TargetTalk

I have a 104 Hammerli Free pistol.
The front sight is 4.2mm in width, and the rear sight gap is 3.4mm.

Should I increase the rear sight gap, and if so - how big should the gap be?

I have been using this sight for the last 20 years. I used to shoot around the 530+. However, over the last 3 years I have dropped down to the 480+.

I have had my shooting glasses upgraded, but some guys reckon that these days many top shooters are using much wider rear sights.

I know I can't hold the gun as well as I used to - due to age - but when I look at the front sight it fits exactly to the black on the target. I know if I am not holding it steady my shot will go to one or two o'clock, or go down to the 7 or 8 o'clock direction. I don't hold the gun as long as I used to - I am trying to get the shots away faster.

I just wondered about the front/rear sight configuration, - is it too fine?
I would appreciate any thoughts on this, especially some of the older shooters, who may have met this problem.

Thanks, Alex L.

I researched the subject of optimal sight sizes recently, and the only thing I came away from it was what you stated, front sights should be the width of the black on the target, and that was it.

I now give much more relevance to arm fatigue due to gun weight while I learn to create an optimum shooting rhythm that doesn't make scores fluctuate up and down during a match, trigger finger constant movement control is becoming even more important, concentrating on repeatable execution and learning to abort the highest in importance.

I noticed that any sudden changes, like glass prescription, sight design, sight radius, etc, only give temporary score improvements and those improvements fade away almost as fast as they reveal themselves. The less we change the faster we learn the gun and tools, and move to the next step.

In free pistol, I believe that the process of becoming a high score shooter is one of unlearning/automation, the less things we think about while shooting the more scores can improve, the more we can repeat the bulls eye routine the higher our scores will go.

I only have 84 more points to unlearn away from my bad shooting.

There are issues in Paulos' statement that deserve further discussion. Minimize thinking is one of the most important.IMO the thoughts must be controled and relate to the specific step in the shot process that is being executed. Once that step is completed sucessfully the mind must shift to the next step. Uncontrolled mental processes are disastorous to the repetion of an exact shot delivery sequence. It may be better to think of nothing and just hope the shot is good. In my opinion, learning to direct the mental processes to the job of executing the shot sequence is more productive, but you must train your mind to think what you want it to think rather than allowing it to be distracted by any thing not related to the shot delivery. I am convinced that the blank mind will be filled with something and that something may cause a shot to be delivered in some sequence you did not intend and have no control over. This is my two cents worth for the day. Good Shooting Bill Horton

Alex L wrote:[rearranged]
when I look at the front sight it fits exactly to the black on the target

Sounds good.

Should I increase the rear sight gap . . .

can you still see distinct bands of light on each side? If so, IMHO do not futz with the sights.

Oh, and I agree with the foregoing from Paolo and Bill although I'm still at the stage of trying to actually do it. What works best for me is at the point of shot delivery in the process to concentrate on just the front sight. When I (too rarely) get in the zone, I can get to the point of auditory exclusion and a sort of tunnel vision. When that happens, the shot is an effortless ten.

In my opinion the first and foremost thing is to keep your eye unmoving on the foresight. See the sight like you are trying to read a book there. Age worn eyesight might need a lens, wider post, a proportional wider and deeper notch, and ideal lighting much more than younger eyes. I know I do. With perfect seeing of the sight, all the rest has a better chance of falling in line.

One of the finest shots I knew told me that he believed that the eye moves naturally and each movement is related to a signal being sent through the nerve system to the brain . He took the position that an imobile stare at the front was wrong as it slowed the number of images being transmitted . Whether he was right or wrong seems immaterial as he could really blow the ten ring out of the target. His discription of how he used his eye tofocus on the front sight was " My eye jumps around on the front sight like a drop of water in a hot skillet" This is in suppore of JackS earlier comment as I also agree with him. Good Shooting Bill Horton

"I know if I am not holding it steady my shot will go to one or two o'clock, or go down to the 7 or 8 o'clock direction. I don't hold the gun as long as I used to - I am trying to get the shots away faster."

Sounds like you're trying to "ambush" the bull as it wanders by, clutching the grip or the trigger.

I think a wider rear wouldn't hurt either.

We "old farts" have to stick together!