Question - What distance do you ZERO your Iron Sights?

Good morning people...

I know this may have been asked before, but I never gave it much serious thought until now - What distance do you zero your iron sights for pistols? And why?

I have heard different schools of thought - some like 10-yards, some like 15-yards, while others go far as recommending 25-yards.

My thoughts right now are --

• At shorter distances, I would expect that a "combat" hold, ie., fibre optic dot itself as POA, would be good.
• At farther distances, like 25-yards, am thinking that a Bullseye, ie., blade of front sight at bottom of target, would be good so you can see your target.

Additionally, up until now, my match Glock 34 Gen 3 uses Vogel Dynamics sights, which at 25-yards using 115gr factory ammo shoots really high (ie., around 3- or 4-inches) aiming with the top blade of the front sight. I asked Bob about this, and he sent me the following article: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vaz9x3b0mv...ights.pdf?dl=0

That said, I asked one other top-rated shooter about this - he believes that one should always stick to the fundamentals and NOT compensate with tendencies (that needs to be overcome with training).

I guess I am asking is because I have a "gut" feel that I need to change my sights. Going into a match and remembering holdovers is becoming a chore (I have DOPE for 5, 7, 10, 15 and 25)... And it becomes messy, as well, when I do accuracy-focussed (slower fire) drills...

Lastly, any recommendations for competition sights, in particular for the G34 and 115gr factory combo? Many recommend Taran Tacticals' sights and Dawson Precision. If I go with the latter, what dimensions do you go for?

Thanks in advanced!!!

25 Yards, Cover Dot hold, both Glock 19.5 (USPSA) and 26.5 (EDC), factory height rear, 0.180" front.

I'm invariant to ammo; my trigger control is not good enough to notice. FWIW I group the same-ish (approximately "on" a B-8 repair center, more or less, more or less centered) with anything from 115 AE or BB, 124 AE or S&B, 124+p Speer GD to 147 HST, or Federal Syntech 150.

25 yards.

Why? Because due to pistol sight height between 5yds and 25yds, you’re generally not going to see much POI shift. 5yds and in, your targets are so big and close it almost completely doesn’t matter. Beyond 25 yds the shooter is way more of a factor. If the shooter can make accurate hits beyond 25 yds, they probably know their holds for their sights and ammo.


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I like to let the top of the blade split the bulls eye. Doing this, my ideal zero is 1 inch high at 25 yards. This gets you +/- 1.1" out to 65 yards. This is using a 147 gr 9mm assuming a muzzle velocity of about 1015.
If I were shooting 124 +p or something a little faster, it would still be about 0.5" high at 25 yards. Again, this is ideal. I don't have the ability to discern a half inch at 25, but this is what I'm going for. This gives a near zero of 6 yards, but 5 or 7 would work just fine.

Attachment 34941

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Originally Posted by rodralig

I know this may have been asked before, but I never gave it much serious thought until now - What distance do you zero your iron sights for pistols? And why?

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Several years ago, m4carbine.net had separate forums for Larry Vickers, Pat McNamara, Kyle DeFoor, Jason Falla, and a couple of other SMEs. I asked them all this same question. Every one of them said 25 yards. Pretty sure that something like this is why:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4gallonbucket

I like to let the top of the blade split the bulls eye. Doing this, my ideal zero is 1 inch high at 25 yards. This gets you +/- 1.1" out to 65 yards. This is using a 147 gr 9mm assuming a muzzle velocity of about 1015.
If I were shooting 124 +p or something a little faster, it would still be about 0.5" high at 25 yards. Again, this is ideal. I don't have the ability to discern a half inch at 25, but this is what I'm going for. This gives a near zero of 6 yards, but 5 or 7 would work just fine.

Attachment 34941

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With this zero, I can just hold for where I want to hit out to about 50 yards, at which point group size starts to become a limiting factor. I can get good hits on an IDPA or IPSC target out to 100 by holding for the chin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rodralig

Lastly, any recommendations for competition sights, in particular for the G34 and 115gr factory combo? Many recommend Taran Tacticals' sights and Dawson Precision. If I go with the latter, what dimensions do you go for?

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In my experience, Glocks all regulate a little differently, so any recommendation we make might not work for you. A Dawson Precision adjustable rear lets you get your zero exactly right, and change it easily when you change loads. For fixed sights, I've found that Sevignys offer a superb balance of speed and precision. You still may have to fiddle with front sight heights, though.


Okie John

25yds for reasons stated above is ideal for me.

As to competition sights, I like adjustable Dawson’s.


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What is your average score on a B8 at 25?

If you're consistently far away from reaching a 90 or above, you might not yet possess the ability to really tell what your zero is at that distance.

Are you using about the same amount of grip to shoot 25 yard bulls as you do 7 yards?

A looser grip can print higher at 25 than a tighter grip.

Thanks guys! Yes, so far, the best bet I have is to go with Dawson Precision and their adjustable rears.

https://dawsonprecision.com/copy-of-...r-black-front/

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Originally Posted by HopetonBrown

What is your average score on a B8 at 25?

If you're consistently far away from reaching a 90 or above, you might not yet possess the ability to really tell what your zero is at that distance.

Are you using about the same amount of grip to shoot 25 yard bulls as you do 7 yards?

A looser grip can print higher at 25 than a tighter grip.

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I am not regular in scoring myself at 25-yards... But then, I got a new toy a few days back, a Walther Q5 Match (which isn't even my match G34.3). Took it out to the range to zero it as it had adjustable rears (well, the first shots of all my new pistols were at 25-yards). Here were my groups as I confirmed and/or refined my zero across different distances. For the last 25-yard target, I was aiming at the bottom edge of the Shoot-n-C. CM = "Center Mass" hold; BE = "Bullseye" hold.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ee957a8f60.jpg

Cheers!!!