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Couple things... In the photo below I shot this target this morning. It is a referbished 50 yard buffalo target, and a NMLRA postal match target that I had stapled over the left bull. I wanted to see if the old adage of "aim small - miss small" was in fact a true statement (which I've always believed it was), so I did a little test from 25 yards offhand. The bull on the right was shot (as is) with no "spotter" target over it. The grouping on the left is tighter, (not by a'lot), with aiming at a smaller overlay bull. So yes, I feel the "aim small - miss small" statement is true.
And yes, I reuse targets after patching them as I see no reason not to. I get most my repatchable targets from many of our club members as they're all over the place on them with their shots. 
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I believed in aim miss small too! I am always amazed at my home club when I see someone practice offhand. All most every one will post a pistol or a 100 yards target at 25 yards sometimes with a orange dot centered up and blast away. Come match day we shoot at the small six bull and the Nightmare at 25 yards and no stick on spotters! A totally different look across the sights and they wonder why they shoot all over the target. H'mm for sure makes my day easier! And I recycle used targets too after a club match there are a great many that have never had the black touched.
RB
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I sometimes shoot at a blank piece of paper. The first shot is my target. It will tighten your groups.
Mr. Flintlock
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I am a firm believer in aim small miss small as Mr. Spock would say its just logical. A friend of mine and I used to play a game where one would shoot a hole in the paper and the other would see if he could cut the same hole
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when practicing off hand , i hang charcoal briquets, life savers, even thumb tacks in the back board. helps with the aim small miss small.
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i was attending a shoot years ago and was shooting next to an elderly gentleman. as he shot his offhand targets i was watching his barrel wonder all over the target. BUT when he fired he was shooting 9 & 10 rings. an on looker ask him how he shot so good but looked so un steady. his reply was.............you don't have to hold steady son..............just know when to pull the trigger.
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Virginiarifleman wrote:
i was attending a shoot years ago and was shooting next to an elderly gentleman. as he shot his offhand targets i was watching his barrel wonder all over the target. BUT when he fired he was shooting 9 & 10 rings. an on looker ask him how he shot so good but looked so un steady. his reply was.............you don't have to hold steady son..............just know when to pull the trigger.
I would guess that most of us shoot in a similar manner - pulling the trigger as we pass through the center. Some may have the apperance of holding rock steady, but I'd bet they are seeing movement of their front sight wondering in the center of the target.
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I would agree with this, I have seen when shooting steel others and myself will hit harder shots and miss a shot that easy and say “I can’t believe I missed that”. I’ve decided this is due to a lack of concentration on my part. So now regardless of the size of the target I will sight on a spot on the target. Even a freshly painted target I’ll visualize imaginary scoring zones on the steel to focus my hold on a spot on the steel. I grew up shooting steel, and over the past few years have started shooting paper. At first I shot paper to practice for steel, now I’d almost rather shoot paper, but I still enjoy shooting steel.
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