"Sighting In" Distance for CC Self Defense

[rsmithtesiusa]

I have been looking for info sighting in a pistol and in all the write ups/video's etc they did it at 25 or 28 yards. I have always heard that most self defense encounters happen at 10 yards or less. So why wouldn't you sight in a CC Self Defense gun at 7 or 10 yards?

I am sure there is logic ans science behind it but cant find anything that explains reasoning for 28 yards etc.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Faulkner]

You should probably practice at different ranges, but if you can hit it at 25 yards, you ought to be able to hit it at 7.

 

[Hang-Fire Hank]

DEFENSE DISTANCE

RSMITH: I train my clients to practice for a defensive shot at 3 yds. or less. Doesn't hurt to practice at any further distance you want, but a study (I've now lost) by a retired LEO said the avg. distance for a civilian encounter is just outside of arm's reach (Good God!). No sighting possible, learn to point shoot from waist height & hit center mass.
Hank
NRA Pistol Instructor

 

[2hawk]

"Sighting in" implies slow, carefully aimed fire in a static situation.
"Self defense" implies fast shooting, in a dynamic and chaotic situation.

Since you are probably not going to be using your sights carefully at close range, using the more common range of 25 yards would make more sense. If 25 yds. or greater was the range of a CCW encounter, it would be likely that seeking cover or escape would also be viable options. Or, perhaps a carfully aimed shot taken from cover would be justifiable in certain cases.

If you sight in at 7 or 10, it is likely to cause a greater difference between POA/POA at greater ranges, while sighting at 25 will not cause any significant difference in POA/POI at closer ranges.

In any event, Faulkner gave us the Occam's Razor version: if you can hit at 25, then ranges closer than that should be easier. hth.

 

[rsmithtesiusa]

So I think 2hawk answered the question. Sight in at 25 yards because the POI at 5 to 7 yards will still be accurate?

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

So I think 2hawk answered the question. Sight in at 25 yards because the POI at 5 to 7 yards will still be accurate?

Yes, but why bother believing it? Check it out for yourself.

 

[2hawk]

So I think 2hawk answered the question. Sight in at 25 yards because the POI at 5 to 7 yards will still be accurate?

Yes, as long as we are talking modern handguns. You have no sight height over bore, or bullet drop issues, at ranges under 25 yds, and as illustrated above, your ability to get a sniper like sight picture is not going to happening in a real defensive encounter.

On the other hand (just to muddy the waters ) an AR15 with a sight over bore height of approx. 2.6" needs to be aimed higher at extreme close range, since the bullet is starting out so far below the sights (or optics). Again, not a factor for any handgun that would be likely considered for CCW.

 

[rsmithtesiusa]

There it is - the science based answer to the question. Thank you all for the info.

 

[2hawk]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[old&slow]

I use to read articles where the top IPSC shooters would check the gun and ammo accuracy at 50yd.
I sight my handguns in and check gun / ammo accuracy at 25 yds. Because most of my shooting is at 5 to 35 yds. And I've seen shooter that sighted in a 7 or 10 yds. be way off and miss 8" plates at 25 & 35 yds.
Plus it's hard for me to get consistent results at 50 yds. I just ain't that good.

So I figure IF you can shoot a group the size of a golf ball at 50 yds. you can sight in at 50 yds. IF you can shoot a group the size of a soccer ball, sight in for 25 yds. If you can hit a wash tub, try 10 yds.. And if you can't hit the ground with your hat ,, well you get the idea,,

( two things I know I shouldn't do,, is drink and drive,, and drink and type on the internet ,,, 1 out of 2 ain't that bad is it ? )

 

[Rastoff]

Sight in? Hmmm, for my defensive pistols I don't even consider it. I shoot them, using the sights, but I've never had to adjust even one of them. Of course the longest shot I take is 15 yards, but that's just me.

This was the very first shot I took with one of my 1911s:

This was the first shot with another:

These are "good enough" for me.

 

[Rpg]

I sight all my 1911's at 25 yards, as I do for my M29 and M19.

My 22's are sighted at 50'.

At sd ranges, they're all right on.

 

[dogsoldier]

When I left LE work in 2004, we qualified from 0-ft to 15 yards with handguns.

 

[Old cop]

I had to use deadly force more than once in my 30 years and it always was inside 7 yards. I practice regularly at three, five and seven yards using paper plates, shooting as fast as I can. My snubs are shot out to 25 yards from time to time just to see if I can hit anything out there. It's quite a challenge and I hope no one is watching while I do this.

 

[moosedog]

Old Cop is right on. Practice 5-10yards. Practice double taps, point shooting and weak hand too.
If you ever get into an actual shooting, it will be over in a few seconds.

 

[AGoyette]

I don't understand "sighting in" a hand gun.. I sight in rifles (with optics) but not hand guns. The closest I have gotten is having the sights drifted because the POI and POA was not the same. But that is not done a lot and it is mostly done to personalize the gun to the shooter. An example is the fact that I am right hand dominate and left eye dominate. So sometimes the factory set up sights need tweaking for me. I have had to have the sights drifted on 1 1911 and 2 M&P's. (we own multiple of each)

 

[Old cop]

Moosedog is right, things will be over in a few seconds. There was no time to sight in or even think. When it was over I wasn't even sure what had happened for a few minutes.

 

[Xfuzz]

Front sight..center mass.

 

[ironhead7544]

I like to be able to hit just above the center of the front sight at 25 yards. Then check and see where it hits at the closer ranges. Not much difference with most handguns and loads.

 

[WC145]

"Sighting in" implies to me that you're making adjustments to the sights to control the point of aim and point of impact. If you have fixed sights, chances are all you're doing is checking point of impact vs point of aim - where does the bullet impact in relation to where you were aiming. Of course, bullet weight and velocity will affect POI. Check your gun at a few different distances, say 5, 10, 15, 25yds with different ammo so you know where your gun hits with a particular load.

RSMITH: I train my clients to practice for a defensive shot at 3 yds. or less. Doesn't hurt to practice at any further distance you want, but a study (I've now lost) by a retired LEO said the avg. distance for a civilian encounter is just outside of arm's reach (Good God!). No sighting possible, learn to point shoot from waist height & hit center mass.
Hank
NRA Pistol Instructor

Hang-Fire Hank-
If you're honestly teaching people that all they need to practice is shooting from the hip at 3yds because of gunfight averages from some article you're doing them a disservice. Yeah, the average gun fight is 3-5 shots at 3-5 yards in 3-5 seconds, but that doesn't mean that you ignore basic marksmanship skills like aimed fire. And an average is just that, it means that - an average of extremes - what happens when your student needs to use their sights to take an aimed shot at 15 or 20yds? Teach them to hit at distance and hitting up close is that much easier.