Do you aim or point and shoot instinctively?

[Trinidad Bill]

After many sessions of trying use "sights" on my percussion revolvers I had to step back and think about it. In mid 1800's did they use sights or shoot instinctively? I was not there so I cannot say. Maybe there are books that I have not read that delve into the shooting/aiming process? I believe that in the heat of the moment, back then, most revolver shots were instinctive.

Much like archery I started instinctively, went to sights, then back to instinctive. The instinctive archery shooting process, for me, has proved to be the most fruitful, fun and rewarding.

So I went to shooting my revolver instinctively. Surprise, I can see where I am shooting, I can adapt and it's a heck of a lot more fun!

Which way to you shoot your revolver?

 

[Tom A Hawk]

That depends on how far away you wish to hit the target. Those sights are there for good reason and you can bet Wild Bill used his to hit Dave Tutt at 75 yards.

 

[Trinidad Bill]

That depends on how far away you wish to hit the target. Those sights are there for good reason and you can bet Wild Bill used his to hit Dave Tutt at 75 yards.

Do we know this for certain? A lot of long instinctive shots were made with arrows from Pope, Young, Howard Hill, Fred Bear, Fred Eichler, etc.

 

[64Springer]

I find sights on pistols to be a distraction.

When it comes to life and death situations, I prefer to guess at where my bullets will land.

 

[Sam squanch]

Get one of those crosman CO2 pellet revolvers. Remove the sights. Start at 5 yards at a milk jug. Just point the gun and press the trigger. When you can plug the jug ever time , move the jug back 10 yards. Keep doing this. With practice, you will be amazing!

 

[pacanis]

There is a lot to be said for point shooting. It was taught in the military for a while. Maybe it still is.
But me, I'm a slow fire kind of shooter. So I use the sights. For now... the eyes aren't getting any better.
My guess is way back when it was instinctive shooting when you were simply trying to get lead on target.

 

[64Springer]

On a more serious note.

With self-defense handguns, I raise my front sight just above the rear sight and centered on the rear sight.

That front sight sticks out like a sore thumb, and the shot will impact high, obviously.

Then lower the entire gun a tad while maintaining the same sight picture.

Not ideal for target work, but for close in self-defense scenarios it works well. Extremely fast center mass acquisition.

None of that top of the front sight level with the top of the rear sight and front sight centered in the rear sight notch nonsense.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Although I am/was a fairly good rifle and pistol shooter I never developed the ability to use a shotgun. With a shotty I couldn't even hit a barn wall.........from the inside. I aimed, nothing instinctive.

 

[Trinidad Bill]

Although I am/was a fairly good rifle and pistol shooter I never developed the ability to use a shotgun. With a shotty I couldn't even hit a barn wall.........from the inside. I aimed, nothing instinctive.

Your comment prompted me...I would not say I am a great shotgun shooter (never shot clays, trap, etc.), but I am an avid pheasant hunter with my dog. I shoot my Citori instinctively.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Do we know this for certain? A lot of long instinctive shots were made with arrows from Pope, Young, Howard Hill, Fred Bear, Fred Eichler, etc.

I shoot a bare bow and can hit an apple at 30 yards. However, the term "instinctive aiming" as associated with traditional archery is a bit of a misnomer. While there may not be sights on the bow, the shooter sees the arrow and its relationship to the target. From experience, the mind calculates the required hold needed to hit the target. Its a bit like throwing a baseball or a fizzbee.

Any doubt of this will instantly be dispelled by trying "instinctive aiming" with your eyes closed. See how that goes.

 

[bud in pa]

close up I used to shoot my unmentionable pistols instinctively. After 3 years of living in Nevada with nothing else to do, except target practice I became pretty proficient.

 

[Trinidad Bill]

close up I used to shoot my unmentionable pistols instinctively. After 3 years of living in Nevada with nothing else to do, except target practice I became pretty proficient.

Front Sight?

 

[Daveboone]

I dare say all instinctive shooting originates in point/aim and shoot. Do it frequently enough and it is automatic, and doesnt register. Same as archery shooting. Learn good technique first....sight picture, breathing, trigger control, etc., do it long enough and frequently enough, it becomes automatic/ instinctive., as well as when NOT to shoot. Pistol, rifle, (of any type), bow. When I shot bow, I shot strictly "instinctive"....bare bow. But absolutely I learned using a marker on the target with my arrow alignment, just as you automatically can align your sight picture, etc. But then again, you can absolutely be a shitty instinctive shooter with any armament. Instinctive? Sure. Still shitty? Sure. I learned to shoot with open sights, shooting ALOT of .22s. Targets, cans, bottles, stones, woodchucks, chipmunks, tweeties.....With several of my rifles I can say I shoot instinctive, but somewhere in the process....those sights are still being use, I am just not conscious of it.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Definitely front sight for defensive shooting.

Listen to the words of Wyatt Earp and use your sights.

 

[Trinidad Bill]

That depends on how far away you wish to hit the target. Those sights are there for good reason and you can bet Wild Bill used his to hit Dave Tutt at 75 yards.

The Harper's piece also told the story of how Hickok had pointed to a letter "O" that was "no bigger than a man's heart." Standing some 50 yards away from his subject, Hickok "without sighting his pistol and with his eye" rang off six shots, each of them hitting the direct center of the letter.

 

[CaptainVane]

Cal .36:
> 40 yards = sights.
< 40 yards = instictive.

Cal 31:
instictive

These sights are made for distance which is why up close they shoot high. I dont use sights up close, I watch the angle of the barrel with left eye while pointing with right eye. Doing real good with these methods.

 

[Powder Flask Collector]

In my opinion, it is of central importance for point shooting how well the grip or stock is adapted to the shooter's anatomy. There is an old saying, especially in shotgun shooting, that the barrel shoots but the stock will hit.

Some pistols have been designed for point shooting. I got an original french model M1763/66 pistol that was used on horseback by dragoons.

I was extremely surprised at how well this pistol feels in the hand even though the stock only looks like a curved branch. If I aim at an object up to 10 yards away with my eyes closed and open my eyes, the barrel points exactly at the target.




On the other hand, with my english sporting flintlock pistol Parker of London I got to use the sights. Otherwise I would miss a barn door

 

[oldwood]

When a six yr. old back in the early 1950's , my Dad put a Daisy bb ari rifle in my hands , and with in 5 yrs. , it was worn out. BB guns are a cheap way to learn instinctive shooting for a kid. My buddy and I shot so much , we destroyed both of our guns about the same time , and it prepaired us to be very good competitors later on in life. My buddy is passed on now , and I mostly have to use a peep sight on my m/l rifles , but that's , ok. Lots a water under the bridge .

 

[Michael Sumpter]

On a more serious note.

With self-defense handguns, I raise my front sight just above the rear sight and centered on the rear sight.

That front sight sticks out like a sore thumb, and the shot will impact high, obviously.

Then lower the entire gun a tad while maintaining the same sight picture.

Not ideal for target work, but for close in self-defense scenarios it works well. Extremely fast center mass acquisition.

None of that top of the front sight level with the top of the rear sight and front sight centered in the rear sight notch nonsense.

you just said the same thing but using different words...

 

[Ol' Ken]

Agree with comments about distance. At a ways I will use sights. Close shooting instinctive.