Sighted v. Unsighted Fire

[old carpenter]

Well after many days of watching this forum and this tread mainly its time for my first post here.

All people handle high stress moments in life differently. Some loss it right at the start of any amount of stress, some wait till afterwards is over before the stress of the moment start to settle in. Adrenaline effects each of use differently.

I have hunted with a handgun far longer than I have CC'd on my front side for many years now with a long pull da type trigger ether with a snubby or a striker fired pistol. That type trigger is very comfortable to me . I'm to fat to carry in the 10:30 to 1:30 position but I do favor 2:15 position and have NO worry about having my pisto, fire all on its own. Hammer or no hammer does not matter as much as your over all handgun safety practice. Basic trigger control.

I think each of us have to decide what position what handgun and holster works best for each of us . I happen to be very comfortable with no extra external safeties and longer trigger pulls for at least the first pull after than handguns clear and means little IF you train with that handgun .

I have had to use shorter trigger pulls on striker pistols on occasion and being a new to me for cc handgun I do slow down even more than normal but always watch the pistol as it re-inters my holster, fingers clear with a final push tight at the rear of the slide . Never the quick smooth reholster you see from some "experts" in there videos.

I try to clear a holster quickly and if distance to target is short , say 10 yards and under my first few shots is always instinctive shooting. ( No sights used) and finish a range session that way.

If you want to change handgun or the style of function that your choice not anyones else's . If your just one large ragging twitch when ever stress is on you then maybe a DA / SA trigger type with an external safety is what you really need to carry over say a glock. Only you can decide that.

Just remember , guys have shot them self with all type of trigger designs and pull weights . It depends more or how you handle stress and even what your paying attention to when re-holsters. I have met some people that should never be allowed to own or shoot a handgun.

[Kyle Reese]

I try to clear a holster quickly and if distance to target is short , say 10 yards and under my first few shots is always instinctive shooting. ( No sights used) and finish a range session that way.

Why are you not using your sights at the distances you describe?

[old carpenter]

Fred It's another way to put rounds on target and keep your witts about you and around you for defense needs . When you focus is on the front sight and controlled quickly fired group your not seeing whats in your peripheral vision , what could be near you to the sides. I feel that with only a little effort and rounds down range you can shoot a paper a defense sized group and not loss that peripheral vision around you . Over 10 or 12 yards I will need will be moving my fosus to my front sight for more control but still not accuracy type shooting.

Had to look around to find a simple video that gives you and idea what I practice at 3 to 10 yards. Lots of videos on you tube from isreali ways of point shooting to some tacticool guys just try to look skilled or cool or ?? , to one guy that good enough to ring steel from 25 to 100 yards !! Give it a try but figure out what works for you and how far you can group rounds smartly. You also should practice if a guy is close enough to lay hands on you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DziRJ16mmLA

Another type, sort of a different view of shoot with no sights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7W_onR-ksU

[JV_]

When you focus is on the front sight and controlled quickly fired group your not seeing whats in your peripheral vision

Threat focused tunnel vision can happen regardless of whether you're using your front sight.

Also, you can also use your sights, but not have a hard front sight focus.

[Kyle Reese]

I've yet to see any empirical data or evidence to suggest that not employing your sights with a handgun out to 10 yards yields:

-More precise hits on target (and hits count, not blasting ammo into the landscape).

-Contact distance shots notwithstanding, I'm not seeing the benefit of failing or neglecting to use one's sights.

You are responsible for every bullet that exits your muzzle. Period. Full. Stop.

Any instructor who advocates removing the sights from a handgun so they can hose an IDPA target at 10 yards and claim that method is superior to employing your sights is simply a walking & talking example of the Dunning–Kruger effect.

I'm sure that the experts on YouBoob & BookFace will say I'm wrong.

[GardoneVT]

"Fred It's another way to put rounds on target and keep your witts about you and around you for defense needs . When you focus is on the front sight and controlled quickly fired group your not seeing whats in your peripheral vision , what could be near you to the sides. I feel that with only a little effort and rounds down range you can shoot a paper a defense sized group and not loss that peripheral vision around you . Over 10 or 12 yards I will need will be moving my fosus to my front sight for more control but still not accuracy type shooting. "

I have to disagree with some details here.

"Paper -sized" groups are not precise enough to stop a fight. If we define paper as an 8.5x11 sheet of printer sheet, there are areas on the human body which will NOT have an immediate effect on the target. If men have been shot in the head and remained fighting , we would be silly to think a bullet to the rib is going to halt things.

The common thought is that precise sights are unnecessary at close range. At the square range shooting targets ,perhaps not. In real life people approach from the side and between cars and other objects.I've yet to see any random (point shooting is a nicer name) shooting method result in accurate delivery of fire at off-angle targets.

Worse, random shooting (whatever it may be called) has a moral price attached to it. We right side of the law shooters need to remember that every bullet fired will go *somewhere*. Killing someone the next building over because you couldn't see fit to place your shots to the MAXIMUM accuracy possible is morally identical to walking into that home and shooting the bystander with intent. I say that because in both cases, the outcome is the same-a dead or injured innocent.

Forget the court-who will doubtlessly point out the problem of carrying a pistol only to toss bullets willy nilly in public. Can you live with that consequence , knowing using your sights might have kept someone's kid alive?

Whether the distance is five feet or five counties, I believe as a shooter I'm morally and physically compelled to use my sights for maximum accuracy, which is the only proven method as yet to direct live ammunition into effective threat stopping areas. 8" patterns at ten yards or less isn't it.

[JodyH]

Deja Vu all over again.

[Trooper224]

I have a feeling a dying horse is about to get beaten.

[JV_]

I believe as a shooter I'm morally and physically compelled to use my sights for maximum accuracy

Ever shoot from retention? Up close, there may not be a need to use your sights to get good hits.

I would be cautious to use absolutes, whether it's saying you'd always index shoot inside of 10Y, or the opposite - saying that you'll always use your sights.

[GardoneVT]

Ever shoot from retention?

Hence the "five feet" qualifier.

In any event , retention and contact distance shooting would seem to be different then 'hitting paper at 10 yards'.