transitioning from target focus to front sight focus

[dlidster]

I'm 68 and, like several others here, I have shot rifles and shotguns for the better part of my life. I learned early and well to concentrate on the target and see through or past the sights.

Last year I got into Practical Shooting. I now belong to two clubs, shoot every week during the summer, and twice a month now that it's cold. I'm retired with lots of time and two ranges within 12 miles. I'm having almost limitless fun. And, I am improving. Concentrating on the front sight and trying to see how often I can watch the sights rise is coming to me, albeit slowly.

But I have the most basic question that no one has answered for me. What is the logic/science/philosophy behind focusing/concentrating on the front sight? I fully understand it's the thing to do, but why?

[Singlestack]

It is the only way to know where your shot went. It is faster to know.

[dlidster]

It is the only way to know where your shot went. It is faster to know.

Thanks for the quick response. Remember, I'm new at this, so please be patient with me. Are you referring to being able to call my shots because I'm concentrating on the front sight? And, is this the primary reason for concentrating on the front sight? Or, is it the only reason?

[benos]

It is the only way to know where your shot went. It is faster to know.

Thanks for the quick response. Remember, I'm new at this, so please be patient with me. Are you referring to being able to call my shots because I'm concentrating on the front sight? And, is this the primary reason for concentrating on the front sight? Or, is it the only reason?

Yes to all 3. It is the reason to be looking right at the front sight as the shot breaks.

be

[Nimitz]

for all those shotgunners who feel they won't be able to train themselves to look at the front sight because they have been shooting so long looking at the target, maybe it would help to try & remember what it was like when you first were learning to shoot trap or skeet ... although I'm not remotely qualifed to be an instructor I seem to bring a lot of first-time shooter friends to the range & everyone wants to look at the shotgun front bead sight when they first shoot vice looking at the target. It's hard to get them to stop looking at the front of the barrel & look for the target instead ("... don't you shoot a gun by looking at the sights?"), but when they do, amazing things happen. I would think that learning to shoot a pistol well by focusing on the front sight is just a different skill, not 'harder' or 'easier'. Unless you plan to shoot 3-gun, why not just put the shotgun down for a while & concentrate on practicing with a pistol using the techniques posted here in this thread? Switching back & forth between shotgun & pistol shooting is probably the harder thing to do then learning how to develop the correct sight picture with a pistol ...

[Grunt]

There's an old "trick" that has been used countless times to help new bullseye shooters understand the importance and benefit of looking at the front sight. At 50 yards, you would put up a normal full size target which is about 24" x 24" and is beige in color. In the center is a black bullseye that is 8" in diameter. But, instead of putting it up with the black facing the shooter, they would turn it around so that all you have is the massive 2'x 2' beige square. Most folks will balk at this idea at first because "how will you know where to aim?" Of course, you simply aim in the center of the big square. Much to most shooters surprise, they usually end up with higher scores during this drill. Its even more convincing when you turn target over and find all hits in the black. The point of the drill is to two-fold; one, looking at the front site with intense focus, and keeping the sights aligned will always produce better hits (assuming the shot broke cleanly.) Two, although it appears you have a lot of movement with the front sight, it is really not as bad as it appears. Focus on the front sight, keep the sights aligned, and break the shot clean. Try this at 50 yd (even 25 will do) with an IPSC target. And if you really like to experiment, try doing the same thing by looking at the target, the rear sight, and somewhere in between. Front sight focus will almost always "win" this experiment.

Caveat: as others mentioned, at closer distances you get away with less focus on the front sight, and at times only need to see it (peripherally) when shooting at very close ranges. As they say, see what you need to see to get the job done.

Grunt

[benos]

Grunt,

I can still remember, many years ago, when then PPC ace, Frank Glenn, showed me that trick. And like you said, I thought it was pure sillyness at first, but after shooting a tighter group with a better score on a backwards target, a new world opened up for me.

be

[CatsEye]

After a lot of reading and discussion with other shooters I decided to have glasses made. I wear reading glasses but see fine at distance. My new glasses have the dominate eye corrected +1.50 and the other un-corrected. With them on I can see the front sight clear for the first time in my four years of shooting. The problem I have is that the target is so blurry I can hardly tell where to aim. The only real image of the target I have is with my other eye and it's the wrong target. So I see the front sight clearly, I see one target but it's the wrong one and I see a brown blob. Any help is appreciated.

