Reading the sights in AP vs. USPSA

[Resjudicata]

Okay, I've just started shooting AP locally and plan to shoot the BC. I've shot USPSA since '06.

It seems to me that seeing the sights lift or just reading and watching the sights while I shoot in AP is a bit different than what I'm usually looking for in USPSA. What I see the same but what I'm looking at/for is different.

In USPSA for most targets I'm shooting at I'm watching for the sights to lift to confirm a hit so that I can hopefully use that information in order to decide whether to make up the shot. Of course I am also confirming sight alignment before and during the shot in order to decide that I can shoot but it seems that typically the information I get as/after the bullet leaves the barrel is the most important information for me in USPSA. Some shots in USPSA need more confirmation before/as the bullet leaves the gun but I think all but a few don't. So, the information from the sights before/during the shot are just getting a cursory inspection but the information from during/after the shot are looked at more closely.

For AP it seems that the information I get before/as the bullet leaves the barrel is the most important since I can't make up a shot. Meaning that watching the sights for sight to target alignment and maintaining that sight picture through the trigger movement is the important thing to watch for and the sight movement after the bullet leaves the barrel is just part of the follow through but really just not very important info. So, the information during/after the shot are maybe acknowledged but disregarded whereas the information before/during the shot are scrutinized heavily.

The reason I'm posting this is that I'm just kind of interested to hear what other folks think who either have shot AP for a while or better yet have shot both. Going into shooting AP I was thinking that it just required more precision, in the general sense, that would help me in USPSA shooting. But, now I'm thinking that it actually requires something that I'm using but very rarely in USPSA. It will still likely help me to develop skills that are useful in USPSA.

Chris

[Flexmoney]

What you just described, to me, is using feedback to refine your hold and trigger control...to a greater degree.

One of the many benefits of shooting a game like AP!