The Hidden Precision Tool on iOS: Black Steel Custom Targets

LaserHIT BlackSteel Advanced for iOS includes a precision feature many users miss: full scientific control over custom-shaped targets. This mode turns your phone into a calibration system for dry-fire and live-fire drills, letting you use any shape, any size, and any number of targets while keeping results in real-world measurement units.

What custom target mode does

When you set Target Settings to Custom, you step outside the predefined LaserHIT layouts and define your own scoring geometry. Custom mode accepts any dark, solid target shape—printed or hand-placed markers such as diamonds, rectangles, circles, poppers, or DIY silhouettes. The system supports any number of identical targets as long as they are visible on phone screen. This allows you to recreate reduced-size headshot targets, dual diamonds, offset pairs, or a 500-yard Blackjack scenario right inside your training space.

What the app needs to do the math

To convert a shape into a precision scoring object, the app requires a few key measurements. Enter the target’s original width and height in inches or centimetres. Set a center offset for horizontal (left/right) and vertical (up/down) displacement if your printed shape is not perfectly centered. Define a vital zone radius to mark the scoring area from the shape’s center. These inputs let the app apply correct scaling and report hits in your selected measurement units.

How feedback is shown

Custom targets do not include prebuilt A/C/D scoring rings. Instead, the app reports whether each hit is inside your defined vital zone, outside it but still on target, or off target. It also shows exact hit placement relative to the center in the chosen units. Enabling Windage and Elevation displays the distance from center for every shot. Enabling Group shows the cluster spread and centroid for the session. You can save session screenshots or export results to Photos for later review.

Suggested app settings for custom targets

Use a firing distance of about 4 to 8 yards depending on the physical size and spacing of your printed shapes. Select Target Type: Custom. For handguns, use inch or centimetre units; for scoped rifles, use MOA, MRAD, or MIL. Set Vital Zone Radius according to your goal - 3 inches for center-mass work or 1 inch for headshot drills. Typical session settings include a small hit hole size, a practical hit limit per session (3 to 10), and a timeout or restart delay suited to your rhythm. Digital magnification at x4 helps you inspect result markers after a ceasefire.

Optional tools and session flow

Virtual Spotter can be enabled for auditory confirmation of shot placement during timed work. Use elapsed time tracking if you want cadence data, and enable Group and Windage/Elevation overlays for precise measurement. At the end of a drill, save the session to Photos so you can compare runs and document progress over time.

What you can practice

Custom targets let you build drills tailored to your goals. Try reduced-size headshot work on small shapes to refine sight picture. Create symmetric two-target drills to study horizontal spacing and transition bias. Set up popper-style challenges for quick, repeatable hits. Mix target sizes to develop speed control and scaled-distance judgment. Run DIY Blackjack sequences using paper or sticker shapes to practice vital-zone accountability under time pressure. See the reference links below for additional practices from respected instructors and professional sources.

Why this matters

Custom Target mode gives instructors, competitors, and professionals the ability to define exactly what they measure. You choose the shape, the scoring area, and the units. The app then delivers repeatable, measurable feedback so you can test a hypothesis, run a controlled string, and see the results in hard numbers.

Before you go

Custom Target mode is available only on iOS devices. If you use LaserHIT BlackSteel Advanced on iOS, take a few minutes to set up a custom target and try a baseline string. The combination of mathematical scaling and real-world measurement makes this a precise, data-driven tool for anyone serious about improvement.

Ivette Doss