sight height question
- Thread starter jg007
- Start date
nm, google was my friend. good info from 10-8
Sight Height Calculations:
There is very simple calculation to determine exactly what sight height corrections are required to get your pistol to shoot to the desired point of impact.
[(Impact change on target, in inches) x (Sight Radius, in inches)] / (Distance to Target, in inches) = Sight Height Correction Needed
If you hate math and that formula just made you glaze over or have flashbacks to school, don't worry. After having measured a bunch of pistols and done the math, most common service size pistols like the Glock 17/19/34, M&P full size, 1911 Government, etc. share a very similar sight correction. As a simple rule of thumb, .007" in sight height equates to approximately 1" of impact adjustment at 25 yards. Some other simple things to remember:
Decreasing the rear sight height = lowering point of impact on target
Increasing the rear sight height = raising point of impact on target
Increasing the front sight height = lowering the point of impact on target
Decreasing the front sight height = raising the point of impact on target
Armed with this information, you can make some calculations and get your pistol set up exactly how you like. Remember that the bullseye style 6 o'clock hold, where you aim at some arbitrary spot below where you want your holes to appear, is a leftover from bullseye competition and has no place in tactical applications. If your sights shoot too high, change them. You should ideally have your sights set up to produce a point of impact (POI) that matches your point of aim. I prefer to set up my pistols at 25 yards, with the bullet impacts (POI) no more than about 1" high. I like to see the bullet impacts just above the plane of sighting, and never want the POI lower than POA.
Sight Height Calculations:
There is very simple calculation to determine exactly what sight height corrections are required to get your pistol to shoot to the desired point of impact.
[(Impact change on target, in inches) x (Sight Radius, in inches)] / (Distance to Target, in inches) = Sight Height Correction Needed
If you hate math and that formula just made you glaze over or have flashbacks to school, don't worry. After having measured a bunch of pistols and done the math, most common service size pistols like the Glock 17/19/34, M&P full size, 1911 Government, etc. share a very similar sight correction. As a simple rule of thumb, .007" in sight height equates to approximately 1" of impact adjustment at 25 yards. Some other simple things to remember:
Decreasing the rear sight height = lowering point of impact on target
Increasing the rear sight height = raising point of impact on target
Increasing the front sight height = lowering the point of impact on target
Decreasing the front sight height = raising the point of impact on target
Armed with this information, you can make some calculations and get your pistol set up exactly how you like. Remember that the bullseye style 6 o'clock hold, where you aim at some arbitrary spot below where you want your holes to appear, is a leftover from bullseye competition and has no place in tactical applications. If your sights shoot too high, change them. You should ideally have your sights set up to produce a point of impact (POI) that matches your point of aim. I prefer to set up my pistols at 25 yards, with the bullet impacts (POI) no more than about 1" high. I like to see the bullet impacts just above the plane of sighting, and never want the POI lower than POA.
- Location
- West Quebec
Good post it always gets asked..
The simplest way to visualize the effect of changing sight heights is to exaggerate the change. If you added a two inch high front sight, what direction would you move the gun to align the sights? You'd have to move the barrel down. Same goes for raising the rear sight, or even drifting the sight left or right. Exaggerate the change and it seems obvious which way it will move the impact.
