Hit-scoring apparatus and target panel for shooting practice

A method of discriminating among a target panel sub-areas, comprising:

• (a) Providing the hit-scoring apparatus, comprising:
• i) a target holder having a body comprised of a fixed first jaw and a movable second jaw of a clamping device, said first jaw and said second jaw being electrically insulated from one another, a closure mechanism for imparting said second jaw with a substantially linear movement relative to the first jaw;
• and
• ii) a target panel comprising a pair of spaced-apart, electrically conductive first and second layers, the first layer configured to face a shooter, separated by at least one electrically non-conductive layer, wherein each of the first and second conductive layers has at least two discrete conductive areas routed by respective conductive tracks to separate contact pads on a common edge of the target panel, at least one of said conductive tracks in each layer intersecting a conductive area in said layer that is routed by a different conductive track to a different contact pad in said layer and wherein the conductive tracks in each of the conductive layers are arranged such that a portion of a conductive track that intersects a contact area in the first layer does not overlap a portion of a conductive track that intersects a contact area in the second layer wherein:
• (1) the first jaw supports a plurality of first and a plurality of second electrical contacts on a rear surface thereof, whereby each first electrical contact is adapted make contact with at least one corresponding area sub-division of the electrically conductive first layer;
• (2) each second electrical contacts are adapted make contact with corresponding area sub-division of the electrically conductive second layer through one or more respective apertures or gaps formed in the first layer;
• (3) each area sub-division on the electrically conductive first layer, forms a pair with a corresponding sub-division area on the electrically conductive second layer, each pair of corresponding area sub-divisions associated with a discriminator;
• (4) each of the first electrical contacts is connectable to a source of first polarity DC voltage;
• (5) each of the second electrical contacts is connectable to a source of opposite second polarity DC voltage via a respective normally open switch adapted to close in response to a bullet electrically coupling the first layer and the second layer of the target panel, thereby applying said first polarity DC voltage to the respective switch coupled to the second electrical contact;
• iii) a respective first indicator is coupled to each of the first electrical contacts and is responsive to the switch closing for producing a first signal indicative of an area in the first layer hit by the bullet;
• iv) a respective second indicator is coupled to each switch and is responsive to the switch closing for producing a second signal indicative of an area in the second layer hit by the bullet;
• and
• v) said hit-scoring apparatus is adapted for coupling to each of the first indicators and to each of the second indicators and is responsive to the respective first and second signals for determining an area of the target that is commonly connected to the respective first and second contacts;
• (b) using the first and the second jaws, clamping the target panel between the first and the second jaws;
• (c) upon the bullet hitting any conductive area on the first layer, scanning the plurality of discriminators;
• and
• (d) using the discriminators, determining the area sub-division on the first panel corresponding to the bullet hit.