Sight picture and covering target

[quicky06]

A little background.

My first Shooting sport was trap, hen skeet and 5 stand, then got invlved in Fclass and long range tactical competition. I eventually jumped head first into three gun which I have struggled with a pistol.

Now until a month or so ago i didn't have a range where I could actually practice at and shoot at speed ( just MO conservation ranges that are setup to sight in). Now that I have have somewhere to practice I have decided to get into USPSA shooting for a season to force the pistol issue.

Now with my rifles the scope, or redot you cover the target, my shotguns have always been fitted so I cover the target or clay with the F/O. Now I out of habit setup my Dawson adjustable sights so the target is covered by the F/O. which is what I am used to.

Now my question, It seams that every pistol shooter holds just under the target so the target sits ontop of the front sight post. Is it worth it for me to retrain my self with the pistol to hold it as the majority does. And what are the downsides to the target being covered.

[Mr Badger]

Mate you might have to play around with that yourself. My understanding is that pistol shooters all either set the sights for point of aim or a 6 O'clock hold. I personally have my sights set for point of aim which means half the target is covered. If you dumped the fiber optic it might be easier to get your head around the concept. No dot, just line the tops of the sights. Totally covering the target sucks especially if the target is moving. A 6 O'clock hold gives issues if the target is an 8 inch diameter plate or the elongated alpha zone for IPSC. If you persist with a fiber optic you are likely to shoot high when under pressure. That's my tuppence worth. Cheers.

Edited October 11, 2013 by Mr Badger

[bthoefer]

Covering the target with the fiber optic dot obscures a lot of the target. That makes it hard to aim precisely since you can't see much of what you are aiming for. Most uspsa shooters use a sight set up that puts point of impact at the top edge of the sight. This allows the most precision while still being able to see what you are aiming at.

[56hawk]

Now I out of habit setup my Dawson adjustable sights so the target is covered by the F/O. which is what I am used to.

That is exactly what I do. I adjust the sights so the bullet goes to the center of the dot. If you are shooting with both eyes open you still get a full view of the target. Also I find it a lot faster to get a sight picture looking at the dot instead of the top of the front sight. By the way the six o'clock hold is more from bullseye shooting where a square black sight on a round black target is hard to line up. On a USPSA target or steel plate it's not going to make much difference.

[Arc Angel]

....... Now my question, It seams that every pistol shooter holds just under the target so the target sits ontop of the front sight post. Is it worth it for me to retrain my self with the pistol to hold it as the majority does. And what are the downsides to the target being covered.

Well, I can tell you what I learned after firing thousands and thousands of pistol rounds just as fast as I was able to pull the trigger:

If you hold dead center and blot out the center of the target with your, 'iron pistol sights', then, you're not going to be able to fire fast enough or accurate enough to consistently outshoot the competition. Believe me! It takes way too long to, both, acquire AND reacquire your front sight picture when you take the time to carefully nest the front sight and try to blot out the center of the target - shot, after shot, after shot.

It's much faster, as well as much easier to perform, if: (1) You keep your pistol's front sight slightly elevated; (2) take a low 6:00 o'clock hold on the target; and (3) keep the target's center fully exposed to your view while firing rapidly. (Works better on moving targets, too!)

[Supermoto]

I just look through my sights. I want the POI to be right at the top of the blade.

Proper index keeps the sights lined up

[jacketjoed]

I prefer using the mechanical edge of the sights not the dots and a POI of where im aiming that way you can still see everything. But Play with it a lot and do what works best for you. I too came from the shotgun sports(Clays and 5-stand mostly) figured that would help me with the target transitions which i have found not to be the case. So just keep in mind that what works for one discipline doesn't mean it will work for others.

RS

[Waterfowl-widowmaker]

I started out shooting bullseye, using a 6 o'clock hold. If I'm shooting at an inch and a half target at 50 yards I would still do that. But now I mainly shooting steel and gssf matches. I use Dawson fiber optics on my glocks and 2011 and love them. It is easier for me to cover my target with the front sight and press the trigger.