The new TXDPS target has two distinct areas, cardboard brown inner scoring area which earns two points and a dark green outer silhouette area that earns zero points (i.e. anything outside of the inner area is a miss). The inner bottle provides a reasonably generous approximately 238 square inches of scoring area and shots that cut the bottle's outer border are scored with two points.
The target also has an area in the head that approximates the eye box and another area in the chest that approximates the heart’s location. These boxes measure 3x2 inches and 4x3 inches respectively. I asked one of the instructors if the DPS used these boxes in any of their qualifications and he replied that they do not—the boxes are just for reference.
The target you see in the upper right picture is my results from shooting the DPS low light qualification. Distances from fifteen to three yards with 50 rounds in the course of fire. DPS requires their trooper recruits to score 80% and their instructors to score 90% on their low light qualification. Out of twelve instructors in my class, only two scored 100% (myself and another gentleman). Most failed to score the required 90% and some scored considerably lower.
A challenge most shooters have outside of the military or a law enforcement agency is the scarcity of locations where you can train under low or no light conditions. The fifty-round DPS course of fire requires shooters to fire eighteen of those rounds at seven yards using ambient light only. Shooters fired six rounds with both hands, six rounds right hand only, fired six rounds left hand only. We had very little ambient light that evening and target acquisition was difficult. Most shooters (and I suspect instructors) find point shooting at seven yards a demanding task in daylight and I imagine that this stage is where most shooters failed to earn points.
I believe it is a shame that the DPS does not use the center chest box during their qualifications. Having been there and done that through literally hundreds of qualifications, I suspect the smart recruits and troopers quickly learn to aim for the area on the target that provides the largest scoring area. On 6”2” tall me, the center of that area lands roughly four inches above my navel.
If we look at shots one and two on the target below, these shots likely would have a very high probability of stopping the threat, whereas shot number three might just hit a fat roll. Yet they are scored the same. This scoring ignores the location of vital zones where a bullet strike will likely lead to rapid incapacitation and is not optimal for stopping someone threatening or using unlawful deadly force.*
The Texas Department of Public Safety instructors that taught the class were consummate professionals and clearly passionate about their work. I believe Texas is fortunate to have these dedicated troopers protecting our citizens.
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* For more information on tactical anatomy and shooting to stop, see the following link: https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog.com/2024/06/tactical-anatomys-shooting-with-x-ray.html
