6 o`clock sight picture

Cpo1944

Cpo1944

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A friend asked me ,why do we shoot at 6 and why not shoot at the center?

I couldn`t remember why,- must be getting early onset- so I told him Because that`s where the Gunners Mate said to shoot and he never tolerated anyone asking why?

So I ask you fellers now, Why do we shoot at the 6 o`clock position?

I`m sure I`ll get lots of good scientific reasons, so the next time I`m asked why? I`ll know.
Thanks, Jack
 
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Guess I'm an oddball. I don't shoot at the six o'clock position. I put the front sight blade, level with the top of the rear sight notch, and put that on the target where I want the POI to be.
 
jgh4445 said:
Guess I'm an oddball. I don't shoot at the six o'clock position. I put the front sight blade, level with the top of the rear sight notch, and put that on the target where I want the POI to be.
Click to expand...

That makes two of us.

The only exception, for me, is when I want one of my magnums to hit high at a lesser distance so that it hits dead on at a greater distance. Then I will aim low when practicing at the lesser distance.

Andy
 
I have no idea what your talking about, some explanation for a noob please!:o
 
Exacty. Guess I should have said I zero my handguns so that POA equals POI and I adjust my aiming depending on the distance. I usually zero at 25 yds. I get surprised sometimes at the amount of drop the 45LC, 45ACP and 44Mag DON'T have at say 100 yds. Its not as much as one would think.( depending on load)
 
I honestly don't think most of us utilize a six o'clock hold. POA/POI works much better for a vast majority of use.

If you are a bullseye shooter and always shoot the same distance with the same size target with the same load...six o'clock hold works great.
 
Poodle Soup said:
I have no idea what your talking about, some explanation for a noob please!:o
Click to expand...

Back in 1962 when I was trained in the US Navy they said to place the target on top of the front sight. IE: the front sight is on the 6 o`clock position of the circle.
That way the entire circle sits on top of the sight.
Am I making sense here?
 
Because if you center the sights on the black part of the target is harder to see light entering on the sides.If you aim at the white part of the target is easier to do that.Then you do the clicking on the adjustable rear sight to put your groups in the bullseye.Well that´s the way I was told.
Of course in hunting situations it all changes and you try to aim where you plan to hit.
Regards, Ray
 
Poodle,

Not sure how much you want to know. Shooting at 6 means aligning your sights with the bottom of the bulls eye sitting on top of the front sight. Think of a clock, the six is at the bottom. POA is point of aim. POI is point of impact. Some shoot at the 6, POA, because they know the distance and trajectory of their load. They know the POI, will be high enough to strike the center of the bull. Others adjust their sights to hit POI at a given range with a given load and aim for the center of the bull.

Gentlemen if this is not correct please advise.
 
Also, if your point of aim and your point of impact are the same, and you're doing well, your sight picture keeps changing. By using a 6 o'clock hold your sight picture stays the same.
 
I'm not sure if this is the correct answer, but back when I was in college I took a semester long class in Riflery. We would use .22 bolt action target rifles with iron sites. The paper targets had black dots with the bulls eye being the diameter of a .22 bullet along with ten rings each spaced about .22" apart. A bulls eye was 10 points, the next ring was 9 points and so on. We would shoot on an indoor range at something like 25 to 30 yards. At that range if you held dead center on the target dot your front sight would obscure the target. Back in the day... when public universities actually taught students to shoot, and my eyesight was good!
 
I just looked it up in Jim Carmichel's Book Of The Rifle. It is because the front bead will obscure the target at range.
 
yeti said:
I honestly don't think most of us utilize a six o'clock hold. POA/POI works much better for a vast majority of use.

If you are a bullseye shooter and always shoot the same distance with the same size target with the same load...six o'clock hold works great.
Click to expand...

Sir, you're probably right about the relative numbers. About the only people who use a 6 o'clock hold are target shooters and those who learned it in the military. Most casual shooters (that is, most gun owners) don't even know what it is.

Whether a 6 o'clock or center hold is better depends on a number of variables, most particularly the light and the shooter's eyesight, but also target and distance.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.
 
rifle shooting @ target is not the same as pistol shooting. when I purchase a pistol/ rev. 1st. range shooting @ 5yd. using a 2" bull, aiming at the bottom of the circle. mark a center line 1" out of the bottom of the circle. a true group will follow after a few rounds. try this, new weapon shoot at 6" bull center. it is almost impossible to place the sights on the same POA every time, see your groups. or aim at the bullet hole. then shoot at the bottom of the target, same POA and see what the POI is. if the sights need adj., you can do so. if the weapon has adj. sights. but at shooting at the bottom of a 2" bull there is no question, you know what you are shooting quickly! then move back to 10 yd. and then 25 yd. if wanted. but if you start out w/ 2" bull it will help you save some ammo. if you don`t know where you bullet is hitting @ 10 yd., how do you know where it is hitting if you can't hit a steel plate at 15 yd.? same as w/ a rifle, they train you to shoot. but when it comes to 450 yd. shots the ELEMENTS make you use Kentucky windage. @ these ranges the front sight does cover the target, your training comes to your aid. my 2 cts.
 
Last edited:
It's the difference between aiming for the fourth button down from the top or center body mass. It is hard to hit the fourth button if it cannot be seen because your front sight hides it.
 
Can't decide if this is treading on the copyrighted material rule, but -

This site has a good image and discussion on the 3 types of holds.
pistol-training.com » Blog Archive » Sight Picture

I used #1 for years as an avid bullseye shooter, but now vary between #2 and #3 depending on the style of sights (dot, no-dot) and whether I'm going for absolute accuracy (#2), or speed (#3) .
 
USMC training was to position the front sight at the 6:00 o'clock on a target..
Target shooting and real life situations differ ..A human target is more vertical than horozontial, acquision of target and shooting varies..So, for me the tip of the front sight is POI...
Does anyone still use iron sight's ? lol
 
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