Shooting Targets for Pistol and Rimfire Practice (2026)
Choosing the right target for pistol and rimfire practice comes down to one trade-off: how much feedback you want per shot versus how much punishment the target can take before it needs replacing.
- EZ Aim 8-inch AR500 Steel Gong is the durable pick for club rimfire and pistol days at 25m-plus.
- Allen EZ Aim Adhesive Splash Reactive Paper is the safe indoor-bay choice for low-velocity .22LR and subsonic pistol loads.
- Caldwell Orange Peel bullseyes at 13 euro a pack are the cheapest way to log group sizes on paper.
- Skip painted steel gongs under 8mm thick for repeated centrefire pistol use in 2026 — they dish and crack faster than 10mm stock.
- Shooting targets for pistol and rimfire work fall into three types: steel, splash paper, and bullseye card, and most ranges need all three.
Why this matters
Pistol and rimfire shooters burn through rounds faster than anyone else on the range — a single sport pistol session can mean 200 rounds of .22LR or 9mm in an hour. Paper that tears after ten hits or steel that dishes after fifty rounds turns a training session into a shopping trip. Get the target category wrong and you either waste money replacing consumables every week or you buy steel rated for rifle calibres you'll never fire from a pistol bay.
Who this is for
This guide is for licensed shooters in Ireland running .22LR rimfire rifles and centrefire or air pistols through club sessions, garden-adjacent zero work at approved ranges, or FAC-conditioned practice shoots. If you're already comparing pistols for target shooting and picking a rimfire rifle for the same bag, the target you buy needs to survive both calibres without babying either one.
What to look for in shooting targets for pistol and rimfire practice
Reactive feedback at the right velocity
Subsonic .22LR and most pistol loads don't hit hard enough to flip a target rated for centrefire rifle impact — you need paint-splash or paper that reacts to lower energy. A target that needs a .308 to trigger its splash effect is dead weight on a pistol bay.
Steel thickness matched to calibre, not overbuilt
AR500 steel at 8-10mm handles rimfire and most pistol calibres for thousands of rounds without cratering. Going thicker doesn't help pistol shooters — it just adds weight and cost you don't need for lower-pressure loads.
Distance-appropriate sizing
Pistol work at 7-15 metres wants an 8-inch gong or a full-size silhouette; rimfire at 25-50 metres benefits from a bigger paper sheet or a bullseye set with clear aiming marks visible at range. A target sized for 50m rifle work is nearly impossible to call hits on from a 10m pistol bay.
Reset speed for high round-count sessions
Rimfire and pistol shooters fire fast. A target that needs walking down and resetting after every string kills the session's pace — self-resetting knock-down or spinner designs keep you shooting instead of walking.
Portability and storage
Most of this gear travels to a club range, not a private plot. Folding steel stands, roll-up paper, and bag-carried target sets matter more here than for someone shooting from a fixed home setup.
Cost per session
Paper and card targets are consumables — budget for replacing them weekly if you're shooting twice a month. Steel is a one-time buy that should outlast the rifle you're zeroing on it, provided the calibre-to-thickness match is right in the first place.
Top picks for pistol and rimfire targets
The durable pick — EZ Aim 8" AR500 Steel Gong (\u20ac57.99). Built at AR500 hardness for repeated rimfire and pistol impact, this is the target you buy once and stop thinking about. It rings on hit, which means you don't need to walk the range to confirm a call. Buy for anyone running more than one club session a month.
The safe indoor pick — Allen EZ Aim Adhesive Splash Reactive Paper (\u20ac20 for 5). The 12x12in splash panels are made for handgun trainer work specifically, reacting at lower velocities than steel needs. If your range restricts steel on indoor bays, this is the workaround. Buy for pistol clubs shooting sub-9mm loads.
The budget bullseye — Caldwell Orange Peel 3" (\u20ac13 for a 2-bull sheet). Cheapest way to log actual group sizes on paper, with a green flash ring confirming hits without needing to walk downrange every string. Buy if you're tracking accuracy numbers session to session.
