XDM sight width questions

[Fathead302]

I was shooting at a three gun match this past weekend where they were using those little 5" devil plates at varying distances for pistol targets, and was having some problems hitting them consistently. My current sight setup has a Dawson Precision .100" wide front sight and the stock .125" rear notch on my XDm 9 4.5. I can shoot some pretty good POA/POI groups at 15 yards when practicing slow fire, but when I am actually shooting a stage I seem to have problems with the fine accuracy needed for those tiny targets.

I went with the .100 front sight as I felt that the big chunky stock front sight (.143") was too big. That nice .100 sight seems to be great for size, but leaves an awful lot of light on either side when looking through the rear notch which I feel is not helping in the accuracy department.

What do you guys think would be a good compromise combination to try for fast sight acquisition (some light on both sides of the front sight) without leaving a lot on the table accuracy wise (hard to get proper sight alignment with all of that light on both sides of the front sight)?

1st option - Should I just try the .125 wide sight that matches with the factory rear sight in order to make for a tighter sight picture? I understand this will slow me down a little for cardboard, but could help me make those little 5" plates fall with just one shot instead of the 4-6 shots some of them seemed to take. Will that .125 wide front sight seem too "chunky" which might leave some accuracy on the table?

2nd option - Should I try one of the DP adjustable rear sights (.125 notch) with matching front sight (.125 or .100), or should I try the fixed .115 notch rear sight with one of the matching front sights (.125 or .100)?

I guess another question would be, are adjustable rear sights worth the extra cost? Once windage is set with the front sight you shouldn't have to worry about it down the road, right? Is there a lot of need for elevation correction with different reloads?

Any help would be appreciated. I like the Dawson Precision sights, but would prefer to not have to buy all of them to find the combination I am looking for!

Thanks!

Edited September 13, 2012 by Fathead302

[carter300]

I have a .145 wide rear sight(fixed) and .125 front(.205 tall), plenty of room for speed but not too much for accuracy.

[JetPow]

I have the stock adj. rear which is .125 notch I believe on my XDM 5.25. I currently have .100 front and I don't like it. There's too much light for my sight picture. Now, I'm changing it to .125 front so it will be .125 F/.125 R.

Edited September 14, 2012 by JetPow

[waynes_world_45]

Stock rear with Dawson .100 front fiber.....perfect combo

[KentG]

I have the stock adj. rear which is .125 notch I believe on my XDM 5.25. I currently have .100 front and I don't like it. There's too much light for my sight picture. Now, I'm changing it to .125 front so it will be .125 F/.125 R.

Can you tell me what mfg the .125" your buying and part # and from whom.

I just went back to the irons from my dot and am having same issue. I Initally ordered the gun from springer precision with the .100" Dawson after so many recommended it.

I may try the oem back in it as well.

I'm having trouble getting a consistent sight picture same as the op. Glad I'm not the only one.

And I have to ask has anyone tried a slightly shorter front sight. Even though the rear is adjustable the front sight seems tall for me and I do consistently impact low.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Kent Grewe

[diehli]

How do you know it's the sights and not the trigger press?

[KentG]

How do you know it's the sights and not the trigger press?

Probably is but it's consistent and has been for a very long time.

[gunshrink]

I am using Dillon fiber front .125 with .225 hgt. Did spot on with my 5.25 throughout the whole season. Rear was stock

[diehli]

So, if you miss consistently in one spot, then adjust your sights or fix how you pull the trigger.

[JetPow]

I have the stock adj. rear which is .125 notch I believe on my XDM 5.25. I currently have .100 front and I don't like it. There's too much light for my sight picture. Now, I'm changing it to .125 front so it will be .125 F/.125 R.

Can you tell me what mfg the .125" your buying and part # and from whom.

I just went back to the irons from my dot and am having same issue. I Initally ordered the gun from springer precision with the .100" Dawson after so many recommended it.

I may try the oem back in it as well.

I'm having trouble getting a consistent sight picture same as the op. Glad I'm not the only one.

And I have to ask has anyone tried a slightly shorter front sight. Even though the rear is adjustable the front sight seems tall for me and I do consistently impact low.

Dawson Precision part #02114600 .225 tall .125 wide front sight. Another problem with the XDM 5.25 stock rear sight notch is too deep for my sight picture. I can see all the front sight's post.

Edited October 22, 2012 by JetPow