how do you know if your sights are off?

[45calibre]

i went to the range and tried to shoot out the center of the target but i got this. at about 10 yards i aimed at center

four more targets later and i got to this

 

[ATF Consumer]

Did you adjust your sites, or did the caffeine wear off?

 

[Slab]

"how do you know if your sights are off?"

If you dont hit the middle they are off.....
You have to tell us more.

 

[45calibre]

Did you adjust your sites, or did the caffeine wear off?

funny how they started to bunch up huh?

"how do you know if your sights are off?"

If you dont hit the middle they are off.....
You have to tell us more.

the gun is a S&W 4506. it has fixed sights. ammo was 230 grain WWB and blazer brass. i kept the front white dot over the center the whole time with the three dots lined up.

 

[NateIU10]

Do you happen to know what length the factory sights are set to zero at? Could explain low at 10 yards.

 

[45calibre]

Do you happen to know what length the factory sights are set to zero at? Could explain low at 10 yards.

i have no freakin idea. is there any way for me to find out? or do i have to take it to a gun smith?

 

[Slab]

I would just shoot it some more. it could be anything from your grip or stance has changed from round to round or you just got more comfy shooting it.

 

[Lars]

virtually every fighting handgun with fixed sights is zeroed for 25 yards IIRC.

which is silly if you ask me. I'd think 25' --> 0' would be ideal personally.

 

[Lars]

I would just shoot it some more. it could be anything from your grip or stance has changed from round to round or you just got more comfy shooting it.

YouTube - Shooting Missology Trailer

The full version of the above video should pretty much be required viewing

 

[45calibre]

virtually every fighting handgun with fixed sights is zeroed for 25 yards IIRC.

which is silly if you ask me. I'd think 25' --> 0' would be ideal personally.

which means at 25 yards the bullet should hit where the front sight is covering? also is mine considered a fighting handgun?

 

[Jack Ryan]

i have no freakin idea. is there any way for me to find out? or do i have to take it to a gun smith?

Were you shooting up old junk ammo or reloads? That is not an indiaction the sights are off. More like loose, non existant, getting little use.

 

[Jack Ryan]

which means at 25 yards the bullet should hit where the front sight is covering? also is mine considered a fighting handgun?

Test the GUN from sand bags. When the GUN is right, THEN test yourself.

 

[IUGradStudent]

I'm a newbie, but the change from the first target you show to the second one suggests to me that it's an issue of practice and technique rather than sights. If your technique was flawless and the sights were off, it seems like all the shots on the first target would bunch up in one location -- instead they're scattered. So, caffeine wearing off, getting more comfortable shooting, recalling muscle memory, fixing small errors in your grip, trigger pull, etc, seems more likely to account for the change. The second target looks pretty darn good to me! If you're worried about being 1" low on it, I would agree with what others have said that it could be that the pistol is zero'd at 25 yards and so is a bit low at 10.

 

[45calibre]

Well the second target is actually the fifth one. After the first one they started to come together. Ill post the others when I get a chance. I started to squeeze the trigger more instead of pulling it. What does zeroing mean?

 

[kludge]

"Zero" comes from rifle scope terminology. When you have the crosshairs sighted in where you want them, you adjust the knobs so they read "zero" at the desired setting. Then if you sight in at a different distance, or you adjust for wind you can always get back to your "zero."

And BTW, very nice group on that last target.

 

[Crystalship1]

Looks well centered to me!!!

 

[calcot7]

Yea, I get that alot also. That first target must have been defective.

 

[calcot7]

Or possibly the barrel was over lubricated.

 

[45calibre]

No I don't think it was over lubricated. If it was zeroed at 50 feet shouldn't it have hit dead center at 10 yards? Judging by the last target do you think the sights are good? Or is it user error?

 

[45calibre]

here are the targets in order.

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th