Not much help at all with any amount of patches already on the targets. Even 80mm spotting scope are not much help. All shots are shown either manually, or by electronic targets at the permanent shooting facilities.
Spotting shots is not allowed during all timed and rapid fire. Electronic targets are programmed not to show the shots in non-slowfire strings until the last shot reaches the target.
Carlos,
Thank you for the program and the clarifications.
There is only one place where I was able to see actual .30 cal bullet holes reliably at 300 yards, and that was Camp Perry because of the backlighting. [Correction: also at Dam Neck Virginia for the Atlantic Fleet matches. Same deal, the "backstop" is the ocean, so similar backlighting] Holes in the black looked like little neon lights, even in the old 50mm Bushnell Sentry that I was using in those days. In the white, not so much. But of course, I don't shoot anything out in the white!
The purpose of the spotting scope at 300 yards and over is to observe conditions, secondarily to assist in plotting and scoring. Usually, the scoring and shot markers are large enough to be seen by the naked eye, even at 600 yards. The paddles in your pix seem to large enough to be seen without magnification also.
I always scoped after my first two shots in rapid fire, looking for holes at 200 and changes in mirage at 300. Of course, if it is not allowed by the rules ...
90 seconds for four shots seems like an
eternity compared to 10 rounds in 60 or 70 seconds, including dropping into position and one reload; or however many in a Mad Minute!
Boy, electronic targets sure would be nice! My only experience with them was at NWSC Crane when I was choosing my rifle for the 1992 Palma match. Shoot the shot, and glance at the monitor, and there it is! Technology must be much, much better these days. There is an active discussion about electronic targets over on the National Match board; apparently some folks are trying to figure out the break even time for the high cost.
Resp'y,
Bob S.