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Reader Survey >Hornady HIT Target Impact Indicator Review: See Your Hits
- Last updated: 01/10/2025
Shooting steel is incredibly popular, and while larger calibres usually produce a significant clang on impact, an edge strike or a smaller calibre hit on a solidly mounted gong can be less noticeable. Hits count in competition, and when everything relies on visual confirmation, Hornady’s latest product offers a solution by detecting even minor vibrations through the target and its support structure to confirm a hit.
A red light flashes to indicate an impact and is visible to the naked eye from up to 1,000 yards away. The units are available in packs of two or five, and each is supplied with a rubber mounting strap, a zip tie, and a micro-USB charging cable. No additional batteries are required.
Each HIT indicator has a USB charging cable, a rubber strap, and a zip tie.
Hornady recommends placing the indicators on the target’s supporting structure where they can be seen but are not directly in the path of bullet splash, which tends to radiate in a circular pattern parallel to the gong’s surface.
Given that you are shooting bullets in their general direction, you have to accept that there may be some damage at some point. However, the sensitivity of the accelerometer means they can be kept reasonably far from the actual impact surface.
I’ve run them on heavy gongs, including a 500mm-diameter, 10mm-thick Hardox unit, using just an air rifle at 25m, and you still get the characteristic HIT flashing signature in Morse code. The red illuminator is as vibrant as advertised, and it’s satisfying to see multiple flashes in a specific pattern, especially since not all steel targets continue to move or swing after impact. The vibration transmitted through the target and stand reliably triggers the accelerometer.
For larger impacts, such as with 6.5mm bullets at 450m, I mounted the indicator much more securely, as the reverberating gong and stand can easily shake it loose if not firmly attached. Again, a bit of improvisation with your personal target setups leads to success. Each unit comes with a zip tie, which can be used alone or doubled up for extra security, depending on the mounting location.
If you are using a KYL target or something similar, it is best to attach the indicator to the frame as far from the impact zone as possible for protection. As long as it remains visible, it will function correctly.
It’s worth noting that during setup, even the slightest tap or movement will trigger the indicator, so it’s easy to verify everything is working before walking 1,000 yards away.
It’s best to keep them as far from direct impact points as possible. This is relatively loosely mounted for a rimfire, where impacts won’t shake it free.
It is hard to gauge exactly how long the batteries last. They recharge in under an hour, and even after an afternoon on targets with more than 150 rimfire hits, they still worked.
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