Trade offs between sights and trigger

[GJM]

Historically, when shooting low probability targets, I have tried to hold the sights steady, on the exact spot I am trying to hit, while making the trigger fire the shot. That requires me to manage multiple variables, and after a bunch of that kind of shooting, I have become fatigued.

This week, as part of five successive range sessions learning to love a Gen5/34 trigger, I decided to accept reasonable sight (or in my case dot) alignment, and essentially leave that alignment alone, while focusing almost exclusively on trigger press. Enough focus on trigger that I am almost “un-anticipating” the shot. That started yesterday, and after firing 400 rounds of very difficult shooting like two inch dots at 7-10 yards, groups on the head box at 25 and further, Bill drills at 30-35 yards, and eight inch steel from 20-35 yards, I was completely refreshed. I finished that session with a ten round group on the head box at 25 yards into about three inches.

I dry fired that more last night and this morning, and then hit the range today to see whether it was trick of the day or something more meaningful for me. Same result as yesterday, with some of the most consistent high level shooting I have done, except when I decided to quit, completely refreshed, I had fired 700 rounds in around 90 minutes. I then finished with a final ten shot group into the head at 25 yards, into three or four inches.

My analysis is that a high percentage of the bad shots I fire are due to bad trigger control. Fussing with “extra” sight alignment adds another variable that complicates a smooth trigger press, and may subtract more than it adds. I plan to keep working with this over coming days to see how it develops.

[GyroF-16]

GJM-
This is an interesting idea... thank you for sharing.
Please keep us posted, and feel free to expand on the concept.

I think I’ll try it myself I My next range session.

[miller_man]

Very, very insightful.

I have been working (still) pretty hard at shooting small groups at distance (so far 15yds is my limits - 3-4" groups). I have been focusing much more on trying to just- focus on/think/see the front sight lifting. When I MAKE seeing the front sight lift my only focus, I shoot better. Possibly, as I'm interpreting you could be saying - keeping the mind focused on a single, simple task?

[41magfan]

99.9% of the people I encounter overwork the muzzle orientation (sight use) and underwork the trigger pull. I suspect that is true for shooters at the very highest level, as well. I'm guessing that Doug Koenig doesn't usually miss because his muzzle isn't pointing in the right place, he misses because his trigger pull disrupted the muzzle orientation.

The "wobble" almost always appears to be excessive and fools the brain into thinking that the shot needs to happen at a precise moment in time. That's what causes the anticipation that manifest itself by whatever term you like to use (flinch, jerk, lean on, push, etc). Letting the gun fire is much different than making the gun fire.

During an Academy class last week I took a poke at a cardboard silhouette target turned edgewise at 6 yards. I split the target on the first attempt.

Just to be clear, I cannot maintain a sight picture steady enough to keep the sights on a target that small 100% of the time. But, I know that is an illusion. The "wobble" (deviations in sight movement) that I see is acceptable if I can pull the trigger smooth enough to not seriously interfere with that "wobble" during the firing sequence.

Some time later, I tried that stunt again with an LCP at 3 yards ..... it took 2 shots that time.

I tell folks all the time that shooting a handgun is very simple - it's just not easy.




ETA: I've been preaching this sermon for over 35 years but jump to 5:43 in this video if you'd rather hear it from an "expert". It applies to all shooting with any weapons platform and sighting system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Q3_vwJlNA&t=344s

[Doublestack45]

My father was an avid golfer and one trick he used to smooth out my erratic swing when I was younger was to suggest a fifty percent motion when bringing the club back. Doing this, I usually hit the ball as far or farther than when I wound up. I wonder if this is similar in how the mind controls the body's movement in a more "quiet" state.
I'll try this when I shoot tomorrow.

[Robinson]

This aligns pretty well with some things TGO has said.

[P.E. Kelley]

We rarely miss due to misaligned sights, we misalign our sights with poor trigger manipulation.

[Cory]

We rarely miss due to misaligned sights, we misalign our sights with poor trigger manipulation.

You mentioned this on the Summit and it was pretty eye opening.

-Cory

[ranger]

I went to the range yesterday and specifically tried to put in more emphasis on trigger pull and less emphasis on perfect sight alignment and it helped. I also saw a video from TGO talking about more emphasis on trigger and less on sight alignment.

[P.E. Kelley]

You mentioned this on the Summit and it was pretty eye opening.

-Cory

You are the guy that watched it! Thank you!