Aiming

[flipper35]

I forgot, don't forget your tactical flashlight on the V. Be careful as I understand zip ties can interfere with unloading the unit.

[Superman]

I'm wondering if there is a holograph sighting app for the Vaquero.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Superman

I think I'll put a laser on the Vaquero, then fire up the BBQ and wait for Jeff.

This is the best plan put forth so far, but I don't know about the cowboy setup with a laser.




What about an eye patch and iron sights, a la Reuben J. Cogburn?

[Superman]

Originally Posted by Tobra

What about an eye patch and iron sights, a la Reuben J. Cogburn?

This was Dr. Higgins' suggestion which is, for me I think, a sound strategy. Shooting with one eye closed works fine as long as stuff doesn't move/change. When targets start moving...very different story.

Meanwhile, I am still looking for the Vaquero holographic sight app.

[DavidI]

Nothing beats continued perfect practice. Correct grip, correct sight alignment, and steady trigger press. With marksmanship shooting, you focus on the front sight post. The rear sights and the target are somewhat blurry. As some of us age, our eyesight diminishes. I wear reading glasses to read books and wear shooting glasses that have a small portion at the top that match the strength of my reading glasses so I can focus on the front sight post.

This all changes with the addition of red dot sights on a handgun. I don't like crutches or other things that make someone feel better. I prefer truth-based information. With red dot sights, you keep both eyes open and place the red dot where you want the impact. Of course, all of the above mentioned skills must be practiced. With both eyes open, the shooter now has depth perception and in law enforcement allows the officer to better assess the suspect's threat level, whether it increases or decreases. This is a game changer for someone like me who was against it until I actually used it and learned to "present" the gun the proper way.

Rock on, David

[fintstone]

If you are practicing for self defense...you do not need to have perfect accuracy as you will likely only shot someone up close and aim for center body mass. Put several rounds there each time. Use silhouette targets that allow for that. Just practice a lot and make it automatics. Switch it up a bit at first until you find where you are most comfortable and accurate and practice that.

If you can actually point your gun in the right direction and calmly get off a few rounds without shooting your foot, you are probably in pretty good shape. Anything better is gravy.

[Jeff Higgins]

I just read a very interesting little treatise on all of this from Dave Scovill, editor of Handloader magazine. In it he recounts what one Walter Roper, of S&W, discovered when he was working for them in the 1930's. He found that a longer sight radius on a revolver (or pistol) to actually be a detriment to one's ability to clearly define the sights. Very simply, the closer together they are, the easier it is to make out the rear sight when focusing on the front. He found many shooters shoot better with shorter barreled hand guns.

I have found that to be the case in my own shooting, especially as my eyes have aged. For example, I have my "hunting" revolvers - a 7 1/2" Ruger Bisley in .45 Colt, a 6" Virginian Dragoon in .44 mag, a 7 1/2" Virginian Dragoon in .357 mag, 6" M29, and a 7 1/2" Colt single action in .45 Colt. My "acceptance standard" for a hunting load in any of these is to be able to stay on my 8" diameter gong at 100 yards from a field position. I'm finding that harder to do, with loads I have used for years.

So, on a lark, I broke out my 4" M29, 4" M19, 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt, and 4 1/2" Virginian Dragoon in .45 Colt. I actually found it easier to stay on my gong at 100 yards with these shorter revolvers. I would have never guessed.

Now I get to decide if I'm willing to give up a bit of velocity for the tradeoff of being slightly easier to hit with. Ease of carrying certainly goes to the shorter guns. Minimum barrel length in our state for hunting is 4", so I would still be legal. It would just feel kind of odd to be hunting with such short guns.