Sig Sauer Super Target Part 5

Sig Sauer Super Target Part 5

The Obvious Question – Super Target vs. X-Five

By Dennis Adler

Both the Super Target (left) and X-Five are based on actual Sig Sauer models, well, at least the top half of the Super Target, and every inch of the X-Five. The question is, if you have a super target pistol like the X-Five ASP CO2 model, which can shoot 20 pellets and so a stand up job at 10 meters, what is the attraction of a single shot pneumatic that only shoots one pellet?

I know what you’re thinking because I’m thinking it too. If you’re shooting pellets, why not shoot a high performance, multi-shot Sig Sauer X-Five ASP CO2 pistol instead of firing one pellet from the ASP Super Target and having to stop, reload, and get yourself back in position for the next shot. Worse, if you’re shooting from a benchrest, it means removing the pistol from the rest, reloading, and then trying to reposition it in exactly the same place. I just did that for four days last week to review the Sig Super Target. Those of you who are dedicated, or at least seriously interested in single shot pneumatics, have your own answers. Those who may be attracted to the idea, but are perhaps, still on the fence, are wondering how close the semiautomatic X-Five ASP is to the accuracy of the single shot ASP Super Target. It’s a case of pellets vs. pellets but on a much more level playing field and Sig Sauer has control of the ball.

The X-Five ASP is a P226-derived target pistol that uses a firing system taken directly from the P320 ASP. In one gun you have the best features from two other Sig Sauer ASP models.

Reviewing the X-Five

The X-Five ASP was introduced last year and was Sig’s first competition-based, pellet-firing, blowback action model, following a design derived from the 9mm X-Five, X-Five Competition and X Series, which included the P226 X Match, P226 X Open and P226 X Super Match. These centerfire models have all been phased-out, and today the Sig Sauer P210 Target is the mainstay of Sig’s P-series competition models. Sig also has the 9mm 1911-based Max Full Size and Super Target 1911 competition models. The X-Five design only exists today as a blowback action CO2 model.

The X-Five ASP was based almost entirely on the 9mm P226 X Match which was only produced in 2014. The X-Five ASP broke new ground last year combining Sig’s patented cam-operated CO2 quick loading and piercing system from the P226 ASP with the 20-round rotary pellet magazine from the P320 ASP.

The X-Five uses a fast-to-load hinged backstrap and automatic CO2 seating and piercing system to make loading CO2 almost as fast as inserting a 20-shot rotary pellet magazine.

The X-Five ASP is a fairly large handgun; just slightly wider than the P226 ASP by 0.0625 inches and 0.687 inches longer overall (it is also 0.375 inches taller). But in comparison to the ASP Super Target it is a small gun overall, but with a grip profile that is still the same as centerfire Sig’s, but also very close to the Super Target’s P-210 grip profile.

The X-Five uses an authentic X Grip – a hard plastic grip with a distinctive X checkered pattern – the backstrap is smooth with a checkered panel just below the beavertail (this is also where Sig places the backstrap release for loading the CO2) and the frontstrap has an inset checkered panel at the point where the fingers wrap around the grip. The triggerguard is also deeply undercut (unlike the standard P226), which allows a higher hand position on the grip, and thus a lower bore axis. The advantage is keeping the bore of the gun closer to the top of the shooter’s hand. The grips on the X-Five ASP also have a magwell flare, so it is just as stable in the hand as the Super Target.

Single shot or 20 shot?

There’s a world of difference between those two extremes, and different shooting disciplines between a 10-meter pellet pistol and the Sig Super Target. As I have established, the Super Target is a very capable entry-level pistol for 10-meter target shooting and fine tuning target shooting skills. Well, to be fair, the same can be said for the X-Five ASP as a blowback action CO2 model that fires the exact same pellets as the Super Target.

The X-Five weighs in at a solid 44 ounces, just 2.7 ounces shy of the 9mm X Series pistol. In size, the X-Five ASP has an overall length of 8.7 inches, height of 5.94 inches (base of magwell to top of rear sight) and a slide width of 1.0 inches. Width at the edges of the ambidextrous safeties is 1.625 inches. Sight radius is a lengthy 7.06 inches with a flat surface, matte black rear sight and white dot blade front sight.

The ASP Super Target is strictly a target pistol designed for 10 meter (or closer) precision shooting, and if that’s your game, this is about as good as it gets in a single stroke pneumatic at the entry level price range, especially if you like Sig Sauer styling.

