The Role of Pistol Sights in Self-Defense: Are They Necessary?

[Target Sports USA]

The Role of Pistol Sights in Self-Defense: Are They Necessary?

Explore how pistol sights can enhance accuracy and confidence in self-defense situations. Are they necessary? Find out here.

blog.targetsportsusa.com

 

[sloporsche]

My practice technique with a SW 340 PD quick draw is to just put the front sight on low center-mass and shoot twice , this of course is at bad breath range .Good luck finding a range that permits it though. Rifle wise only a select few got see-through scope mounts without iron sights ....it keeps ya from being eaten by a bear in thick brush .....ya just fire when the sight is all hair

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

Not a fan of point shooting as a training tactic... plenty of well known folks with credentials disapprove of the tactic as well...





I think it has very limited application.

 

[Rebel_Rider1969]

Carry hi cap. Spray and pray!

 

[sloporsche]

Not a fan of point shooting as a training tactic... plenty of well known folks with credentials disapprove of the tactic as well...





I think it has very limited application.

My 340 has a 1.8 barrel length ,good for inside car jacking fight or parking lot mugging not a shoot out 3 aisles away in wallymart . Its a hold what you got gat not seek n destroy . Its a dream for CC at 13 oz loaded IWB holster belly gun but a REAL handful using magnum ammo

 

[Jester896]

a little bit practice and you would be good for 3 isles

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

My 340 has a 1.8 barrel length ,good for inside car jacking fight or parking lot mugging not a shoot out 3 aisles away in wallymart . Its a hold what you got gat not seek n destroy . Its a dream for CC at 13 oz loaded IWB holster belly gun but a REAL handful using magnum ammo

You're realistic... that's refreshing.

I get it, close up one might/probably will get away with point and click, but like mentioned in the videos, and kind of what you said reference the front sight, some effort needs to be made when possible.

Generally speaking, most folks don't shoot a pistol well... to intentionally adopt a tactic that says it ok not to look at the sights, at least the front sight, isn't something I can agree with.

Personally, I think the concept has crept into the training world as a gimmick vs. a legitimate effective fighting tactic.

 

[sloporsche]

a little bit practice and you would be good for 3 isles

30/40 years ago yes i could easy....and much further ,but at 71 no unless i SA a 6 inch python at rest and the target stays put lol . Besides being in florida i am more likely to get shot by friendly fire in wallymart aisle 3 by billybob in aisle 20 lol.

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

30/40 years ago yes i could easy....and much further ,but at 71 no unless i SA a 6 inch python at rest and the target stays put lol . Besides being in florida i am more likely to get shot by friendly fire in wallymart aisle 3 by billybob in aisle 20 lol.

You make a good point, which supporters of the concept also make unknowingly, which is someone who shoots often and well can most certainly perform better… but that’s not most people.

Folks who shoot well say, “I can do X” but fail to realize that’s because they are shooters from the start.

My two coworkers wanted to teach point shooting to officers and I refused. Part of their argument was they could hit X times at Y yards… my response was that I believed them… but they are not representing the average cop’s shooting ability.

No way was I putting my name on a lesson plan that basically said it’s ok to shoot at someone without aiming… not happening.

 

[DustyDog]

OK, you're trapped in the back corner of Walmart, and someone is working his way in your direction with a rifle. How close do you want him to get before you can pull off a headshot from concealment with confidence? i.e., you know he's coming, he doesn't know you're there. Which is why I carry this:



Not sure why so many plan for "average" (2 shots/7 feet) confrontations, when shoving matches are easily avoided. Mass shootings, etc., while rare, not so much.

 

[Jester896]

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a great pistol shooter...in fact the best 3 rounds I put on the target last session were with my eyes closed when the shot broke. I'll also be proud to take a contact shot if it gets me home

 

[sloporsche]

OK, you're trapped in the back corner of Walmart, and someone is working his way in your direction with a rifle. How close do you want him to get before you can pull off a headshot from concealment with confidence? i.e., you know he's coming, he doesn't know you're there. Which is why I carry this:

View attachment 300262

Not sure why so many plan for "average" (2 shots/7 feet) confrontations, when shoving matches are easily avoided. Mass shootings, etc., while rare, not so much.

good luck getting that in action during a carjacking ....can you CC that ? I am not planning on a shoving match at 71 , i hope i would have taken action to prevent that. The math says an encounter with a hoodrat in the parking lot is more likely than an aisle in wallymart by a nut with a long gun . No one weapon in CC covers all threats

 

[Bamaboy19]

I can't aim my derringer, I practice with it quite a bit instinctive shooting. I built a 4 plate dueling tree we shoot at 10/yds. I'm pretty confident I could easily hit center mass and probably a head shot at defensive distances. I've taken snake heads off more than a few times with it. If I aim my Hi power, I can group at 50/yds, not sure about a moving target? I sure am glad I haven't had to shoot anyone, yet...

