What sight picture?

[bentrod]

I am confused as to what my sight picture should be, I first started competition shooting in the Army with an MI Garand, was taught to use 6:00 hold, Years later I entered Bullseye pistol, used irons and had to use a deep sub-6 hold, couldn't use 6:00 or center hold because of eyes.Used center hold when using red dot, fine.

I have now added action pistol and am using mostly Glocks G23 and G20. I am not on target with the G23, I added Dawson red fiber-optic and fixed rear in my G23. It is shooting way low when using a sharp 6:00 hold, looking at top of front sight, My G20 shoots center target with 6:00 hold, about 3" high from POA. Where am I supposed to aim, sight picture and what part of sight on the fiber-optic, look at dot or top of front sight blade?

I plan on shooting plates a lot, I don't move fast or well, age and injuries

Both of the above guns are my carry guns also.

Jim

[thermobollocks]

You will need to know exactly what each of your guns does from a rest. Ideally, you'd be using a center hold all the time, but because guns are sighted in for certain distances, you may have rise or drop depending on a bunch of things. You may find that hitting a 40 yard plate requires you to hold a foot above the target, or that hitting a headbox at 5 yards requires you to aim at the B/C line.

[motosapiens]

i'm too old to do math in my head, so I like the poi to be exactly at the top edge of the front sight blade at reasonable distances 5-25 yards. I don't know what the fancy term for that is.

[GOF]

You need to adjust your sights so that an impact point just above the front sight occurs at 25 yards with a dead center hold. Focus your eyes on the point on the target you want to hit... A zone center... draw and present to that point... and have your sights regulated to that point.

A 25 yard zero will get you anywhere you need to be from the muzzle to about 40 yards. If your sights won't do that, adjust the sights, not your hold.

If you're shooting low with a center hold you need a higher front sight. Just because the sight maker says "They'll be on" doesn't mean they'll be on for you. Sights are a very personal thing... one reason why adjustable sights are popular.

[Ghorsley]

I believe the Dawson's he is using only have a right or left adjustment.

[Slidestop]

.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Slidestop

[Southpaw]

There's not one sight picture that's "correct" for everyone, some of it is personal preference. The most common, and what I prefer, is #2 below; however, some prefer #3. #1 is a 6 o'clock hold which you wouldn't want for practical shooting; it's only good for bullseye shooting at known distances. And then there's your zero distance to choose, most prefer 25 yards.

If your new Dawson sights aren't zeroed properly Dawson offers a "perfect impact policy" to give you a new height front sight for free to get you properly zeroed: https://dawsonprecision.com/product_images/uploaded_images/perfect-impact-policy.jpg?t=1440019909

[chs3131]

Did you use a dawson rear?

When you order sights from dawson you get to do some height measuring. They sell differrent front sights to account for different points of impact. The key is to measure your old sights while they are on the gun then take the difference between the two and find a dawson set that closly matches the difference.

Clear as mud??

[pjb45]

How about this:

Eye issues: Use a 15 yard zero which should be right on at 45. You might be slightly high closer. Test the POA/POI with A zone head shots at different distances to dial in the POI.

Sight: Fiber optic for close or open targets for me, is just putting the fiber dot in the A zone. The closer the targers the larger the fiber. For more distance or targets with hard cover or no shoots, I will dull the fiber-felt tip pen-and focus on the upper right corner of the front sight to place a hard accurate shot.

To recap, Open or close targets place the fiber in the A zone, harder shots I use the upper corner of the iron sight.

Pretty much image 2 for most shots. But I know what images 1 and 3 will produce at different distances.

[wgj3]

I'm a weirdo and actually prefer sight picture #1 for my action pistol shooting. I know it's the wrong thing to do, but this allows me to not cover plates or the area that I'm trying to hit. I know that looking for holes costs time, but this sight picture allows me to to do it without moving the gun. I find it most helpful shooting little plates in 3-Gun matches.

The answer to the OP's question is not so simple though. You have to figure out what sight picture works best for you, set your sights for that at whatever distance you want, and then learn where that puts POI at various distances from near to far.

Edited December 13, 2015 by wgj3

[P.E. Kelley]

I'm a weirdo and actually prefer sight picture #1 for my action pistol shooting. I know it's the wrong thing to do, but this allows me to not cover plates or the area that I'm trying to hit. I know that looking for holes costs time, but this sight picture allows me to to do it without moving the gun. I find it most helpful shooting little plates in 3-Gun matches.

The answer to the OP's question is not so simple though. You have to figure out what sight picture works best for you, set your sights for that at whatever distance you want, and then learn where that puts POI at various distances from near to far.

You are not alone. I feel "we" get to see more of small target with that sight picture.

[GOF]

The sight picture you use to engage targets is a very personal thing. What works for you is what works for you. You can, via changing front sight height or adding an adjustable rear sight 'fine tune' the sight picture to what works best for you.

I tend to like a #3 hold... but that's just me. Shooters have to find their own 'comfort zone' because once the buzzer goes you really don't have a lot of time to think.... you just have to react.

[pr1042]

I would figure out your preferred sight picture and then contact Dawson about a new front sight.

For plates, I prefer to have sight image #2

[Towely]

No. If youre shooting low with a centre hold you need a lower front sight, or a higher rear sight.

[Rangerdug]

I am confused as to what my sight picture should be, I first started competition shooting in the Army with an MI Garand, was taught to use 6:00 hold, Years later I entered Bullseye pistol, used irons and had to use a deep sub-6 hold, couldn't use 6:00 or center hold because of eyes.Used center hold when using red dot, fine.

I have now added action pistol and am using mostly Glocks G23 and G20. I am not on target with the G23, I added Dawson red fiber-optic and fixed rear in my G23. It is shooting way low when using a sharp 6:00 hold, looking at top of front sight, My G20 shoots center target with 6:00 hold, about 3" high from POA. Where am I supposed to aim, sight picture and what part of sight on the fiber-optic, look at dot or top of front sight blade?

I plan on shooting plates a lot, I don't move fast or well, age and injuries

Both of the above guns are my carry guns also.

Jim

This a deep subject... The military sights you used were fixed standard sights, so you are taught how to compensate for them. Today you can buy every height and width of sight you want. That being said what do you want your sights to do? They ultimately dictate what hold you will need for that gun. If not go to the Dawson Precision site, they can guide you in the buying process, to get the sights to get the most out your gun.