Advise Wanted: Re-Aquiring Ruger Mark 3 Sights in rapid/timed fire

[JasonC]

Hi,

I'm just starting to get into competitive pistol shooting for the purpose of learning how to shoot a pistol in general. I'm frankly not necessarily in it to be competitive but to learn proper technique of how to shoot a pistol. I have a Mark 3 with iron sights.

I don't really want to use a red dot at this time as I want to learn the most fundamentals first without the dot, I'm pretty stubborn and for the time being not going to change this plan.

I'm seeking advise because as I'm practicing on target when I'm doing timed or rapid fire, I'm having a hard time re-aquiring/focusing on the front sight. My vision is focusing all over and "eventually" gets back to a proper sight picture and I'm losing valuable time (if its timed or rapid fire). I've played around a bit with the lighting in the shooting stall and find that brighter light works better for me to focus on the front sight.

Is it "legal" in terms of competitive shooting to change the iron sights to something fluorescent or easier to see than the native Mark 3 sights?

Any other suggestions for re-focusing quicker (other than eye surgery and regardless of sight type on the pistol) would be welcome. I don't wear glasses (maybe I should).

Thanks in advance.
JC

 

[RichM]

Have you checked your eye-dominance? If you are cross-dominant*, you could be searching for your correct sight picture with your non-dominant eye. To check eye dominance, point at a far-away object with your finger at arm's-length. Close each eye, and note which eye keeps the object at your fingertip. The non-dominant eye should not be pointing to your reference.

* Cross-dominance: Right-handed with the left eye being the dominant eye, or vice-versa.

 

[ChargingCharlie]

I agree that it could be a cross dominance or your vision could be slightly off. IMO, you should definitely have the light above you on when using iron sights, otherwise the lighted up target is going to grab your eye's attention. There's no shame in going with a red dot...IMO, real marksmanship involves a steady body and proper trigger control. Whether you line up iron sights or a non-magnified red dot scope makes no difference. The only advantage you get with the red dot is how quickly you can acquire the target.

 

[JasonC]

Thanks guys, I've reaffirmed my Right eye is dominant and I'm right handed. How about different sights on the Mark 3? Anybody do anything with that that is within the rules?

 

[RichM]

And to answer your other questions, yes, you can change the sights to fiber-optic sights. I've mostly heard people just replacing the front sight on the Rugers, leaving the adjustable U rear sight.

Beyond that, it's mostly a training issue.

Are you having a delay in making your first shot, or in preparing for subsequent shots? There are techniques to help with either issue. Is your grip sufficient that the pistol returns to the same place after the recoil has ended? If you aim at the target, and then close your eyes without moving, is the target still in the sights when you re-open your eyes? If not, shift your entire body's stance by moving your feet until you are naturally aligned to the target (this is called "natural point of aim"). Work to acquire your NPOA every time you shoot until it becomes second nature.

ETA: Try shooting at a colored target! Sometimes, especially for new shooters, it is difficult to find black sights on a black target.

 

[jar]

Are you calling your shots? If you can call your shots reliably, you know that you're not blinking.

 

[TheFaz]

Having shot bullseye for a number of years, you'll find that almost everyone who shoots irons is using plain black front and rear sights. You can change them, but you'll probably have issues with slow fire due to the precision required. Anyway, the info above about ensuring you have a good natural point of aim is a good start. If you're subconsciously fighting the pistol to get alignment with the target you will have problems getting realignment. The second part which you can control is focusing on watching the front sight during recoil and not blinking or drifting to target focus. This will also tell you a lot about your grip and stance as well as help with shot recovery. The sight should follow a predictable and consistent track every shot, generally up and to the right for a right-handed shooter. If you are not fighting the pistol and have a good position, it should track up and then back down into alignment with the rear sight, requiring just a quick reconfirm of alignment as you break the shot.

 

[Mike-Mike]

Are you using a 6:00 hold? If not try it. It will allow you to put the sights over the white part of the target. You can also just flip a target over and see if the front sight stays in focus better.

Also, do you think your eyes are getting tired of focusing at that distance? If you look away for 10 seconds, then put the gun up, does your front sight come right into focus easy? If that is the case I would talk to your eye doctor about making you some glasses for shooting.