Does using a scope on a pistol make you a better shot when using iron sights?

[hminsky]

I've never tried a long eye relief scope on a pistol before, but I got a Ruger Mk IV Lite which has a rail, and I just upgraded the trigger
to make it a real target pistol. Does practicing using a scope improve your accuracy when you take off the scope and use the iron sights?
It seems to me like it would be helpful because you can really see where your point of aim is jittering around..

 

[71montess]

Did you vote for Jjjjoe Bbbbiden ?

 

[Deleted member 67409]

I've never tried a long eye relief scope on a pistol before, but I got a Ruger Mk IV Lite which has a rail, and I just upgraded the trigger
to make it a real target pistol. Does practicing using a scope improve your accuracy when you take off the scope and use the iron sights?
It seems to me like it would be helpful because you can really see where your point of aim is jittering around..

The point of mounting an optic on a handgun is to use the optic. A magnified optic or a red dot will let you notice how clean your trigger breaks are more easily because the reticle/dot moves more when you don't have a clean break. Does this translate to using irons? Potentially, if it makes you very conscious of trigger control.

But again, the point of mounting an optic is to use the optic.

 

[mac1911]

I've never tried a long eye relief scope on a pistol before, but I got a Ruger Mk IV Lite which has a rail, and I just upgraded the trigger
to make it a real target pistol. Does practicing using a scope improve your accuracy when you take off the scope and use the iron sights?
It seems to me like it would be helpful because you can really see where your point of aim is jittering around..

I dont think it will help with your iron sight shooting
More or less the scope becomes your front sight and your eye becomes the rear sight.
Using a scope may help you see your wobbly hold and you can work on that , which could translate to better hold when you go back to Irons

 

[Andy in NH]

Not sure if this relates or is relevant. but...
I went to a shooting school in the military and one of my classmates was a Marine Scout/Sniper from the 2nd Marine Division Sniper School.
When we shot the DMR (a scoped M14) he out did all of us.
When he shot any of the iron sighted guns he didn't do so well.
(Of course we razzed the daylights out of him for it.)
I think once you gain skill with one sighting system, skills with other systems suffer.
It may have sometime to do with the front sight and the target being on different focal planes with iron sights and the reticle and the target being on the same focal plane with optics?

 

[whatluck]

Develop your fundamentals using the old technology.

Polish your skills using the new technology.

 

[OreoTSi]

If you plan on shooting it in competition, ie bullseye, absolutely put the dot on and dryfire, dryfire, dryfire.
I would suggest shooting at a blank wall at first. Keep the dot centered in the tube and focus on trigger control pulling straight back. Make sure the dot stays centered. With the dot on you’ll be able to see any problems you may have with the gun moving as the trigger is pulled. After a few hundred “rounds” of dryfire start dryfiring at a scaled down target and then add in live fire. But continue to dryfire. You want to work on superb trigger control.
After you get good with the dot and if you want to go back to irons, for say a CMP distinguished pistol match, all you’ll have to work on is the focus on the front sight. But dryfire with the dot if you want to get good.

ETA
Don’t worry so much about your wobble when practicing just focus on pulling the trigger without disturbing the sights. With time your wobble will get smaller and pulling the trigger will become subconscious with the shots more often than not landing in the ten and x ring.
And by the way, dryfire.

 

[meh]

Does practicing using a scope improve your accuracy when you take off the scope and use the iron sights?
It seems to me like it would be helpful because you can really see where your point of aim is jittering around..

I have a Leupold 4x scope that I've mounted on various revolvers. I think maybe it has helped me see what I am doing during the trigger pull and when the trigger breaks. Aiming is pretty useless unless you can pull the trigger without moving the point of aim when the trigger breaks. On semi-autos I've made some use of a rail-mounted laser to give me similar feedback. Haven't tried it, but maybe the Mantis system would be better.

Having said that, I can't imagine that it would help all that much with irons if your fundamentals are already good. I guess the theory is that you could learn to calm your movements while lining things up for a crisp, light single-action trigger pull? I have no idea whether it would help with that or not.

 

[MGnoob]

It depends I have the exact same set up. Issue I have with it is some peoples eyes like mine you don’t just get one clean Dot you get like a little dipper effect...So try before you buy would be my suggestion

I've never tried a long eye relief scope on a pistol before, but I got a Ruger Mk IV Lite which has a rail, and I just upgraded the trigger
to make it a real target pistol. Does practicing using a scope improve your accuracy when you take off the scope and use the iron sights?
It seems to me like it would be helpful because you can really see where your point of aim is jittering around..

 

[MAGA99]

Put a dot on it

 

[dgrafton]

In a roundabout way, it can. I shoot a lot of IDPA/USPSA and gallery (.22 bullseye), year round.
I have a red dot on all my bullseye pistols. Shooting bullseye competition makes you focus on trigger squeeze and follow through.
It has definitely helped my shooting when I get back to the action sports.

 

[LuvDog]

I suppose it makes you know that your POI is the same as your POA.... so it takes that guess work out of the equation.

But I don't think it makes you better at irons.

I've gone to dots and scopes because it's hard for me to focus on irons... so in my case, they don't help me be a better irons shooter.

 

[Admin]

ETA
Don’t worry so much about your wobble when practicing just focus on pulling the trigger without disturbing the sights. With time your wobble will get smaller and pulling the trigger will become subconscious with the shots more often than not landing in the ten and x ring.
And by the way, dryfire.

+1 The scope will show you the detail of the wobble more. The more you dry fire the smaller that area of wobble will get. The most important thing is breaking the shot without disrupting the sights. Brian Zins once showed me how he can stand at 25 yards move his hand in a small circle (to simulate wobble area) while aiming and put all his shots in the black all while his hand was moving in a circle. Unless you have Parkinson's, with enough dry fire wobble area won't matter.