At what point do you adjust stock sights to hit dead center?

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  • Lebowski

    Master
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    5   0   0
    Jun 6, 2013
    2,724
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    Between corn and soybean fields.
    No matter what, I always shoot to the left. I've done everything I can do to become a better shot, but I just can't hit center.

    I practice dry firing at home, always keeping my eye on the front sight and watching for movement.

    I've practiced dry firing at home with a hollow point round turned upside down and balanced on my slide.

    I try to control my breathing.

    I feel like I am doing well, and then, I go to the range... ...and I'm still shooting to the left. Grrr.

    DYKpkld.jpg



    Thats from just about 7 yards or so, not very far. Ignore the ones outside the group, I decided to shoot fast towards the end of the magazine.




    I mean, I've been carrying for a few years now. I've been shooting regularly for a couple years now. At what point do you just adjust your sights instead of practicing the 'fundamentals' over and over (and over and over and over) again without improvement?


    EDIT: For clarification I was aiming for the red center...
     

    Sniper 79

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    Oct 7, 2012
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    My question would be do you shoot like this with other pistols? Have a friend shoot this gun and see if they hit left with it. If they also do then I would say it needs a drift. If not then maybe its you. In that case favor the right when you shoot it or peddle it off for something you can hit with.
     

    NyleRN

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    28   0   0
    Dec 14, 2013
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    Scottsburg
    My question would be do you shoot like this with other pistols? Have a friend shoot this gun and see if they hit left with it. If they also do then I would say it needs a drift. If not then maybe its you. In that case favor the right when you shoot it or peddle it off for something you can hit with.

    Came here to say almost the same thing. Confirm sights are lined up by another shooter. Then go from there. If it is you, then keep practicing. For years I shot strikers left of center also. I didn't with hammered fired guns. After years of practice with strikers I now shoot straight with them. You have to really concentrate and train your brain and finger to pull the trigger straight back. It's easier to shoot straight with non-striker fired guns cause you're not fighting the striker assembly/spring during the trigger pull.
     

    deo62

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    18   0   0
    Apr 8, 2009
    3,199
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    Peru
    What Jetta said. Letting someone else shoot will only confirm their form. Gun must be adjusted for you. (or you could need just a little more fingertip on the trigger)
     

    rvb

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Jan 14, 2009
    6,396
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    IN (a refugee from MD)
    Are the sights physically centered in the slide?
    get someone experienced to shoot it?
    have you experimented with different grip and trigger finger placements?
    Have this problem with other pistols? Of the same brand?

    Ive yet to see a gun where the sights were physically centred shoot that far off. Many times I've shot guns for other folks, or even just pulled the trigger for them while they aimed, and after one round shown the sights were fine...

    -rvb
     

    SSGSAD

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    14   0   0
    Dec 22, 2009
    12,404
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    Town of 900 miles
    I have been shooting "wrong", all my life .....

    Too late now ..... I am 60, and "know"

    that if "retrained", when shtf, I will revert back instantly .....

    All my guns, have adjustable sights, and are adjusted for me .....

    Other people shoot them just fine .....

    JMHO, that is why adj., sights, were invented .....

    Edit .....

    All of my guns, are sighted in, Point of aim, Point of impact .....

    Handguns, 25 yards.....

    .223, and .308, 200 yards .....
     
    Last edited:

    Hopper

    Master
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    31   0   0
    Nov 6, 2013
    2,291
    83
    Hamilton County
    FWIW, the best investment I made as a new shooter was to get a LaserLyte Laser Target. It's helped a TON to basically turn my basement into a dry-fire range, and now I don't feel like I'm wasting ammo when I shoot the real thing. It's a little pricey when you start out, but considering how much ammo I've saved in the long run, it's paid for itself.
     

    Vigilant

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    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
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    Plainfield
    BBI was on to something with the question, Is it a Glock? If so, more booger hook on the bang switch will generally always mitigate this!
     
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 7, 2011
    1,229
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    I found the best way to check sight alinement.
    Use a laser bullet.
    That way you can see the exactly where the bullet will impact.
    No recoil or trigger twitch.
    I line up my laser sights that way also.
     

