How big is a "pie plate"?

I see "pie plate" referred to as a target grouping quite a bit and thought it referred to a 8-9" pie pan sized target, about the same as a paper plate. The other night I was helping myself to some of DW's delicious cobbler when I pulled a "pie plate" out of the cupboard, i.e. a 4" side plate. Now I'm not sure. What do people usually mean?

My understanding is that it typically refers to a 9in plate. Most people use a basic paper plate. The idea is that if you can keep your practice shots on the plate you can keep your shots in the killzone.

thebigsd said:

The idea is that if you can keep your practice shots on the plate you can keep your shots in the killzone.

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Thanks, that was my understanding as well, but when seeing the references for elk/deer hunting, I wondered if the "kill zone" was smaller. I.e. focused on the heart rather than heart/lungs. A lung shot may stop an attacker from advancing, but getting in tighter on the heart for an elk means less tracking.

In my experience hunting whitetails if you can punch through both lungs they usually don't go to far. You can always try for a high shoulder shot and try to plant them where you shoot them too.

mahkagari said:

I see "pie plate" referred to as a target grouping quite a bit and thought it referred to a 8-9" pie pan sized target, about the same as a paper plate.

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I think if you look at both the waistlines and the targets of the typical online commentor who is bragging about "pie plate sized groupings" you'd understand why they think a full-size paper plate is a "pie plate". The people who are bragging about picnic-plate-sized groups with a rifle are probably the same inbred, sloppy, neanderthal behemoths you see doing all those "bump-fire" videos on YouTube.

In the strange world of dinner-setting parlance, a "pie plate" is formally called a "dessert plate". In a standard place setting of china, it is the next-to-the smallest plate--the only one smaller is a saucer (which is the one you set your coffee cup on). A typical "dessert plate" is generally smaller than 6.5" across. This is just big enough to fit a 1/8 slice of pie, or a polite portion of cake, or most formal desserts...

That's a MUCH smaller circle than a standard-issue paper plate, or dinner plate.

And unlike a 9" circle, a "pie plate" grouping at 100 yards is actually something to brag about--for someone who isn't using a scope, or isn't a "professional"...

I've shot "picnic-plate" sized groupings at 100 yards with stranger's M1 Garand using 50-year-old Greek surplus ammo and iron sights, and to be honest, I was actually ashamed of my performance. If I can't cover a 6-shot string with the base of a pop can, I consider it to be a total failure...

In the competition rifle world (and among military sharpshooters), when they are shooting at 100 yards, they talk about quarter or dime-sized groups, just as a point of reference...

Dreamer said:

In the strange world of dinner-setting parlance, a "pie plate" is formally called a "dessert plate". In a standard place setting of china, it is the next-to-the smallest plate--the only one smaller is a saucer (which is the one you set your coffee cup on). A typical "dessert plate" is generally smaller than 6.5" across. This is just big enough to fit a 1/8 slice of pie, or a polite portion of cake, or most formal desserts...

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Excellent post, thanks. I had similar thoughts. Talk of hitting a paper plate size target at 21' for defense shooting makes me think, "Yeah at a minimum". But when I saw a reference to someone talking about a kid hittiing a pie plate at 50 yards with a scoped rifle as a readinesss test for hunting, I couldn't think that could mean the same thing. I still think that's a bit big. On a good day my groupings are...pepperoni sized, maybe? On a bad day maybe summer sausage. I need a bit of work. And a sandwich.

just hang up a t shirt, and go shoot. Takes out all the guesswork.

stainless1911 said:

just hang up a t shirt, and go shoot. Takes out all the guesswork.

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A small t-shirt...not one of those huge XXXL shirts...lol