TargetTalk

anyone try this method of shooting? If so using a smaller dot would seem to be better?

Interesting concept... I suppose the aiming area could be literally anyplace as long as the point of impact is in the center of the bullseye.

The advantage (?) would be purely psychological in that worry about keeping the dot in the center of the bullseye would be diminished.

Just for grins I may give it a try...

In the meantime, how about some of the more astute posters give their thoughts, please.

Tillman

Fascinating proposition!

Well, here's the theory.

Your eye and the feedback & control loop for holding and triggering the shot are designed (by God, nature, evolution, whatever) to "naturally" align objects- like placing three dots in line, like having an equal amount of light on two sights of a dark post, aligning circles concentrically, putting a post in line with a black dot inside a circle, etc.

That's why all sighting systems are designed the way they are- to take advantage of this natural ability to align objects.

With dots for bullseye, this would suggest putting the black circle (target) in the center of the tube, and placing the red dot in the center of the black dot. Your brain will just naturally "enjoy" this picture and seek it out.

[Now there are interesting arguments about various dot sizes; a dot about 1/2 the visual diameter of the target seems to be one end of the spectrum; a pinpoint at the other.]

It would seem that putting the dot anywhere but the center of the tube and/or center of the target would be an "unnatural" alignment and while not necessarily creating difficulties might not be the "best" picture to use.

However

A friend of mine was somewhat successful (low Master Class) putting the dot at 12 o'clock in the tube; but dot centered on the target.

That's the only example of off-axis/oddly aligned sight pictures that I am aware of . . .

. . . there does seem to be a strong preference for "lining everything up because it just looks right."

Not sure about what would work best for you though.

Try it out and let us all know!

My sight picture for iron sights is a sub-6 hold - I am visually unable to see black sights against the black bullseye.

Many great bullseye shooters have used the center of mass hold with great success - Bonnie Harmon comes to mind.

As I said, I am going to give it a try since I do have a history of un-natural acts.

Tillman

My continued preference in NRA bullseye is center hold. The first posts give a good rational for this point of aim. Most important IMHO is that Hershel Anderson , the current record holder used center hold to set the record that has held since the early 1970s. He was known to respond to shooters that used some other hold point and I quote " Have you shot 2680 yet ?" Until someone exceeds that record , I 'll stay with the center hold and keep on trying myself to do what seems to be out of reach but certainly worth the effort to achieve. Good Shooting Bill Horton

Red dot at 6? I would venture to say you would get vertical strings at best. Your eye would be bouncing back and forth from dot to bull. That would not be good. However, if it works for you....


Now with iron sights, if there is good enough lighting, center hold should work just as well as 6 hold. I have held irons at 6 or lower with a cant in the gun for years. Actually the cant makes my hold more like 5:30. Recently I did a slowfire shoot with a center hold. Maybe due to new method syndrome (related to new gun syndrome), I had a very good iron sight target.