This sizes up to the Super Target which is longer with an overall length of 10.25 inches, a sight radius of 8.3 inches, height of 6.25 inches (base of grip frame to top of rear sight), a width of 1.06 inches (grip width of 1.31 inches, base width of 1.875 inches) and weight of 33.5 ounces, making the larger gun lighter than the X-Five. Both guns have rifled steel barrels; the Super Target’s is 7.5 inches, the X-Five ASP 5.0 inches.

Obviously, the Super Target has a barrel length advantage over the X-Five, which also uses a version of the centerfire X-Five-type SAO (single action only) trigger (rather than the DA/SA P226-style trigger used on the P226 ASP models). Even so, the SAO trigger on the X-Five has a long two-stage pull of 0.625 inches, the first 0.437 inches has virtually no resistance until you feel two distinct clicks, from which point there is firm stacking for the remaining 0.188 inches, dropping the hammer with an average press of 5 pounds, 8.5 ounces (factory spec is 5.5 pounds), which is substantially more than the lighter 2 pound, 7.9 ounce adjustable two-stage trigger on the Super Target.

Things are a little more straightforward with the Super Target, pull back the hammer and raise the over-lever charging handle…

…insert a pellet, close the action and you’re ready to shoot one shot. So what are you sacrificing for a CO2-powered, 20-shot, X-Five target pistol?

Velocity

This is where it gets interesting as both pistols are rated by Sig Sauer at up to 400 fps. Last week’s tests of the Super Target showed it had a maximum velocity with 5.25 gr. alloy wadcutters of 387 fps, and my past tests of the X-Five ASP clocked an average of 395 fps, with a high of 434 fps. Shooting Meisterkugeln 7.0 gr. lead wadcutters, average velocity for the X-Five clocked 350 fps, with a high of 380 fps. With Meisterkugeln, the Super Target shot at an average of 349 fps with a high of 358 fps. So, only the X-Five has been able to hit or exceed 400 fps. (Tom Gaylord’s test of the Super Target did slightly exceed 400 fps with alloy pellets by using multiple short pumps rather than the full single stroke, as I have done in my tests). Still, we are looking at a pretty even comparison between the Super Target and the X-Five for velocity.

What the Super Target can give you is the satisfaction of shooting dime-sized 5-shot groups with consistency, and allowing you to hone your 10-meter target shooting skills. You can be happy with this or work your way up into more expensive models. But a gun like the Super Target is how you learn precision shooting with a target pistol, one that has zero recoil and a trigger that you can adjust to your own specific likes. As it comes from Sig Sauer it is already set for most shooters with a very short 1st stage and a short, crisp 2nd stage that breaks the shot at between 2.5 and 2.8 pounds. This gun averaged 2 pounds, 7.9 ounces.

10-meter benchrest showdown

In Part 4 of the Super Target series I shot a best five rounds into 0.5 inches using H&N Sport Match Green 5.25 gr. alloy wadcutters. To conclude this article, I am going to shoot the X-Five ASP from the benchrest with the H&N and see how close it can come to the Super Target’s 0.5 inches.

The X-Five takes you in another direction with a target-style trigger that is not adjustable and much heavier than the Super Target’s trigger. The sights are just about as good (but “just about” means not as good as the Super Target’s), and the felt recoil from the CO2-driven blowback action slide also has an affect on accuracy, almost more so (for me) shooting from a rest than off hand. But you get to shoot it 20 times without reloading!

Turns out I didn’t need a dime for my 10-meter target from the benchrest. With the added recoil of the X-Five’s slide and the heavier trigger pull, my best 5-shot group had a spread of 0.93 inches with four out of the five measuring 0.469 inches. I could do this all day (shot half a dozen targets and this was the best) but I don’t feel like I will get a 0.5 inch, 5-shot group off the bench to equal the Super Target. It does, however, prove that the X-Five ASP can shoot pretty close to it, but if you want consistent target shot groups at 10 meters, there still isn’t anything quite like a single stroke pneumatic with zero recoil and a feather light trigger.

Alas, it can’t do quite the job of a single shot pneumatic (at least not in my hands) when you are only firing five rounds. My one flyer to the left threw my best effort at a 0.5 inch group out the window. All my targets were under an inch, but nothing off the benchrest that could touch the Super Target. I can actually do a little better with the X-Five shooting 10 rounds off hand at 10 meters, and even put five shots at 0.5 inches once in awhile, but that’s out of 10 total shots on the target.

The choice between the Super Target and the X-Five is simply what you want to accomplish with a pellet-firing target pistol and what your shooting preferences are. Sig Sauer has you covered no matter what you decide.