Aiming point for ISSF Centerfire

[K38]

Since the black area of the target is different for slow fire and rapid fire how do most shooters set their sights for Centerfire Pistol? I would think a center hold would be best for rapid and a sub six for slowfire. But you would have to have very repeatable sights. I am clueless on this.

Thanks,

Dwight

[Richard H]

I use center hold for both slow and rapid fire (same for sport pistol which is the same). I went to center in standard pistol and my scores and actually imporved.

Due to the distance I really don't have a problem picking up the front sight on the black so really for me there is no advantage to a sub six.

Air pistol is a different story at 10 m I can't really pick up the front sight on the black, so I shoot sub-six for AP and Free Pistol.

[David Levene]

Due to our legislation I no longer shoot Centrefire. When I did I used a fairly deep sub-six hold on precision and an area aim somewhere below the ten ring for rapid.

I know that sounds a bit vague but even if you had asked me just after I fired a rapid series I wouldn't have been able to tell you exactly where my area aim was centred. I was looking at the sights not the target. After very many thousands of rounds in training the sights just seemed to settle in the same position.

[Spencer]

Since the black area of the target is different for slow fire and rapid fire how do most shooters set their sights for Centerfire Pistol? I would think a center hold would be best for rapid and a sub six for slowfire. But you would have to have very repeatable sights. I am clueless on this.

Thanks,

Dwight

All part of the process about learning to alter your sight adjustment (not as scary as it seems to some)

Yep! Know how many clicks from the bottom setting of your rear sight to:
- YOUR preferred setting for centre hold
- YOUR preferred seting for area aim (precision)
simple mathematics gives you the number of clicks to adjust between the two

In addition to being able to adjust your sights between the two settings (with a bit of practice it should be fairly easy to distinguish the two by inspection) you will have a 'recovery procedure' if somebody else adjusts your sights.

A few minutes on the practice range at 25m should give you the needed information - and for ISSF, there is always the sighting series for any fine adjustments.

Spencer

[James Hurr]

I used sub six for precision and sights slightly above centre for rapid.
Essentially the middle of the foresight dead centre in the target.
This helps concentrates my tiny brain on the sights during rapid, and prevents looking 'over' the sights for the shot to appear, particularly with wadcutters

A lot of people do reckon sub-six for precision and don't adjust for rapid, just pick an area aim.

[K38]

Thanks Folks!

The answers were just what I was looking for! That is to say several good ways to do the same thing. I do feel sorry for my English friend who can no longer shoot centerfire. You are welcome in Texas anytime, the gunsafe and the range are all yours, and the ammo is on me!

Vaya Con Queso!


Dwight

[David Levene]

I do feel sorry for my English friend who can no longer shoot centerfire. You are welcome in Texas anytime, the gunsafe and the range are all yours, and the ammo is on me!

That is a very kind thought, thank you.

[David M]

Down 14, right 3. (Manurhin revolver, right for trigger flinch)
Area aim for precision , 5-6 ring below black.
Rapidfire , just low centre aim (aiming white horizontal bars just above sights).

[top end]

Down 14, right 3. (Manurhin revolver, right for trigger flinch)
Area aim for precision , 5-6 ring below black.
Rapidfire , just low centre aim (aiming white horizontal bars just above sights).

This is the first time I have heard mention that someone accepts their flinch AND adjusts for it. I have struggled for ages to overcome the tendancy to put shots 25 to 50 mm left in duelling(S&W M14), always believing that one has to overcome the tendancy to push the trigger and train harder to pull it straight back. ( is this the purist view?) Is this a common strategy and how many others adjust windage to pull shots into the centre?

[Spencer]

Actually was a training 'method' used in the past. Whatever you do wrong - as long as you do it wrong the same way every time (i.e. great groups, but in the wrong place), adjusting the sights will put those lovely groups in the 10 ring.

Fire as many shots per week as David does, and any 'flinch' will become consistent and can be compensated for by sight adjustment. For we mere mortals...

[James Hurr]

It could be you have some unnoticed cant using a sub-six hold, in which case you may need a few clicks left or right to correct when moving to a centre aim.

[RJP]

Whatever you do wrong - as long as you do it wrong the same way every time (i.e. great groups, but in the wrong place), adjusting the sights will put those lovely groups in the 10 ring.

For many years, I was shoting two groups on my targets. Each group of 3 to 7 shots, would be sighted in on the center and the remaining shots about 2 to 3 inches to the left. Yes, the problem is trigger control.

I found it much easier to relearn my trigger to give consistant results by using proper technique and not repeating a bad technique.

[David Levene]

Whatever you do wrong - as long as you do it wrong the same way every time (i.e. great groups, but in the wrong place), adjusting the sights will put those lovely groups in the 10 ring.

For many years, I was shoting two groups on my targets. Each group of 3 to 7 shots, would be sighted in on the center and the remaining shots about 2 to 3 inches to the left. Yes, the problem is trigger control.

That just means that you weren't doing it wrong by the same amount every time.

In competitive terms, if you do it wrong exactly the same every time then that becomes doing it right. Points are scored by having a consistent repeatable technique not necessarily by having a textbook technique (although the two are not mutually exclusive).