Shooting with the lights off

[Zeddsded]

I recently toyed with the idea of painting my front sight in an effort to improve my focus on the sights and nothing but the sights... but I didn't take any further as I didn't want to abuse my Steyr.

However, while at the club last Monday evening, I noticed that the bulb illuminating firing point 3 was less bright than the others, and that when shooting from this point my eye had less of a tendency to switch focus to the bull as I lowered the pistol into firing position.

I therefore decided to extrapolate this lighting experiment to its extreme and switch off the target light completely. The result was a much more relaxed shoot as I wasn't actively forcing my eye to focus on the front sight... it just did it.

My subsequent postal competition shoot was a 178/200 (one of my better ones), which would have been slightly higher had it not been for a excitable "6" towards the end of the shoot. I tried to attach my first card which was a 38/40, but the board's attachment limit has been reached...

I appreciate that a flaw will arise with my non-illuminated shooting when I next come to shoot a live competition and I have no control over the target lighting, but maybe by that time my eye will have a natural preference for my sights and not the bull.

I've not checked the ISSF rules re any minimum illumination levels for targets (if such a stipulation exists), but it was a satisfying evening nonetheless.

[rmca]

Yes there are:

6.4.14 Indoor Range Light Requirements
General lighting, minimum 300 lux, recommended 500 lux, targets 1500 lux minimum, 1800 recomended
Finals ranges must have a minimum general lighting of 500 lux
and minimum of 1000 lux on the firing line. For new ranges lighting
of about 1500 lux on the firing line is recommended.
6.4.14.1 All indoor ranges must have artificial illumination providing the
necessary amount of light without glare or distracting shadows on
the targets or firing points. The background area behind the
targets must be a non-reflecting, light even neutral color.
6.4.14.2 Measuring target illumination must be done with the measuring
device held at the level of the target and pointed toward the firing
point (A).
6.4.14.3 Measuring general range illumination must be done with the
measuring device held at the firing point (B1) and midway between
the firing point and the target line (B2) with the device directed
toward the ceiling illumination.

A iris cloud help you reduce the amount of light reaching your eye and also bring you relaxed focus near to the front sight.
http://www.schiesssport-buinger.de/shoo ... ing-frames

A darker filter may do the same, although not as adjustable as the iris.

But just a warning, the you reduce the light reaching your eye the faster it will tire.
So balance the two aspects until you find an equilibrium.

Hope this helps

[David Levene]

I've not checked the ISSF rules re any minimum illumination levels for targets (if such a stipulation exists), but it was a satisfying evening nonetheless.

Oh yes.

Rule 6.4.14, for a 10m range.

Target lighting minimum 1500 lux; recommended minimum 1800 lux.

General and firing point lighting (non-finals hall) minimum 300 lux; recommended minimum 500 lux.

[Zeddsded]

Bummer! :(

Oh well, it was worth a shot...

Cheers :)

[pgmlml]

Zesdsed, I have a similar problem... my considerations,

I think it's easy for you to focus on the front sight, with the target light turned of, because the all the contrast is on your fornt sight! There's nothing to focus on the target.

For me, shooting with more light, helps me! More light, means the iris of my eye is more closed, so the depth of field is bigger and so easier to keep focus on the front sight. I'm waithing for my new shooting glasses, with a +0,5 correction to see if it helps!

The purpose of using a iris is to reduce the light in a way that you it will sharpen and increase the depth of field (like in camera)! On the other side, reducing the light, will make your brain/eye to compensate, opening the iris of your eye... so it's a "two ends stick" (like we say in Portuguese)!

This is definitely my bigest handicap... i wish i had a 12 years old 10/10 sight!

[pgmlml]

can someone shed some light, please! :)

[Ed Hall]

I, too, have a contrast issue between the sights and the target at some ranges. I have found the adjustable iris helps me.

[Rover]

Blindingly simple, Ed.....with higher light levels the pupil of his eye was smaller, thereby increasing the "depth of field" and sharpening the bull. Reverse is true.

[pgmlml]

Rover, it's not that simple, at least for me.
With more light the bull gets more sharpeness, but it's easier to focus on the front sight! Everything becomes more sharp... With less light i have a big trouble focus on anything... and in the end the focus drifts to bull, where there is more contrast!

For me it's a constant game of cat and mouse...