Sight Alignment / Zeroing ... Jolly, Mark
-
Has been thinking about sight calibration, sight "zeroing" lately.
For the typical handguns bought "off the shelf," how accurately are the sights aligned straight out of the factory?
For someone who shoots red dot, it's pretty much expected that he would re-align/re-"zero" the sight every time he removes/remounts the sight (e.g., for battery change).
But what about the iron sights that come attached straight out of the factory?
Not sure how much you rely on sights when you shoot handguns, but ...
When you get new guns do you typically feel the need to adjust the sights?
If you were to just pick up another person's handgun, how confident are you that the sight would have already been aligned well enough for you (say, to shoot within a 6 inch plate in 10 yards)?
-
Many handguns have fixed sights. Those sights are generally for the most popular load that is shot in the gun. For instance, a S&W Model 10 will have sites that work pretty well with 158g standard velocity load. A Browning HP will be set up for 115g military load.
As you change to milder or hotter loads, things will shift. You have know where your fixed sites gun shoots with a particular load, and keep that in mind when shooting that load.
-
Picking up someone else's gun...If the sites are fully fixed, I'm fairly confidant at shorter distances with standard loads.
If the sites are drift adjustable? Depends on how much they've been fooled with. I bought a surplus Israeli Jericho. The sites had been drifted so much, I can promise you, the previous owner was left-eye dominant, but right handed. Took a box of shells and a brass punch to hit the broad side of a barn with it.
Iron sites can be much more accurate than you may think. Elmer Keith was a legendary shot with a handgun at long range. Jerry Miculek ain't no slouch,
-
Jerry, 200 yards, fixed sites, pocket pistol.
Link to video