 

[donr101395]

A different training organization I used to work for we taught point shooting, but we also taught that it wasn’t the end all be all, and it wasn’t a technique to be taken lightly or used instead of sights when you could get on your sights. Also is as has been brought up. It’s not a technique for those who don’t shoot much to use. It’s not much different than figuring out what fundamentals you can do away with or at least slack on based on. I don’t need great breath, control or trigger control to hit center mass at 3 m like I do at 25 m. Like everything it’s a tool, and there’s nothing wrong with having a lot of tools as long as you know how to use all of them correctly. Time distance and environment play a lot Into using point shooting techniques. There are a lot of alternate indexing methods that you can use that are very similar to sighted fire but still considered point shooting. The $10,000 guitar would be wasted on me because I can’t play a $200 guitar very well, but I can shoot very well and I’m comfortable using point shooting techniques out to 7 yards center mass. That’s not to say that I won’t use sites inside 7 yards , but if all I get is a front site and/or metal surrounded by meat I’m comfortable with it.


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[DustyDog]

good luck getting that in action during a carjacking ....can you CC that ? I am not planning on a shoving match at 71 , i hope i would have taken action to prevent that

Carjacking? If anyone is approaching my car in a threatening manner, it'll probably already be in my hand, but I usually have it in a fanny pack, which is synonymous with "in my lap"... on top of the seat belt.

Yep... I've been carrying a good 40 years now, starting in Miami (FLCW first time in '88, and with S&Ws that are very similar ergonomically farther back than that, e.g, 459, 5904, 5926, and now M&P 9 2.0, so I'm not changing pistols every time I change underwear : ), and I've never come close to having to draw, in part because:

1. I make eye contact with and acknowledge nearly every shady type I spot, along with many other types.

2. That's part of: not looking like an easy target.

3. Lower the temp/deescalate at every opportunity. OK, maybe just smile and make them wonder if you might be crazier than they are.

Oh, there's more, but note that none of those... even the avoidance techniques... are likely to have any effect in the case of a mass shooting, for example. That's where Plan "B" or, more specifically, Plan "S&W" comes in.

As for CC, here's another option... as you can see, at maybe 145 lbs., I don't have a lot of hiding places

 

[DustyDog]

I can't aim my derringer, I practice with it quite a bit instinctive shooting. I built a 4 plate dueling tree we shoot at 10/yds. I'm pretty confident I could easily hit center mass and probably a head shot at defensive distances. I've taken snake heads off more than a few times with it. If I aim my Hi power, I can group at 50/yds, not sure about a moving target? I sure am glad I haven't had to shoot anyone, yet...

Yep... you'll never know how you're going to do in any given situation until that specific situation arises. I always wonder: What if I just freeze up?

Vid on the neurological considerations, etc.:

 

[ccc]

80% of confrontations are at 9-15 feet, if you can’t hit your threat at those distances with point and shoot with the front sight you have serious issues. We are not target shooting at those distances, we are under stress, nervous, scared, we are simply trying to hit center mass as many times as needed to stop the threat. And I can assure you, most Jury’s will focus on why you were shooting at someone 50-75 yards away instead of leaving the threat area and then you end up being some big bucks boyfriend for 20 to life. In all likely hood the distance you will need to engage bad guy, will easily be front sight capable.

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

80% of confrontations are at 9-15 feet, if you can’t hit your threat at those distances with point and shoot with the front sight you have serious issues.

Agree 100%, but at least you include the use of the front sight.

Some "Point Shooting" supporters are teaching NOT using anything but a "natural point"... which is what I find problematic.

There's a member here who I won't name, he can chime in if he wants, who I invited to our SWAT Team training some years back. He demonstrated a "Sight Compression Drill" that illustrates just how much margin of error you have depending on your specific sights.

I adopted that drill and used in my classes, with due credit, many times... it's an eye-opener.

 

[ccc]

My EDC has blacked out rear sights and high viz front, for just such encounters

 

[Bowhntr6pt]

I think there are plenty of videos out there that clearly illustrate pointing and clicking w/o at least some sight reference results in misses at shockingly close distances... with LEO's being the main contributors.

Even a scene in Pulp Fiction demonstrates the pitfalls of point shooting...