[Wild Gene]

This really is a tough one! I had/have the same issue. I have really had to do more specific drills to begin to overcome this issue (after years of shotgun sports myself).

I think much of the answer lies in BE's book. My take on it is Dryfire with dots, snap to dot, focus on front sight, snap eyes to next dot, focus on front sight, repeat... The second basic drill is when I do live fire, I start out shooting groups. You have to focus on the front sight to shoot a group, and I do not just focus on the front sight, but the top serration of the top of the front sight. It is pretty satisfying to be able to shoot those mythical one ragged hole groups at 10 yards.

Good Luck,

Gene

[benos]

After a lot of reading and discussion with other shooters I decided to have glasses made. I wear reading glasses but see fine at distance. My new glasses have the dominate eye corrected +1.50 and the other un-corrected. With them on I can see the front sight clear for the first time in my four years of shooting. The problem I have is that the target is so blurry I can hardly tell where to aim. The only real image of the target I have is with my other eye and it's the wrong target. So I see the front sight clearly, I see one target but it's the wrong one and I see a brown blob. Any help is appreciated.

For my last year or so of competing, I had a similar par of glasses made (although I think the correction for my aiming eye was closer to 1.25). Although it took some time to get used to them, after I did I shot well by just aiming at the center of the brown blob.

be

[West Texas Granny]

I've been a shotgunner all my life, well at least 35 years of it. I am programmed to focus on the target. I started shooting a pistol and IPSC 1.5 years ago and I have a very difficult time remembering to focus on the front sight.

Usually the first and second stages in a match I don't even see my front sight, especially at close targets. I am shooting instictively, but manage to get mostly A's. The longer targets I try hard to remember to front sight focus.

I have read the FAQ on front sight focus. Information overload.

I know I need to practice more with the pistol and do more dry fire excercises. Most of my shooting is on the skeet field. I am not sure I can really improve with the Pistol at the rate I'm going. I'm in D class in Single stack (SW 1911 .45).

Anyways, the idea of focusing on the front sight is totally alien to me and it is hard to overcome. Comments and thoughts?

Cheers

Kevin

I'm in a similar situation but I'm going in the opposite direction. Pistol to shotgun. It's been a blast and the guys have been quite helpful in my learning process. Their help has made me a somewhat respectable shot (Trap) in a very short time. Still have the occasional problem where pistol techniques pop up like forgetting that the clay is moving and not a static pistol target. As a result I managed to shoot a lot of air instead of clays when I made the switch over to shotgun. Still do but to a lesser extent. Hang in there and with practice you'll make the transition and have fun doing it.

Oh. Now you have another excuse (pistol practice) to go to the range. As if one is ever needed.

[Arbutrator]

This is a very good topic. I started

with front sight focus shortly after I bought

my first hand gun. By chance a LEO suggested looking

into a well known Gun range in Nevada for help. Now

I am hooked and trying to improve my groups.

An amazing weapon the 1911. It has the potential

to be more dynamic and useful than any other

weapon with good training IMO.

JLP

[benos]

It is amazing, that after 100 years, the 1911 is still the best semi-auto platform available.

be

[lugnut]

Although it took some time to get used to them, after I did I shot well by just aiming at the center of the brown blob.

be

I love this! Kinda technical... lol.

Hey--- maybe my eyes are very limited... but if anyone is looking at a very clear front sight and say that at the VERY SAME TIME they see anything else other than a "brown blob"... I call BS.

[atbarr]

This is a very good topic. I started

with front sight focus shortly after I bought

my first hand gun. By chance a LEO suggested looking

into a well known Gun range in Nevada for help. Now

I am hooked and trying to improve my groups.

An amazing weapon the 1911. It has the potential

to be more dynamic and useful than any other

weapon with good training IMO.

JLP

Welcome to the forum, JLP.

[E K]

Welcome JLP. Two ranges within 12 miles of you?! Wow. I'm jealous. I'd never get any meaningful work accomplished if I had that! I've been involved with the sport just over a year. Dry fire has been the biggest help to me for concentrating on the front sight.