For a variety of reasons, the ideal target is three dimensional. (Not many people have been injured by a mass charge of small sheets of cardboard) The problem is that the second, you say "3-D", the cost of a target begins to climb. The entry point for 3-D targets is the plastic "Tactical Ted" or "Tac Man." For roughly $30 you get a full size representation of the human torso and head that can be clothed and wear hats and other head gear. These targets are compatible with standard target stands, making them easy into mount and use. As nice as they are, they are not without problems. The obvious question becomes, how do I tell where my hits are after several dozen rounds have been fired? The easiest solution is to use some type of paper scoring target along the back of the plastic target that can be replaced. This is also beneficial because as you shoot at an angle other than directly into the target, you need to adjust you point of aim to deliver effective hits. The other, more expensive option is to make the target reactive. Along with some friends, I developed a simple system to make the target fall when proper hits were placed on it. I'm working on pictures of this but allow me to assure that it works very well. Another concern with these targets is wear caused by a large number of rounds being fired. To help with this, I purchased my targets with extra "faces." If you're covering the chest with T-shirts, those hits won't be noticeable and you simply glue another face on when the original head is too perforated. Click here for the next page Return to the Main Gear Page

Click on an Image for a Full-Size View Ted All Dressed Up Head/Face Detail