Sight Alignment Preferences...

[Shane Tuttle]

Excuse me for possibly not getting the correct terminology:
In another thread, a gentleman mentioned that the 6 o'clock sight picture/alignment was pesky to him.

My understanding is that when you have your sights aligned to the bottom of the bullseye of the target and the bullet placement is center of the bullseye when firing, your sights are adjusted at the 6 o'clock position. Correct me if I'm wrong. In the meantime, my questions:

Is this your preferred method of how you want your sights? If not, why? If so, why?

I come across all walks of life that both love and hate this setup. Some claim that they want the bullet to go where the center of the sights are lined up. My argument is with 6 o'clock position, the sights don't cover what I want hit.

What's your cup of tea?

 

[LHB1]

Yes, that is the 6 o'clock aiming style description. Many Bullseye target shooters like it because a) it gives them more precise elevation aiming point/control, and b) they won't shoot out their aiming point as with center hold. Despite the validity of both points, I have always preferred and used Center Hold sight picture with pistols both for hunting and when shooting Bullseye competition.

 

[B.N.Real]

My sights are always set for dead center of target.

I want to know my bullet is going exactly where I am it.

If you saw my sights after you shot my guns,you would see the bullet hole on target cut in half by the top of the front sight.

My sight picture on my sights is always set dead even at top-even spaces on the sides of the front sight.

Works for me.

 

[NRAhab]

Competition forum?

For bullseye I use the 6 o'clock hold, because that's how my bullseye guns are set up. For action pistol, I use a "three quarters" hold - which was explained to me as "aim 3/4 of the way up on your target area, because if you miss, you're probably going to miss low and a 3/4 hold increases your chances of still putting it in the target".

I use that for IDPA, Steel, etc.

 

[Shane Tuttle]

If you saw my sights after you shot my guns,you would see the bullet hole on target cut in half by the top of the front sight.

That's an excellent point. Best of both worlds. Your sights cover half of the bullseye, yet are still able to see it.

 

[Bud Helms]

As long as the size of the target is the same and the target distance is the same, 6 o'clock sight picture is fine.

 

[Shane Tuttle]

As long as the size of the target is the same and the target distance is the same, 6 o'clock sight picture is fine.

My opinion on the matter (since I didn't really give it yet) is that I don't mind either. My XD40 is set up for 6, but my XD45 is set up in alignment of the center of the bullseye. Maybe since my guns are set up differently and use both of them regularly, I didn't really think much about it until I started to linger around here...

 

[George PT-111]

I personally, like the 6. This way you can see your target better.

 

[4EVERM-14]

For bullseye and air pistol I like 6 oclock with a line of white. Allows me better a contrasting sight picture.
For rifle I shoot a 'flat tire'. That is 6 oclock but with the front post touching the bottum of the black and sometimes pushed into it a little.

 

[ballardw]

One disadvantage of the 6 o'clock hold is if your front sight is very skinny relative or wide compared with the target width. That can make it a bit harder to hold center side-to-side. For target shooting where the black is a known width then matching the blade/post width to the target helps.

And some weapons may not have enough elevation adjustment to use a the 6 o'clock hold.

YMMV.

 

[Casimer]

I personally, like the 6. This way you can see your target better.

I think that that's the strongest argument for a 6 O'clock - the black on white/tan contrast makes it easier see the front sight, and to align the sights generally.

In competition, I use a COM hold. But my eyes are pretty good and I don't have too much trouble distinguishing the front sight.

 

[Wuchak]

Edit. Here is what Jack O'Connor has to say in The Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns.

"There are three ways of aiming with the front sight. Target riflemen generally sight in with iron sights to strike the middle of the bullseye with a 6 o'clock hold - the top of the front sight at the bottom of the bull. For game shooting this is not practical because the bullet strikes too far above the sight. For most purposes, you have the choice of aiming either with the center of a bead front sight (having the bullet strike right where the middle of the bead rests) or aiming with the top of the front sight - having the bullet strike where the top of the front sight rests. This generally preferred, as with the center-of-the-bead method too much of the target is covered up."

 

[cornbush]

+1 WUCHAK, All mine are set up dead center, I don't have a dedicated traget gun, they all get hunted with. IMHO I don't think the 6 O'clock hold is very good for hunting as the ranges and targets are not the same everytime.

 

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day, not being a target shooter, except to practice for hunting, this has never been an issue. My preferred method is to set up for maximum point blank range. That is, aim at the center of the target. Set the sight at the mid point of the bullet trajectory for your given target height/kill zone.

 

[Bud Helms]

That's not good enough for "point blank range".

Point blank range requires definition of an allowable area around a desired point of impact.

Point blank range is that range from muzzle to target defined by a theoretical cylinder that extends from the muzzle of the weapon to the target that will contain the trajectory of the fired bullet all the way from the muzzle to the target. That means that at any cross section slice (circle) along that cylinder the bullet will impact inside that circle (cross section of that cylinder). The cylinder is not a cone, it is a cylinder. At the muzzle it is the same diameter as at the target. The center of the end circle at the muzzle is centerline of the bore. The center of the end circle at the target is the desired impact point (center of target). The trajectory can be anywhere within that cylinder from muzzle to the target and remain in the defined acceptable area of impact, whether dead center of target or not.

So, for a weapon with a six inch vertical change in trajectory the first 100 yds out of the muzzle, It's point blank range for a four inch target area is less than 100 yds. As long as a four inch circle is the acceptable area of impact, it's point blank range is that range at which the bullet never leaves a four inch cylinder extending from the muzzle to the target. Whatever that distance may be.

A rifle that is sighted for one inch high at 100 yds and strikes the target one inch low at two hundred yds has a point blank range, for a two inch diameter circle, of 200 yds.

[Edit: Waitaminit, "... aim at the center of the target. Set the sight at the mid point of the bullet trajectory for your given target height/kill zone." Hmmm, that may be the same thing. Nope. It doesn't take into account the extremes of the trajectory. It would also be difficult to sight in.]

 

[Tucker 1371]

I've always shot with the tip top of the front post just touching the area (I think someone called it flat tire?) where i wanted the round to go, thats how I learned when I was really young and I never new there was another way until I went shooting with my friend recently who had grown up shooting center hold. I still like my way better cause I can see the target and I'm just more used to it.

 

[SKULLANDCROSSBONES65]

G'day BUD.
Thank you for your detailed explanation of point blank range. I new somebody would correct my simple method of description. I just new I would get it wrong if I tried to be to specific. I just tried to keep it simple.
I probably should of made referance to range.

 

[darkgael]

method

For Bullseye = 6 o'clock
For hunting = CoM
For .22 target rifle, aperture sights = Center
For HP = 6 o'clock with a line of white.
Pete

 

[Bud Helms]

S&B65,

Not to worry, buddy. You were way the hell a lot closer than the "crime scene investigators" on da tube (AKA: TV).