Combat Targets by Bill Beasley

Most targets used for self defense training by law enforcement, shooting schools, individuals and the military are mediocre at best. The norm is either an oversized silhouette (much larger than your average opponent) or, worse yet, a series of concentric rings without any silhouette whatsoever. If the shooter is being provided with a silhouette target, it is almost always one with a black body outline only, depicting no vital areas.

The outlined head area of most silhouette targets is worse, leading the average shooter to believe that any "head shot" will take down his opponent. This simply is not true. The human head is extremely well-armored. Large portions of it are notorious for deflecting pistol rounds, and this includes the so-called "Hollywood shot" (the bullet in the center of the forehead). This center forehead area consists of thick bone, and on some individuals it is sloped like tank armor. Quite often rounds that hit this area do not penetrate. The only area from the front that a pistol round is guaranteed to penetrate and therefore instantly drop the opponent is an oval area above the bottom of the nose and below the eyebrows. This narrow area of opportunity is not even shown on most silhouette targets, including those typically used to train police officers. The fact that the proper "hit area" is not shown invites lawsuits by police officers. Police officers (as well as civilians) can be either injured or killed by a dedicated opponent when they are not provided with realistic training.

Scoring on such mediocre silhouette targets is typically a series of concentric rings that bear absolutely no correlation to the trauma damage that would be inflicted on the body by a hit in that location. This inferior method of scoring leads to an erroneous belief that any hit in one area is as good as another, regardless of where those shots actually fall within the human torso.

When I have asked individual police departments and firearms training facilities why they continue to use these inferior targets, the answers range from "political correctness" to "making sure the targets are big enough so that the students can actually hit some part of it". These are poor responses given the extremely serious nature of the issue. These organizations are obligated to improve their students shooting skills in life and death situations. I have even heard some schools state that their students are trained to shoot "center mass", and that "sophisticated targets are not necessary" for such shooting. Shooting "center mass" will often result in a low placed shot, which may or may not incapacitate an opponent. To properly defend yourself, you MUST be shooting vital organs. Furthermore, even an untrained shooter would automatically aim for center mass on an opponent. He certainly doesn't need a high-priced facility to teach him to do so. What these training facilities have done is set their training standards to the level of the untrained student. When you seek firearms training, you should be training to a high level of excellence, one that will protect you and your loved ones in a deadly-force situation.

"Shot Placement" is indisputably the most important factor in stopping an opponent who threatens an individual with deadly force. To do this, the shooter needs to know where to place his shots. With proper training that utilizes a well designed silhouette target, an individual can have the ability to shoot fast and accurately. The targets designed by American Defense Enterprises offer the following features:

• Silhouette is actual size of average opponent
• Vital organs are shown in the proper size and location
• Head of silhouette shows where frontal shots must hit in order to guarantee penetration into vital areas
• Profiles of head show where service pistol rounds will perform one-shot-stops
• Scoring is not arbitrary, you either have hit a vital area capable of incapacitating an opponent or you have not

Targets designed by American Defense Enterprises are used in all ADE firearms training courses. They are available for purchase by all firearms training facilities and police departments. In addition, they may be purchased by individuals at any ADE firearms training courses. For more information about purchasing ADE targets, please e-mail ADE.