Sight upgrade for competition shooting

[THE BIG SITT]

I am looking to upgrade the sights on my M&P9 that I using for USPSA. Currently the sights are stock. What are the favorite sights for those shooting competitions? Obviously not looking for any type of glass, just a set of standard sights.

 

[Dog1]

I use a 10-8 U notch rear and a Hi Viz front.

 

[FishnHunt]

I put these Dawson Precision sights on mine - https://www.dawsonprecision.com/ProductDetail.jsp?LISTID=80000EA3-1388518218

 

[THE BIG SITT]

Here is a dumb question; why are there different sights for carry vs competition? Aren't both shooting styles focusing on quick shots to a larger target than say a precision shooter?

 

[Rob377]

Here is a dumb question; why are there different sights for carry vs competition? Aren't both shooting styles focusing on quick shots to a larger target than say a precision shooter?

Whoa boy, that's a can of worms.

 

[chezuki]

Whoa boy, that's a can of worms.

Competition sights will get him killed in the streets!

 

[rvb]

Competition sights will get him killed in the streets!

and streets sights will get him killed in the competition!


serious answer, I'm using warren/sevigny on both my competition and my carry glock. I'm pretty sure they make them for M&P...

-rvb

 

[chezuki]

Here is a dumb question; why are there different sights for carry vs competition? Aren't both shooting styles focusing on quick shots to a larger target than say a precision shooter?

And here's my "real answer":

IMO, night sights are a requirement for a carry pistol. For competition, I prefer a black rear sight with a bright fiber-optic up front. I like the stock setup on my 5" M&P Pro (thought I replaced the green rod with an orange one).

 

[DustyDawg48]

I have a Heinie Slant Pro black rear and a Hi-Viz fiber optic front on my G34. I'm very happy with that and will slowly begin to change out all of mine to that set up. I like the all black rear so it isn't distracting with any sort of white dots or u-shaped markings and the Hi Viz fiberoptic tubes are HUGE! Looks like a big beachball setting on the front of the slide.

Carry gun...I run factory on mine and the jury is still out for me on having night sights on a gun; I have owned several with and I think it is a great way to find your gun in the dark but I'm still debating the merits of them for a carry gun, but that is me. Many swear by them and others curse them!

 

[THE BIG SITT]

So those who use a fiber optic front with a black rear, do you wait until the front sight becomes visible and on target and shoot? I'm sure I can word this better, but I'm tired and my brain isn't firing on all cylinders. Hopefully you understand what I'm asking.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

Also, do you guys used fixed or adjustable sights for the rear?

 

[Rob377]

So those who use a fiber optic front with a black rear, do you wait until the front sight becomes visible and on target and shoot? I'm sure I can word this better, but I'm tired and my brain isn't firing on all cylinders. Hopefully you understand what I'm asking.

it works better that way than pointing the gun in the general vicinity of the target.

 

[rvb]

So those who use a fiber optic front with a black rear, do you wait until the front sight becomes visible and on target and shoot? I'm sure I can word this better, but I'm tired and my brain isn't firing on all cylinders. Hopefully you understand what I'm asking.

?
if the front sight isn't visible and on target, you probably won't hit the target...

if you're asking "do I use the fiber like a red dot" the answer is sometimes, yes. but that's for pretty close hosey stuff.
Typically I just let the fiber help draw my eyes to the sight, like on the draw, then shoot the irons like normal.

The main reason I run fiber is those times of day when the sun is low... sometimes w/ the glare off the glasses in the mornings, the sights can be really hard to see but the fiber glows huge. really helps find the sights in those cases (or use it like a red dot if the targets are hosey).

In some conditions the fiber barely glows at all and I run the irons like normal.

-rvb

 

[Dog1]

it works better that way than pointing the gun in the general vicinity of the target.

So that's what I have been doing wrong all these years.

