Sight Radius Question

[Ryan]

Hello,
What are the pros and cons of maximizing the sight radius on my LP-10? Is a shorter sight radius more forgiving?

Thanks for your input,

Ryan

[Richard Newman]

The pros and cons of different sight radius' are the same for any firearm. The longer the sight radius - distance between rear and front sights - the more precise the potential aim. What this means is that if the sights are exactly aligned, there is no difference. However, if a long radius sight is misaligned by 1 millimeter, this represents a smaller linear distance on the target than the same misalignment with a shorter sight radius. A 1mm error for a 12 inch radius causes a linear error half that for a 6 inch radius. For many expert shooters, the longer radius works well. Other experts are happy with a short radius. Errors with long radius sights are more noticeable to most shooters than those of short radius sights. For those of us who shoot lower scores, this can be a mixed blessing. Some shooters, trying for exact alignment become anxious with small errors of a long radius sight, whereas if they shoot a shorter radius sight, they have more confidence, and may shoot better. Beginners trying to establish the correct eye/brain learning of recognizing good sight alignment can have trouble with long radius sights. Understanding the basic trigonometry of sights and targets helps. In the end, its what works best for you.