Analytical and simple numerical calculations of the stopping power of partially ionized high‐Ztargets are presented. Up to now such calculations are difficult, mainly because of lacking precise average ionization potentials of the target ions. The aim of this paper is both to clarify the importance of a suitable treatment of target ions in different ionization stages and to show by means of general scaling laws and explicit examples, that high‐Zplasmas of high density and low ionization degree may have smaller stopping powers than cold matter. The resulting range lengthening of the projectile ions might be of crucial importance for a proper design of pellets in inertial confinement fusion.