Getting used to open

[fdc1999]

With the eyes starting to go south, I first tried a fiber-optic front sight for last year, keeping me in production. It was better, but still started to get frustrated. I then put an RMR in a sss-dovetail mount on my M&P 9-Pro for this past season and it is worlds better for me. It bumped me to Open, my scores stayed fairly consistent even for scoring minor, and I am enjoying the sport more.

I felt the dot was mounted too high, as many times I had trouble finding it. I ran it this way for about 6 months, to get used to it. As its the winter downtime, I had sent my slide out and had it carved out for the RMR. A little to cold for a match now, but indoors practicing the dot is much quicker for me to pick up, now that it is in my line of sight with the slide top.

I still need practice, but now I see the option to have a bit taller front sight and have a co-witness setup. My thinking is it will give me a point of reference that may help me pick up the dot faster.

My question is if this is a good idea? In the short term it would help me, however lookin further will this eventually slow me down?

Edited December 21, 2013 by fdc1999

[Sarge]

I would get rid of the front sight if it were mine. If you spend the winter dry firing it will become second nature to find the dot. Heck some times I don't even gear up. I just leave my gun out in the basement and turn the dot on when I walk past it and practice transitions, etc. Carpet makes it easy to kneel and even go prone once in awhile.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Took me a LONG time to be able to find the dot quickly - but I don't practice or

dry fire:((

Three tips: 1. aim a little high and bring the gun down onto target - you usually

pick up the dot a little faster

2. use the knob on the top of the C-More as your reference - you

won't need the front sight

3. as Sarge said, dry fire a LOT this winter = you won't have any

problem in the Spring.

[Reshoot]

I moved to Open Division in 2012, due to failing vision myself. Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire and the dot will be there when you push the gun out. It came pretty quick for me . . . like 4 weeks and I was breaking shots faster than I ever did with iron sights. Get rid of that front sight

[kneelingatlas]

I've never been real keen on tall sights so when I started shooting Open I used a sideways CMore; I don't know why anyone uses anything else!?!

Except my first stage (where I forgot to turn it on) the dot is always there.

[BillChunn]

Push the gun out to the "mount" position with the muzzle high. Then roll your wrists to drop the muzzle down. Watch the top of the lense and the dot will drop out of it. As Sarge mentioned, practice will help and I've found this technique works to find the dot.

BC

[wide45]

Trouble finding the dot is a grip issue.

Work on making your grip correct, and consistent.

[fdc1999]

Thank you, no front site and practice practice practice

[caspian38]

I had a slide mounted dot on my open gun ,and found it to be considerably slower than the same sight frame mounted. I have a side mounted dot on my back up gun and it is the fastest setup I have found . I don't recall ever having trouble finding the dot on the side mount. It does get dirty and tends to drift over time compared to my primary open gun which has a vertically (standard) C-more with a blast sheild.

I also like to bring the gun up pretty close to my chest at eye level (about where i hold it for reloads) ,and then extend it out to my shooting position. If your looking through the sight at the target the window is closer to your eye which can make it easier to pick up the dot as you extend it to your firing position.

+1 to dry fire.

[K13]

New to open this year worked on strong hand weak hand yesterday . When I switched to weak hand I had trouble finding the dot . Do I need to change my stance to better align my eyes to gun ?

[caspian38]

New to open this year worked on strong hand weak hand yesterday . When I switched to weak hand I had trouble finding the dot . Do I need to change my stance to better align my eyes to gun ?

Dry fire practice transitions to weak hand and finding the dot. Finding the dot can be a pain when shooting weak hand.

I use an index point on my sight when I can't find the dot .I look at my adjustment knob, and line it up with the bottom of my sight window ,after that my dot will be in veiw. Using an index point to find the dot is last resort / back up.

Shifting the gun a few inches to the right so it's more in line with your right eye (dominant) might help also. I tend to have the gun to far off to the left side of my body, and moving it right brings it back into line with my dominant right eye and the target. I try to start shooting from center of my body in the same position I would using both hands.

If none of that works try starting with the gun in your left hand ,the dot in view ,and on target then move backwards from that point. Working backward can really simplify the mechanics of a lot of ipsc skills. You know where it needs to be so figure out how to get it there with the least amount of wasted movement.

[K13]

Thanks for the tips Caspian38 . Shot a classifer match last weekend with a weak hand stage moving the gun to the right helped , my gun has a offset mount so that puts the dot more to the left to start with