I'm new to shooting sports and looking to try some pistol, rifle, and maybe shotgun events.  So I've been surfing videos from different events trying to get a feel for how they flow.  I'd like to know more about the standard targets, how they are marked and what they mean.  For example, I've seen some targets with marks painted onto them, such as hand outlines.  And I've seen targets in front of targets, often in different colors.  Now I make assumtions about what this means, but you know what they say about assumptions....

Seems like the paper / cardboard targets all get two hits?  Steel gets one?

I've seen steel designed to fall over when hit.  What do you do if you hit a hinged target, but it does not fall?

Seems like there are really isn't a single standard for this kind of stuff, but I'm thinking there is some basic info that could help a noob like me get over the hump the first time.  Pictures would be worth big time bonus points!  Thanks for any info.  

I'll answer what I can.  Hand outlines are "no shoot" targets, meant to represent an innocent bystander or hostage.  Don't shoot those.  Some targets will have paint on the edges, and you are only to shoot those targets on the unpainted cardboard.  A hit on the painted area is a miss.  Number of rounds vary by the stages.  But yes, cardboard targets are generally double tapped while steel generally gets shot once.  If you hit a target and it doesn't fall, your rounds aren't hot enough, or you're shooting it too low.  What you do depends on the stage.  If you have extra rounds, shoot it again.  If not, move on and take the miss.

Typically, paper/cardboard targets are either white or brown. Brown are targets - white are no-shoot. Black on targets indicates hard cover (i.e., hits in black are misses). Most practical shooting sports dictate that paper/cardboard targets are to be engaged with at least two rounds, unless otherwise specified by the CoF.

Falling steel has to fall to count. (This is why any stage involving steel in USPSA *must* be scored Comstock, so as not to force someone who has a hit-but-no-fall to take a miss.)

There are usually two major divisions of scoring rules in most disciplines - one that allows for make-up shots and one that mandates a certain round count exactly. In USPSA, the two are Comstock and Virginia. In IDPA, they are Vickers and Limited Vickers (sometimes people will say "Unlimited Vickers" to further enforce the distinction.)

Scoring schemes themselves also differ.

In USPSA, you are scored based on "hit factor" - points per second. Scoring zones are A, B, C, and D. Each has a point value assigned (B and C are the same) - the value depends on whether your gun + ammo combination makes Major or Minor power factor.  Take the total score from the targets minus any penalties and then divide that by your time to get HF. You are then scored relative to others in your division for the stage to determine the amount of match points you will get from that course. Highest HF wins.

In IDPA, everything is turned into time-equivalent. IDPA targets have scoring regions of 0, 1, and 3. "Points" in IDPA are bad; each point adds one half-second to your overall time (i.e., overall score). Penalties may be added as points or directly as time, depending on the type (e.g., misses are points while procedurals are time). Lowest score wins.

Understanding how scoring works in the particular shooting discipline you are in is very important to being competitive. It allows you to decide how to better run courses. For example, if you are shooting an IDPA CoF and are reasonably certain that it would take you longer than one second to reliably place two shots in the 0-zone, it would be more beneficial (from a competitive aspect) to not take the extra time, since getting two 1's would be better for your overall score. USPSA scoring requires much more thought, which is also what makes it challenging to be competitive right off the bat - you have to learn both your abilities and how to best apply them in all kinds of situations.

As other have said, the 2 big practical pistol sports are IDPA and IPSC. I can only speak with authority on IDPA.
IDPA target

See the -0, -1 and -3 zones? Hits in those zones give you that many points down. If you are reqiired to shoot 3 shots on the target and you have 1 hit in -0, 1 hit in -1 and 1 hit in -3, you have -4 points down. That will translate to 2 seconds added to your raw time for that stage(each point down is 1/2 second). All the points down on all targets are added up and added to your time. If you miss the whole target that is 5 points down.
So, if you can make up a -1 zone bad shot in 1/2 second or less, it is worth it to shoot again. If you don't have at least 1 hit in the -0 or -1 zones, you also get a "Failure to Neutralize" penalty which is 5 seconds added plus your points down. Needless to say, IDPA emphasizes accuracy.

Most clubs put a gun on the shoot targets.



And all non-threat targets must have hands on them


You must pay attention to the stage descriptions to know how many shots are required on which targets, it varies.

Steel is usualy calibrated to fall for normal 9mm ammo. Hit it high and hit it often.

Gringop

This is some good info.  Thanks for typing it up guys.

I was joking to myself before the first time I went to a match that I would try "shooting all the targets and letting the Range Officer sort them out"  ;)

Needless to say, there were plenty of folks that helped walk me through so I could get a basic feel for how to run a course.  Had a blast, will be going back for sure.