
The sighting is picked up in the black. The movement goes on neat and slowly until the sights are to be seen clearly in the white area ( the aiming area ). Here the shooter should fire automatically. If he doesn't he has to break off at once and the training is to be started again. This training for "rhythm of shooting" and for "good let-off of the trigger" should be done with and without shooting.

To see the control targets please click: AIR RIFLE, or AIR PISTOL, or RIFLE, or PISTOL.
To read an article by Walter Schumann, former trainer of German Shooting Federation, please click here.
Please also read statements on SPECIAL TARGETS.

Control target with black strip in the middle For Rifle and Pistol	.
	1. Exercises for holding Examination of aiming-position relative to horizontal deviations ( Aiming-position means the relation between the weapon and the body of the shooter ). Corrections are made until the aiming position is so perfect that the black strip is always behind the front sight of your weapon, even if the eyes are closed. The eyes should be open only for examination and for correcting the position of your body if neccessary. 2. Shooting at the control target All shots have to be in the area of the black strip. You should examine if there are lateral deviations while letting-off the trigger. If so, observe the body during firing and pay attention to a clean let-off of the trigger.
	Once you have learnt how to do this exercise, the control target can be turned so that the black strip is horizontal. Now try, in the same manner as described above, to eliminate vertical deviations.
For Pistol Only	.
	1. The sight is to be held in the black strip, the eye of the shooter should learn to concentrate only upon the sighting, not upon the target. 2. Shooting at the control target If the pistol is swinging out to the left or the right of the black strip while firing the pistol, you should examine the fit of the pistol grip. In the firing position, the muzzle may raise a little bit and then fall back into the previous position. Mostly this will be achieved if the grip is developed in a fashion so that the line of sighting goes straight to the arm of the shooter, ( on this the normal position depends ).