With all the training I’ve been doing over the last few years, I’ve never heard or asked till now, “What is the average Height to set a target for firing at center mass”?
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There are a lot of variables in that question, aren’t there? Different shapes and sizes of targets, different range layouts, etc. Shooting uphill or downhill does all kinds of weird things to shot placement.
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Understood, a little thought and I understand your view.
Thank you.
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@William377 >> you might also practice shooting form a prone position, from back or side ( not shown here ) There is a possibility when it would be helpful in a self defense situation. >>> CLICK HERE >>> Shooting From The Prone Position, Sig Sauer Academy Weapons Education - YouTube
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Set up your targets differently for each class. Don’t adjust it to the shooter. I usually do this randomly and give the students free choice of the line.
If staging scenario with multiple targets - every single one has different height.
Center mass shots can be or even should be trained for any thread heights.
Center mass at: 4.5 ft.
Based on height of average US resident. 
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Had a trainer once set up “bad guy” targets that were women and then a couple set up so the center of mass was three-and-a-half to four-feet off the ground.
After failing miserably during the scenario, he explained that internal bias gets people killed.
If you aren’t prepared to deal with a woman or young person pointing a weapon at you with lethal intent, you aren’t prepared…
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Indoor range is set up so that a silhouette target is standing at 5 foot 6".
Defiantly, train at different heights, you would be amazed on the difference on accuracy when changing your angle to the target. It is a good lesson.
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I make sure it’s the height that I am, sometimes I’ll staple a little higher, or shorter, because most people are taller then me, and a few are shorter. I’d say go from your height, and mix it up with shorter and a little taller. Have a buddy go out and randomly place the targets, with out you looking, you can even go as far as having a “hostage situation target” for that quick precise split second shot, that may be extremely critical, and most would hesitate, in fear for hitting the wrong person. (Thanks Hollywood) Have your targets simulating someone squatting, as your coming around a wall with an “active shooter drill” spray painting the bad guy, a slightly different color then the rest, and give it a printed out gun on paper, pointing at you. You can even go as far as turning around, and have that paper target right over you, with a printed out knife, as if it’s coming for you. I’d say there is no “proper height” because there’s no “proper way” for a criminal committing a forcible felony, or intending you or others harm. You’ll never expect it when it happens, but that’s why we train so hard, so just get creative with paper, and cardboard, tape, and a sharpie, and your speed. You can never have too odd of a scenario, and you can never have too much training.
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At Tactical Defense Institute, they play mind games like this in the live fire shoot houses. Woman with a gun looking like she’s gonna kill you in one room. Next room is a guy who looks like he’s gonna kill you, but they superimpose the word “security” over the target to make him a good guy. Another person has a gun superimposed over a yellow shirt. So they cover the gun with yellow duct tape to make him an unarmed innocent. You have to figure it all out while using tactics. And the next time through they move the walls so the layout of the house is different. (Sorry for getting off topic.)
All of these targets are at roughly average height for a live person.
I typically practice at what would be my height for center of mass. This post is a good challenge to that thinking.
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I don’t really get this. Center mass is the same 2 feet or 10 feet off the ground. Point of aim is still center mass
Am I missing something?
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Wow, didn’t mean to open a can of worms on this subject.
My point was, watching 99% of training videos I see the targets set about the same height. I was wondering why they were set at the height. I guess it is just for the show and firearm usage techniques.
I’ll drop the subject now.
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Don’t worry… Most of threads looks like this one.
It’s not so bad having few, not hundreds answers so it’s easy to find the ones you may like.
I think the 99% of training videos you have watched had the same target height because that’s how the mounting brackets were setup and nobody cared about the height.
Have you noticed that some of B27 targets have center X at bellybutton level? 
In such case I always tell students to aim and hit upper 7.
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Give us another day, we’ll morph this into an argument about carry position, caliber, or safety switches.
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When I shoot indoors, I use the height provided. When I shoot outdoors, I usually have the targets lower, just for safety.
Some people go ape poop crazy and scream at me “in a real firefight, you’ll shoot at their knees.”
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Also, No one is average:
When U.S. air force discovered the flaw of averages
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Try out shooting a target 20 feet away or even 12 feet away at a very low position and have other targets at different heights and see how well you fare. There is a learning curve to this. I will explain it if you really want me to!
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I have a couple of steel targets that sit on posts at about the height of an average person. I have one paper target stand for closer up work that I can and sometimes do set at variable heights. After reading this thread I am going to cut some 2x4s at different heights for the steel targets!
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Just bought 3 more target stands the other day. I can now place targets 1 ft to 7 ft high, adjusts for variety of target sizes.
Need to talk with new outdoor range in my area to see if I can setup and do movement & draw training.
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With the trajectory of a nine millimeter going up then going down, if you have your gun zeroed at 25 yards it will rise 2 inches to be accurate at 25 yards. If you lower your target to a lower height you will be shooting low on the target. Any distance behind your 25 foot zero your shot will begin to rise then drop down to your back zero at 75 yards. Your zero makes what your base of aiming is based upon and angles and distances will effect your accuracy.
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