    SubicWarrior1988

    Sharpshooter
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    39   0   0
    Nov 18, 2009
    466
    18
    central
    You have a group, now adjust the sights to move the group to center mass. Nothing to be frustrated about, move the sight, Fire for Effect.



    No matter what, I always shoot to the left. I've done everything I can do to become a better shot, but I just can't hit center.

    I practice dry firing at home, always keeping my eye on the front sight and watching for movement.

    I've practiced dry firing at home with a hollow point round turned upside down and balanced on my slide.

    I try to control my breathing.

    I feel like I am doing well, and then, I go to the range... ...and I'm still shooting to the left. Grrr.

    DYKpkld.jpg



    Thats from just about 7 yards or so, not very far. Ignore the ones outside the group, I decided to shoot fast towards the end of the magazine.




    I mean, I've been carrying for a few years now. I've been shooting regularly for a couple years now. At what point do you just adjust your sights instead of practicing the 'fundamentals' over and over (and over and over and over) again without improvement?


    EDIT: For clarification I was aiming for the red center...
     

    halfmileharry

    Grandmaster
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    65   0   0
    Dec 2, 2010
    11,450
    99
    South of Indy
    Is it a Glock?

    Is it a Glock?

    I switched from my 45+ year carry of a 1911 to a Glock 19.
    Your target paper looks like mine when I switched.
    I changed to a 3.5lb connector, polished out fire group, had the trigger guard cut out to get a better grip. Put in a trigger stop to keep the gun from hopping when the trigger released. I even put more finger on the trigger all the way to the fold in my finger.
    All these things helped BUT I still shot left groups very comparable to yours.
    A large part of my problem is my eyes and the way I see my sights. Shooting paper I change to a pair of readers and that really tightened up my groups.
    After all this over about a 6 month period I WAS still shooting left.
    NHT3 here was helping me out with suggestions and finally hit on MY issue.
    I learned that I should grip with my left hand and the right hand was for working the trigger. (I'm rt handed)
    BINGO.... Groups magically jumped to dead center of my target.
    All of my old repetitive bad mechanical habits were nullified with the 1911.
    The Glock was a whole different critter and had to be treated as such.
     
    Rating - 75%
    3   1   0
    Jan 7, 2012
    1,720
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    Porter county
    Put a dime on your front site and keep pulling the trigger until the dime doesn't move at all. Also I would get a good pair of squeezers to build up forearm strength. That has helped my shooting a lot. I can send you a good instructional video from the FBI if you want. It has helped me out
     

    Coach

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    3   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
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    Coatesville
    Are you slapping the trigger or catching the link?
    Where is the trigger finger touching the trigger?
    Are you seeing the front sight hold still until it lifts in recoil?
    Do other people have the same results with this gun?
    Do you have the same results with other guns?
    Have you tried bagging the gun and seeing what difference it makes?

    Many times folks move sights and that is not the problem. If the rear sight is centered in the slide I would not move anything. The problem is normally in the trigger pull and not the gun. But if the rear sight is not centered then it has to be moved.
     

    JettaKnight

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    6   0   0
    Oct 13, 2010
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    Fort Wayne
    Are you slapping the trigger or catching the link?
    Where is the trigger finger touching the trigger?
    Are you seeing the front sight hold still until it lifts in recoil?
    Do other people have the same results with this gun?
    Do you have the same results with other guns?
    Have you tried bagging the gun and seeing what difference it makes?

    Many times folks move sights and that is not the problem. If the rear sight is centered in the slide I would not move anything. The problem is normally in the trigger pull and not the gun. But if the rear sight is not centered then it has to be moved.

    That's a new one to me - please explain.
     

    Coach

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    Apr 15, 2008
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    That's a new one to me - please explain.

    Use sand bags to hold the gun and remove all the muscle tension and reduce the wobble. The trigger press still has to be done but it gets down to just one thing on which to focus.

    I recommend bagging the gun, and having both elbows on the bench or table, and putting a small sand bag or rolled up towel under your chin while doing the shooting to create the most solid and stable position possible. Let the bags hold the gun not the shooter. If the point of impact changes that tells you it is not the gun or sights. If you are able to call good shots and the point of impact does not change move the sights. Isolate the gear by taking the human element out as much as possible.
     
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