No matter how much preparation with no-shoot/hard cover placement and sacrificial wall edges the stage builders make, it is inevitable that someone will hit the wall edges during the match. Walls are proof we can’t have anything nice on the gun range. But in addition to weakening the long term structural integrity of the walls, wall hits can provide some challenges for ROs in regard to scoring. Let’s discuss that more while looking at the results of this Question of the Month.
A competitor engaged this target with two shots. One of the shots was a full-diameter hit through a wall frame. The best two hits score on this target. Do both these hits score?
This was a picture I took on the stage I worked at nationals. And yes, only the bottom hit scores. Why? Because the top hit passed completely through the wall edge before hitting the target (see 9.1.6.1). Not only did we see splinters fly and a fresh full-diameter hole in the wall edge that we were painting between shooters, but you can tell by the hits on the target too.
The top hole lined up with the hole in the wall, and you will notice that the top hole lacks what we call a grease ring which is the dark color at the hole edges. The grease ring is really a burn mark on the cardboard. And when a bullet passes through a wall edge or any other solid surface first, it slows down and leaves a lighter or no grease ring on the bullet hole. I will say that all of the full diameter wall hits I have scored have a light or a non-existent grease ring. Which means the target can be scored accurately.
Usually the wall shots that are hard to score are the ones where the wall edge exploded and you have to look at splinters on the ground and try to determine if the hit was full diameter or not. If a hit is a partial diameter, then the hit on the target scores (see 9.1.6.3). I have seen some 90% diameter hits on the wall which have a lighter grease ring. But in that case, the hit will still score. And yes, you can use overlays to help determine diameters on a wall hit close to the edge of the wall.
Overall, most of the time wall hits and the resulting hits on target are easy to score. It’s rare that they result in a reshoot, but if an accurate score cannot be determined then that is the proper way to go. But as a competitor, make it easy on the ROs and don’t hit the walls. And stage builders, keep ROs in mind and don’t build stages that encourage wall hits too. The prop builders for the range also appreciate it!
Remember to vote in the current Question of the Month!