Comments on: Sight Picture

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:13:26 +0000

My SA XDm 9mm shoots 5″ low at 10 ft using #2 and is right on at 25 yards using #2. No problem left or right. I’m thinking that bullet is still rising at short range and therefore #3 should be used under 25 yards and #2 > 25 yards. I think I’ll name her Dot. My P85 is good using #2 at all ranges for some reason. Nice article.

By: slonekej

slonekej — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:47:57 +0000

Sig would not exchange my sights. That is why the comment above about not working with you.

I also wanted to clarify. Sig are set up for combat sights. If you are shooting at a 10″ circle with a 1″ bullzeye, then you should aim at the top of the 10″ Circle. That is what they told me. 100$ for new sights to change that.

By: slonekej

slonekej — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:41:36 +0000

I had the same problem as Wasabibill. I bought a Sig 239 and it shot low and to the left. checked it on a rest and at 25 feet, shooting sight picture #3 above, got a tight pattern that was 3.5″ low and 1.5″ left. Called Sig and the guy told me that I should be aiming at the top of the target. 12 o’clock hold he called it. I have a #6 front sight and a #8 back sight. To have a sight picture like diagram #2 above I would need a number 9 front and number 9 rear. Also discouraging for a $800 gun, that they will not work with you any more than that. Oh well, still a very nice gun. So that solves shooting low, but why did it also shoot left. I have heard of many new Sig owners saying the same thing. In-fact when I called Sig he asked me, “is it shooting low and left”?

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:32:03 +0000

Wow.
If there ever was a more poignant proof of the point that you need to know your gun.
(Forgive me I have the same thoughts too, stumbled upon this after shooting a SIg and noticing the different sight picture, just had the same conversation so had to beat myself o’r the head with it so the above meant for myself as well.)

I forgot a cardinal rule.

Know your gun. If the gun had “6-oclock) or “Combat” sights or whatever weird new thing is being made (i.e.”five dot pentagonal sights with Helium 4 day glow pink stripe”) it doesn’t matter unless you’ve pumped enough rounds downrange to know everything.

Lemee share a piece of advice might save your life, was given to me;
“Never trust a gun that don’t have a name. You name something, you start to personify it, treat it like a person, care about its needs, listen to its problems, know its personality, its strengths, weaknesses, little quirks. She becomes an extension of your will, performs without effort, talks to you. You never go to war with a weapon you don’t love, trust and fear a little.”

Figure out how she shoots, leave it or change it but then quit thinking. Shoot shoot and shoot until the feel of the gun in your hand tells you everything you need to know and the muscles remember.

Just mho

(oh, and same rule applies for trucks and boats and the last bit (“love, trust and fear a little…”) applies doubly for women.)

By: Norm

Norm — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:24:50 +0000

Marshall, I recently attended Massad Ayoob’s Mag-40 class and he said you can get shooting glasses made that have the bi-focal reading lens made at the top instead of the bottom of the lens. That will allow you to see the front sight clearly with it’s alignment relative to the rear sight and the target. Hope this helps….

By: Marshall Risinger

Marshall Risinger — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:05:43 +0000

I am 65, and no longer can get clear focus on the sights and the target at the same time. I must alternate between looking through my bifocals to get the gun sight line up, and then try to align that with the bullseye. I can hit the torso at 45′, but the inner, high value ring I cannot. Is there a visual help to get me in better shooting shape? Maybe something to attach to my glasses?

By: Wasabibill

Wasabibill — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:52:59 +0000

I bought a 40 cal SIG 229 (with three dot tritium sights) a month ago and was immediately disappointed with my marksmanship. I was shooting low and to the left. My groups were horrible so I tried different brands of ammunition and found Remington Golden Sabre to be the least accurate. This didn’t make sense so I called SIG and they suggested I shoot dead rest to evaluate if this was a gun or a shooter problem. My next trip to the range with a dead rest produced five shot groups, low and to the left that you could cover with a fifty cent piece! Obviously there were two problems, shooter and gun. I called SIG and they said I could drift the rear sight to correct for windage but would need to purchase a new rear sight to correct for elevation. I’m starting to exercise to strengthen my grip, will install Hogue grips to hopefully improve the groups and am wrestling with the idea that a gun that cost $1,100 doesn’t shoot as well as my son’s 9 mm XDM (at half the cost).

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:34:47 +0000

The posting is a wonderful way for anyone to learn ways to improve their shooting skills. I found reading over all the information to be very helpful. I will apply the reading to my training on the range. I will also use the website for more reading. The information is very insightful for anyone who wants to improve their shooting skills.

By: BoomStick

BoomStick — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:29:42 +0000

I was use to using sight picture #2 for many many years. I’ve started using #3 now because I’ve changed my 1911′s, Hi-powers and Glocks for Sigs. The way they set their sights up took me by suprise, I was always shootin low, and after some research started shooting SP #3 and now I prefer it. For me it’s quicker and I’m just as accurate if not more so now at longer distances.

By: Davis

Davis — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 19:04:44 +0000

One of the all around best and most accurate shots I’ve ever seen with a pistol was a guy named Keith who came often to a range I worked at for a while. I got to know him fairly well. One day after witnessing some impressive shooting on his behalf, I asked something about how he had his sights set up. He replied that he didn’t use the sights. He went on to tell me about how he shot a lot growing up with an old pistol his dad gave him, but that the sights were damaged. He got used to it and never needed them.

We put him to the test one day by setting up three targets. He shot 15 rounds, alternating targets. While turning his vision completely from far left to right to read numbers off of flash cards we held up. The idea was to keep his eyes not focused on the gun sights at all. He read every number correctly while shooting all 15 rounds with amazing accuracy. Needless to say, I was really amazed.