The classic card target — Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C 12" BMW (\u20ac20 for 5). Bright colour reveal on impact, sized for rimfire distances out to 50 metres where you need the aiming mark visible without optics. Consider — good for rimfire zero work, less useful for close pistol bays where an 8-inch face is plenty.
Pair steel or splash targets with a calibre that won't chew through the paint faster than it needs to — CCI Sub-Sonic .22LR keeps noise and splash impact low for indoor or close-range rimfire work, and it's the round most clubs default to for a Ruger 10/22 Target Lite on a paper or splash setup.
What to avoid
- Thin painted steel under 8mm for anything beyond air rifle use — pistol and rimfire impact will crack the coating within a season of regular sessions.
- Full-size rifle silhouettes for close pistol work — oversized targets make it impossible to call group size accurately at 7-15 metres.
- Card targets with no printed scoring rings if you're trying to track improvement — a plain paper sheet with no reference marks tells you nothing session to session.
Comparison at a glance
| Target | Best for | Reset | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| EZ Aim 8" AR500 Steel Gong | Pistol + rimfire, club days | Instant (auditory) | Buy |
| Allen EZ Aim Splash Paper | Indoor bays, low velocity | Manual reload | Buy |
| Caldwell Orange Peel | Group tracking, budget | Manual reload | Buy |
| Birchwood Casey Shoot-N-C | Rimfire zero at distance | Manual reload | Consider |
| Wildhunter Diamond Splash Set | Casual club sight-in | Manual reload | Consider |
Before you buy targets for a new rifle, confirm it's actually zeroed correctly — a target that reads "miss" on a rifle that's off-zero wastes rounds regardless of which target you're using. The how to zero a rifle scope guide covers the process step by step.
“A .308 AR500 gong holds up to thousands of rounds; a .22LR subsonic load barely marks the paint.”
FAQ
What are the best shooting targets for pistol practice?
AR500 steel gongs at 8-10mm thickness or splash-reactive paper handgun trainers work best for pistol practice in 2026. Steel gives instant auditory feedback; splash paper suits indoor bays where steel isn't permitted.
Can I use the same targets for rimfire and pistol?
Yes — an 8-inch AR500 steel gong or a splash paper set handles both .22LR rimfire and most pistol calibres without needing separate gear. Match target size to distance, not just calibre.
How much do shooting targets cost in Ireland?
Paper and card targets run from about 13 euro to 27 euro for multi-packs, while steel gongs sit between 40 euro and 95 euro depending on thickness and size in 2026. Steel costs more upfront but lasts thousands of rounds.
Is steel or paper better for rimfire practice?
Steel is better for long-term club use since it survives thousands of rimfire rounds without replacement. Paper is better for tracking exact group sizes and works out cheaper if you're only shooting occasionally.
What thickness of steel target do I need for .22LR?
8mm to 10mm AR500 steel handles .22LR and most pistol calibres without cratering. Thicker steel is meant for centrefire rifle rounds and adds unnecessary weight for rimfire-only use.
Do splash targets work with subsonic ammunition?
Yes — splash-reactive paper targets are designed to react at the lower velocities subsonic .22LR and pistol rounds produce. Standard steel gongs may not always trigger a visible flash at subsonic energy levels.
How often do paper targets need replacing?
Expect to replace paper or card targets every session or two if you're shooting more than 50 rounds at a single sheet. Steel targets need no replacement under normal rimfire and pistol use.
One last thing
The gap most club shooters miss isn't the target — it's mixing calibre-rated steel with the wrong ammunition. An AR500 gong rated for pistol and rimfire will still take centrefire rifle rounds occasionally without failing, but running centrefire rifle rounds into it as a habit through 2026 will crater the face well before the thousands-of-rounds lifespan steel is supposed to deliver. Keep the calibre match honest and the target lasts years, not months.