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Sparks2112
10-07-2011, 01:21 PM
Quick question. With handguns I find myself focusing on the target instead of the front sight. I'm aware of the front and rear sight but it's more of a fuzzy sight picture than anything. I get good solid hits this way out to about 25 yards and if anything my accuracy decreases when I try a sharp front sight focus. I am nearsighted but it is corrected with contact lenses. Should I be trying something different or just be happy it works for me?

TCinVA
10-07-2011, 01:44 PM
Please define "solid hits" for us...as in what size target, what sort of groups, etc.

Simon
10-07-2011, 05:46 PM
Quick question. With handguns I find myself focusing on the target instead of the front sight. I'm aware of the front and rear sight but it's more of a fuzzy sight picture than anything. I get good solid hits this way out to about 25 yards and if anything my accuracy decreases when I try a sharp front sight focus. I am nearsighted but it is corrected with contact lenses. Should I be trying something different or just be happy it works for me?



From my experience, as a marksmanship instructor and as a shooter, this is a result of a well defined target and sights that are not suited to your eye sight. From your optometrist, find out where your near focus point is with your contact lens. You may need contact sets up with the focus at your front sight; 30" more or less from your eye. The normal near focus is set at 14" more or less, for reading.

I am not that familiar with nearsightedness, but you may be able to get one set of contacts set up so that you can get a clear sight picture and still see the target. You should have a clear sight picture (sharp focus) with a fuzzy target. With my eye sight, the only way I can get the correct sight picture is with 3 dot sights or with a hi-viz front and plain notch rear. You may just need a front sight that forces your focus to the sight.

Or you may just need to practice focusing on the front while aiming at a blank target backer.

David Armstrong
10-08-2011, 06:58 PM
Quick question. With handguns I find myself focusing on the target instead of the front sight. I'm aware of the front and rear sight but it's more of a fuzzy sight picture than anything. I get good solid hits this way out to about 25 yards and if anything my accuracy decreases when I try a sharp front sight focus. I am nearsighted but it is corrected with contact lenses. Should I be trying something different or just be happy it works for me?
As TC said, depends on what you call "good solid hits." Target focus shooting is a good skill and one that all shooters should have in the toolbox, IMO, but one should also be able to execute a good sight-focused shot when needed.

TDR911
10-09-2011, 10:27 AM
I also focus on the target as well untill the target is 40+ feet away. Then I shift to concentrated sight shooting.
David Armstrong is correct on being able to make precise shots using the sights.
Target focus shooting is a good skill and one that all shooters should have in the toolbox, IMO, but one should also be able to execute a good sight-focused shot when needed.

In a attack situation at close quarters point shooting and target focus has its advantages. Here is a breakdown on how I train and my views on target focus.

Target Focus
My normal sight picture with no glasses or contacts is blurred. The target from 2 yards and farther out is clear. When training I use a special set of custom glasses that have my dominant eye with the crystal clear focus at the distance of the sights and my other eye has the focus point set up for distance.
In training with a SIRT pistol I start with the initial grip, followed by the support hand, bringing the gun outward & up to sight level, catching the front sight picture, target and surrounding area has now been identified, as I have the last bit of sight picture coming into view the trigger finger has entered the trigger guard and started to take up the trigger tension. Once I have a complete sight picture I then switch the focus from the sight picture to the target. In doing this I have aligned the sights, shifted my field of view to the target, and view the laser/bullet report. In training I started practicing with a very slow deliberate draw paying close attention to all the details. I then slowly increase the draw speed over the next few months. Practicing at least ½, to 1 hour a day. 7 days a week if possible and backing it up with live fire at many live rounds as you can every week. I also video tapped it so I could review and critique it later.
With this being said the point here is that with the muscle memory burned into my brain I concentrate on the target when I shoot. When I consciously slow myself down or check the video’s I get a momentary sight picture and then switch my line of sight to the target. The SIRT laser will tell you where the shot is on the target. The point is that in training with a SIRT laser gives you the report of where you are hitting. At that point you will be focused on the target, but you will pass the line of sight from the sights to the target.
There is a range that the hits will fall off from the kill zone. By working hard you can extend that range. After you reach that range or zone, I revert back to a standard sight/target picture.
If I am out and about I generally will not be wearing my glasses as I only need or use them for close up reading. At least 50% or more of my live fire drills are done while I do not have my corrective glasses on. Again practice and muscle memory prevails. The weak spot being that anything past 40 feet or so I have a blurred sight picture and even though I can still shoot well my hits are slightly off.
I start with IDPA cardboard target with a lighter color repair sheet attached. This allows you to see all the hits in the zone easily. It also makes an easier target to pick up. I then switch to all realistic scenario targets like muggers, workplace, bank robbers, etc. The sight picture is much harder to pick up on darker & print type patterns. I also buy the targets that have the anatomy outlines in them as to verify being in the kill zone.

As always this is a point of view. Will it work for you? It works for me.

Here is a link to the SIRT training pistol. http://nextleveltraining.com/