 

[chezuki]

So those who use a fiber optic front with a black rear, do you wait until the front sight becomes visible and on target and shoot? I'm sure I can word this better, but I'm tired and my brain isn't firing on all cylinders. Hopefully you understand what I'm asking.

I'm not sure I understand the question.


When I draw, I bring the pistol all the way up to my chest and then press out to the target and break the shot. The front sight is visible the entire time. How much of the sight picture I really need to see depends on other factors (distance, size of target HC or NS obscuring the target, etc.).


Disclaimer: This is simply how I do things, I am not a pro or even really all that great of a competition shooter.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

I knew there was a better way of ask. Here goes...

With a black rear and a fiber front, any yaw will cause the front sight to be covered by the rear. Shooting now would result in a miss. On the other hand, when the fiber is visible (and on target) you know that a shot would result in a hit, assuming your pitch is correct.

This would be opposed to actually "aiming" like I typically do with a 3 dot set up, where I line the three dots up so they are on the same horizontal plane, with equal an equal gap between the left and right of the front sight compared to the rear, and then shoot when all of that is on target.

Does that make any more sense, or make me sound like any less of an idiot?

 

[chezuki]

I knew there was a better way of ask. Here goes...

With a black rear and a fiber front, any yaw will cause the front sight to be covered by the rear. Shooting now would result in a miss. On the other hand, when the fiber is visible (and on target) you know that a shot would result in a hit, assuming your pitch is correct.

This would be opposed to actually "aiming" like I typically do with a 3 dot set up, where I line the three dots up so they are on the same horizontal plane, with equal an equal gap between the left and right of the front sight compared to the rear, and then shoot when all of that is on target.

Does that make any more sense, or make me sound like any less of an idiot?

In order to hit the target, the sights have to be lined up... Whether there are dots or not and whether you even see the sights or not is ultimately irrelevant, if you hit the target, the sights were lined up.

For me, the M&P points very naturally and I have reinforced that through practice. When I extend the pistol, the sights are just lined up, there's no fiddling to align them, and the front is never obscured. When I shoot a Glock, I do find myself looking for the sights a bit more simply because they don't point as well for me and I can't find a consistent NPOA.

 

[FishnHunt]

With a black rear and a fiber front, any yaw will cause the front sight to be covered by the rear. Shooting now would result in a miss. On the other hand, when the fiber is visible (and on target) you know that a shot would result in a hit, assuming your pitch is correct.

This would be opposed to actually "aiming" like I typically do with a 3 dot set up, where I line the three dots up so they are on the same horizontal plane, with equal an equal gap between the left and right of the front sight compared to the rear, and then shoot when all of that is on target.

Does that make any more sense, or make me sound like any less of an idiot?

My sight picture relies more on the "equal height, equal light" picture of the black irons - front sight is centered within the rear sight gap and the tops of both front & rear align. The fiber optic is more of a "attention-getter". Someone has posted a pretty good article on sight pictures recently, I'll see if I can find it.

Regardless of all that, sight picture is gonna be a very individual type of thing for most. Shoot any kind of sights you can and figure out what you like.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

So adjustable or fixed?

 

[Leo]

Carry gun...I run factory on mine and the jury is still out for me on having night sights on a gun; I have owned several with and I think it is a great way to find your gun in the dark but I'm still debating the merits of them for a carry gun, but that is me. Many swear by them and others curse them!

I have actually fired a handgun in an unlit house at night. I could not see any sights, just pointed. Being able to see a sight would have been prefered. I have night sights on a pistol that is very comfortable to shoot. Never fired a night sight pistol in the house. Pointing that pistol around in a dark room seems like glowing sights would be an advantage. I hope to never have to find out. Using the night sight equiped pistol for a couple of IDPA matches did not seem to hurt anything speed or accuracy wise. Admittedly I am not a big action pistol gun gamer. I just shoot what I would normally carry in a few matches to keep from getting rusty.


I like Chezuki's comment: "points very naturally and have reinforced that through practice". I think that is the Zen statement of fast, reliable, target engagement.