Interpolate target and sights for POA/POI

[martybee]

Is it standard practice for most shooters to interpolate the POA in regards to the target, in order to get a more consistant grouping at the POI?

I find I must make adjustments with each pistol I shoot to achieve a better group at the target center. Depending on my stance, mood, the type and weight ammo, etc. I am not able to always hit the target, where I aim!

The sights on all my auto-loaders are reasonably centered on the slide and I have not adjusted any, because the POI is not always the same as my POA.

I am quite elderly and this probably accounts for much of my problem. In any case, I still enjoy shooting and I manage to hit the target for the most part! My favorite handgun is my Shield9.

mb

 

[drmweaver2]

To directly answer your question: no. I don't do what you suggest.

On the other hand, though a relative beginning shooter myself, the first thought that comes in response to your question is: "have you bench-rested the pistol", while the second is: "has someone else shot the pistol to verify that POI is not the same as POA?"

Obviously I'm implying that you aren't "calling your shot". That is, you're not actually realizing exactly where your sights are from the moment the trigger breaks to the point where the bullet exits the barrel.

If you can confirm the pistol is stable at the moment of trigger break and can visualize the exact POA, then you can compare that sight picture to the actual POI. If the pistol isn't stable, then all bets are off. Personally, I find that I have a bit of "muzzle wobble" that makes "calling my shot" difficult regardless of my eyesight (which is its own problem for me. I'm 60, near-sighted and astigmatic]).

 

[Rpg]

'Interpolating' sight pictures is a bad practice unless you are shooting something like a fixed sighted j frame and need to hold high or low because of ammo choice.

That doesn't seem to be OP's problem.

OP will do best to use a consistent sight picture on all guns.

The task then become getting consistent groups (don't need to be tiny groups: a hand sized group at 7 yards will provide the necessary info).

This allows op to determine if he has a sight issue or an operator issue.

Once OP has achieved that, it's a relatively simple matter to adjust sights to move poi to poa if necessary, or fix operator error.