In the not too distant past, most people grew up learning to shoot, or learning to shoot as an adult, through iron sights. Over time, and with the advanced technology now available in scopes and optics, shooting with sights has become a lost art for many hunters and casual shooters.
However, in most competitive shooting events, iron sights are still the requirement. This is largely due to the level of skill required to be accurate with this method of sighting in on the target. The good news is this is a skill which can serve a valuable purpose if you are ever out hunting or shooting and your optics fail.
For those just getting started with traditional sights, there are a few simple tips that can be incorporated into your shooting practice to improve accuracy. As with any type of new skill, it will take time and practice to become comfortable with the sights, particularly if you have always used optics.
Three Points of Focus
Shooting with optics just has one point of focus for the shooter. Provided the scope is correctly mounted, aligned and sighted in, all the shooter has to do is place the crosshairs or the red dot on the point where the bullet needs to make an impact with the target.
When shooting with traditional iron sights, there is a bit more to keep in mind. The shooter will need to focus on the back sight (both sides) as well as the front sight and the target. The front sight has to be positioned in the center of the notch or groove of the back sight and then also align with the target.
Of course, positioning and holding the weapon correctly for sighting using BUIS, sights only or optics and scopes also impacts accuracy.