Blurry front sight or blurry target, what's your choice?

[Muddyboot]

Right now, I'm going with blurry target, if I can put the front sight on the blurry paper at not
to far of a range, it will have to do. What's your choice sight challenged friends?

 

[SS336]

Always focus on the front sight, so blurry target.
Although it doesn’t seem bad enough to call blurry.

 

[45Smashemflat]

Ditto, hence my current training routine to learn how to leverage a red dot.

 

[ARgon]

I prefer clear front sight.

 

[dusty3030]

Focus on front sight tip.

 

[gym cat]

Front sight.

 

[Hair Trigger]

If the front sight is blurry, you can't center it in the rear sight notch. Blurry target for the hit.

 

[MaxKimber]

Generally speaking you can tell what the shooter is doing by looking at their target. If they are "chasing the bull," meaning their impacts are all around the bullseye, but not in the bull, they are NOT focusing on the the front sight. If they have multiple impacts in the bull, they are focusing on the front sight. If you want to consistently hit the bullseye, clear front sight post, blurry target, with proper sight picture for your firearm.

 

[Venom6]

As my overly-long LE career progressed I finally needed simple corrective eyeglasses at about age 45; then needed bifocals, which resulted in a situation like yours. But in that business you can't afford a blurry target. Thought I might finally have to retire. Then got fitted for progressive lenses - halleluljah! Bought me another couple years on the job until I could no longer physically keep up with those disgustingly fit youngsters. But I can still shoot happily, and more actually than I did when in service. This retirement gig is pretty cool.

 

[UncleEd]

Well if the targets are humans, moving fast and blurry,
at least you'll be shooting at strangers. .

 

[S&W Fan]

Yup, front sight. I shoot 75% of the time without my Rx glasses and the front sight is super sharp. The other 25% with as I’m wearing them when out and about. Either way I can still clearly identify my target, what’s behind it and make good hits.

 

[Frailer]

This is one of those “it depends” things.

The short—and usually correct—answer is “front sight.” But the “front sight, equal height, equal light” rule isn’t universal. If your target is relatively large and the range short the time spent aligning sights precisely and achieving a sharp front sight focus is largely wasted.

The longer—and always correct—answer is you need to see what you need to see to achieve the accuracy required in the time required.

 

[Onomea]

I typically shoot from the holster on my club's action range, keeping both eyes open and attempting to focus on the front sight. Often, though, I start seeing double so close one eye.

This morning I came across a YouTube video which I think well explains the phenomenon I have been experiencing, and what to do about it.

If you are shooting quickly, simulating defensive shooting, two eyes open and focus on the target. The video calls this "enhanced point shooting," or something like that. If you are shooting primarily for accuracy, one eye closed, focus on the front sight.

Anyway, this video makes sense to me:

 

[Baxter6551]

Max Kimber above stated it perfectly.
The video above from Onomea is excellent too.

Front sight / smooth trigger pull
Front sight / smooth trigger pull

The keys to accurate shooting!
When I finally paid attention to focusing on the front sight, my groups shrunk to center and my accuracy went way up.

As Max stated you absolutely have to break yourself and anyone you are helping or instructing to stop looking at the target to see where your / their rounds are hitting. Stay focused on that front sight!

 

[Oldsalt66]

Sharp front site and a blurry target has worked best well for me.

 

[Denverd0n]

In a self-defense situation, where you are taking incoming fire, you are not going to be able to help yourself. Whether you want to or not, your body is going to force you to focus on the threat. Hence, for close-up, self-defense practice, where your concern is survival, you should focus on the target.

Of course, if your main concern is the smallest possible group at whatever range, then focus on the front sight.

 

[Onomea]

In a self-defense situation, where you are taking incoming fire, you are not going to be able to help yourself. Whether you want to or not, your body is going to force you to focus on the threat. Hence, for close-up, self-defense practice, where your concern is survival, you should focus on the target.

Of course, if your main concern is the smallest possible group at whatever range, then focus on the front sight.

This is the same point the video I posted above is making. I suspect most good shooters — and we have some very good bullseye/target shooters here — know this, or do this, intuitively.

I'm not sure if we have many gamers, IDPA, IPSC, etc., here, but it would be interesting to hear their take on it.

 

[Farmer17]

I agree with everyone on the front sight but I had Lasik done and right eye corrected for distance and left eye corrected for reading. I can quickly focus on the rear sight and get clear picture of it then focus on the front sight and target and can shoot more accurately then when I wear glasses.

 

[gwpercle]

Right now, I'm going with blurry target, if I can put the front sight on the blurry paper at not
to far of a range, it will have to do. What's your choice sight challenged friends?

For a rifle ... my choice is a rear peep sight . I have a British Lee-Enfield No4 MK I and a 1903-A3 Springfield with the military peep sights ... You look through the rear peep hole and the front sight and target are rather clear ... after discovering how well the peep sight works on those rifles I add a Williams peep/reciever sight to my Winchester model 94 lever action , in place of a scope or red dot ( I got Old Eyes) The Williams has peeps with different size holes ...
I tried them all and use a smaller sized peep/hole because it sharpens my vision nicely .
You look through the rear peep so the only thing to focus on is front sight and target ... works like a magic charm !
Gary

 

[Riposte1]

Right now, I'm going with blurry target, if I can put the front sight on the blurry paper at not
to far of a range, it will have to do. What's your choice sight challenged friends?

A few of us don't have either option - I'm 74.5 I haven't seen a front sight in perfect focus since I was 16 (astigmatism and myopia).

Still I manage to get the job done (the astigmatism makes red dots which do not have an adjustable diopter quite frustrating).

But yes I try to keep the front sight in as much focus as I can.

Riposte