Preferred Sight Picture/Target?

R

Radny97

New member
Just wondering what everyone likes for their sight picture on their handguns. Talking metallic (not red dot) sights.
I do mostly action pistol shooting under time pressure and time limitations, at distances between 5 and 50 yards.
I like a thin enough front sight that I can see a decent amount of light on either side of the front sight as it sits in the slot of the rear sight. This helps for faster alignment. I like a fiber optic front (brass bead okay too) also for fast acquisition.
As to the sight picture/target alignment I like to use a 4 inch black dot for my targets. I line up the front and rear sights evenly with the top edge of both sights being even with the bottom edge of the 4 inch dot. Bullets hitting center of the dot with that picture. That way I can see the whole dot. I have found this set up is easiest for fast target acquisition and it has really sped up my idpa times.
Interested in what others are doing and for what uses and purposes.
 
My preference are sights that cover where the bullet is to go, and of the type you describe.
While that method tends to obscure the target somewhat, it seems to help put the holes exactly where they're supposed to go.
There's some interesting videos showing that all the usual sighting methods pretty much put the bullets in nearly the same place anyway.
Maybe not suitable for a bullseye competition, but plenty good enough for most shooting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFegJcWkah4
 
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I line up the front and rear sights evenly with the top edge of both sights being even with the bottom edge of the 4 inch dot.
Click to expand...

That's called a 'Six O-Clock Hold', and is the way I was taught 50 years ago...

Some fixed sight guns are regulated to hit a 'Center Hold' (AKA Point Of Aim) with standard ammo...

I had a Colt .380 Auto Gov't Model that would hit 'Center Hold'
 
Nice video. Great for combat/idpa accuracy. That type of sight alignment might be okay for 5 or 7 yards. My struggles are at 25 and 50 under time. Might give some heartburn for a steel match too.
 
I use a six o'clock hold, using a six inch diameter bull at twenty five yards. For more precise shooting (with a different gun) I use a 1 1/2" diameter Shoot-N-See stick on at ten yards. This lets me shoot the 1" diameter pasters out to about fifty feet.







Bob Wright
 
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Six for me too

One thing about the 6 Oclock hold is that the iron sights now have a white back ground.

With blackened iron sights, using front sight focus - the crisp sight picture just jumps out at you.

A POA = POI hold on a black bullseye target is tough to see.

One of our best club shooters, holds 3" below the 6 oclock point, and he shoots very, very well. (95 to 100% scores on a bullseye targets at 20 yards).
 
I always prefer my sight picture to be the "front sight" pointed at the target of my aim. As I practice at the range, I always use a full size NRA silhouette with Shoot-N-C paste-ones. Your combat ready targets need to be full size, because 57% of your shots at a closing target (6'-10') will be off target in the attack due to tunnel vision.

At the range, I take my time to get most shots near the bull's eye.
 
The "Balancing the ball on the front sight" or as my Dad taught me more then sixty-five years ago, the six o'clock hold.
This is what I always heard was the proper way to align your sights, with any type of firearm other then a shotgun? (which you point, not aim!)
:D
 
I like to hold center. IE the line formed by my sights when aligned splits the center X. My thought was/is that the bullseye can change but the center is always the center. I also usually buy targets that are on sale so they change all the time. I also feel like my eye tends to find the center point of any object anyway. Also distance becomes less of an issue, until bullet drop comes into play. I find it interesting that many of you who have bullseys and target shot for a long time use a 6oc hold. Do you also use a weaver stance as opposed to a isosceles?
Kind of unrelated. I have a Beretta 96 with white dot sights. I shoot that gun terribly and I know that the gun is at least as accurate as I am. I feel like I have never determined the proper sight picture/hold for that type of sight.
 
^^^
Yeah, the white dot sights never seem to align.
And they seem to vary with manufacturers.
I just paint them over with the same color as the rest of the sight.
 
Agreed. Plus I have found that I can use essentially the same hold out to fifty yards because drop is so minimal. I shoot isosceles stance.
 
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