Something to ponder: Does target shape influence results?

[Maven]

After years of shooting NMLRA monthly postal matches (I'll post an image of the target below) and doing pretty well, and then transitioning to Silhouette targets, and doing not-so-well (or even good), I have to wonder about target shape and performance.  For example, after completing one of the Silhouette targets (for record) yesterday, I decided to try my hand at the Cast Bullet Association's groundhog target, a sighter, as I already submitted the record targets.  Said groundhog was placed @ 25 yd. instead of 50 and fired offhand.  Btw, there is a very faint bullseye on said target, but it isn't visible at either distance, even with a 4x scope (allowed in the CBA Groundhog Match).  To remedy that, I added a 5/8" black dot as close to dead center as I could determine.  Dang if 2 of the 3 shots I took were pretty much right on the money.  The 3rd would have also been a "kill."  In short, I wish I'd have done as well with the Silhouettes, but I am thinking that target shape has something to do with how well we, or at least I shoot.

What say ye?

[prairie dog]

The center is always the center.

[Ohio Joe]

Maven, as PD said, center is center,,, but I tend to think when shooting the silhouettes it's a different game then shooting at a round bullseye target.

With the silhouettes and their angles - there's a'lot in play there, especially if you use a 6 o'clock hold like I like to do. Then combine that with wind drift (on a windy day) - hopefully a good sight picture on a not so perfect day,,, well,,, I think many of us are just so use to circular targets we have them down to a science and then we start shooting at these different shapes we normally don't shoot at.

So,,, maybe target shape does (and maybe it doesn't) influence results. I truly couldn't say for sure. 

[Maven]

While I can't dispute praise dog's statement about the center always being the center, it is much easier to find it on a round rather than an irregularly shaped target.  And yes, I am much more used to round targets than silhouettes, which may be part of the problem.  OTOH, I only have the chicken target to complete (and Mike Fink, of course), and the former are close enough to round for me.

Btw, I fired at the groundhog target with 2 different CF revolvers today (smokeless powder, but home cast bullets) and was pleased with my results, which wouldn't have been nearly as good had I not used 2" day glo orange target spots.  Although said target is a bit larger than life, and is printed in color, it lacks the true coloration (and contrast!) of the living animal.

[Bigsmoke]

I think it is kind of a mind game sort of thing.
With a 10X style target, you are shooting at a definite center with scoring rings radiating out from it.  It forces you to concentrate on center.
OTOH, with a silhouette type target, if it clangs and falls over, it is  a hit.  You don't have to hit it any particular place, just on the metal part.  (lol)  And that causes a person to get a wee bit sloppy.
Of course, this is just personal opinion and YMMV.  Or not.  Whatever.  And that's definite.

[prairie dog]

Fellers, I shoot at irregular shaped metal gongs all the time.  Some of them have more holes than surface area.  Ole Mel Gibson said aim small, miss small.

I say, choose the largest, most visible section of the target, forsaking all the rest of the clutter, and aim for the center of that.  Therefore, the center is always the center.  You can mentally move the center of mass on a target ignoring what may appear to be the visual center.

I don't aim at the whole deer and neither do you, visualize a small spot in the largest area of the target and shoot the center of it.  You won't miss many silly wets or gongs doing that.