Gun presentation on target.

[badchad]

Is it better to put the front sight on target first before pressing out the gun, aligning the rear sight in the process, or is it better to have the front and rear sights come up on target together and then pressing out the gun? Or is it just pick one and practice?

[All-Gator]

Focus on the front sight at the high ready

"Drive" the pistol directly at the aiming point (aim small...miss small)

The rear sight will travel upward and surround the front sight for a proper sight alignment

Break the shot

Sounds so damn simple. Why isn't it??

[HoMiE]

To be honest with you, the sights are just there when I look for them. Locate target, get the sights on target, make sure I see sights lift from target, repeat. Trust your body, hands to get the gun to where ever you are looking.

[markcic]

I'd say the best way is find your NPA and index so when you present the gun it is already on target. Try to get to the point you can draw with your eyes closed and when you open them your sights are aligned where you want to hit.

[Duane Thomas]

I didn't vote because there wasn't a "Neither, in my experience" option. Draw the gun high, but with the front of the gun significantly above the rear as it begins to drive forward. The overall draw path is something like an upside-down capital "L". When I say, "Draw high," I mean try to get your hands meeting in front of your chin. Even if that that doesn't actually happen, the point where the hands meet is really somehat lower, thinking of it that way will make you draw the gun high enough that you can acquire the front sight before the gun begins its extension. You want to get the front sight up into your visual cone as fast as possible; the fastest way to do that is, within the limits of body mechanics, to draw the gun straight up while rotating it to point downrange. As the gun is pressed out, the front sight drops down into the rear notch. Even if the overall draw time is very fast, even if it's so fast that your conscious mind doesn't register the front sight until almost the end, still the eye is picking it up, and the subconsious mind is providing feedback to the muscular system that will get the gun on target with the sights aligned, with no wasted motion, much faster and more certainly.

[Flexmoney]

I'd mix posts #2 and #5 together.

Eventually, posts #3 and #4 will happen.

[little_kahuna]

I never really thought about this until it was brought up here. I just drew and shot...

Note: Sorry if I get redundant or esoteric! lol

I think it's a little taste of everything that's already been said. Personally, I dry-practiced until my eyeballs fell out, and then a little more. After all that, your index should simply guide your hands in a smooth curved arc toward your target, and by the time you're at almost full extension, your sights should be aligned, and you should be ready to fire. If I am really looking at the front sight the whole time I'm drawing (which I'm not) the front sight falls into the rear notch when I'm approaching 75-85% extension. But I dont do that, I just draw and when I'm at ~90% extension, my sights are aligned and I COULD fire, but I extend a bit more, to ~95% and press the shot out.

Do what you do...then observe what you do.

Observation: awareness without thought or judgement.

-LK

Hope I explained clearly enough feel free to demand elaboration.

Edited August 16, 2008 by little_kahuna

[CSEMARTIN]

I'd mix posts #2 and #5 together.

Eventually, posts #3 and #4 will happen.

Well said.

[HSMITH]

When I grab a decent draw my gun fires somewhere between 2/3rds and 3/4 of the way out to what is full extension for me, so the gun is on the right plane and the sights are aligned in that portion of the draw. It shoots as soon as they line up. The key for me is to get the gun UP into my vision and leveled on the target as early as possible, I don't have to do anything to get the sights lined up, that just happens. Several years ago I had time and energy and desire so I dryfired every day for about 2 months, the draw was a focal point for a month or so. I developed a repeatable draw that was a heck of a lot faster than typical for my classification. I can tell you that a really solid draw is a perishable skill, I haven't done ANY work on the draw for almost 3 years and my draw to an A is 3 to 5 tenths slower than it was as a low B class shooter. Video taping your draw from the side and front (please be safe) helps a ton too, it is amazing to see what you really are doing compared to what you think you are doing.....

When I stop babbling I guess I am telling you to create a good draw move with no wasted motion through slow reps, video it to see if it is anywhere close to what you think you are doing, check it in a mirror ALL the time, and bring the speed in as you can while maintaining the efficient move. Minutia like front sight high and then down or level front sight and where to pick it up, that will all work out on it's own. Your eyes and body will figure out what they need.

[JM Neighbors]

I think what ever you do elimanateing any wasted movement is the most important thing and being consistent I have made very low (around 1sec) first shots only to follow up the next stage with a turtle (1.9-2.1) that I can say for sure is NOT the way to do it