Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters sighting in pistols

What type of rests do you use for sighting in pistols, such as a 9mm. Any suggestions on sighting in, particularly with a laser sight. The harder I try to hold on bullseye, the more I wiggle around.

I should also ask, with a 3.675 barrel length in 9mm, what distance do you suggest for sight in? and what maximum shooting distance would you say to hold accuracy?

It’s easy. If your handgun’s standard sights are sighted in correctly for the ammo you plan to use.

All you need to do after that is mount the unloaded handgun in a vise. Then at 25 yards, adjust the laser beam where it sits right on top of your aligned sights on the target, when your using a proper sight picture and have your sights aligned properly on the target.

You’ll be within 1 or 2 inches from POA after doing so.
It has worked for me every time I’ve mounted a laser on a handgun.

I'm curious about your choice of using a laser; what advantage do you expect to gain? I typically don't advocate for lasers...for the very reason you are mentioning in your post, especially for shooters new to sidearms (not saying you are new).

Chlinstructor is right - you first need to make sure your point of aim matches your point of impact with the chosen ammunition. Probably have to use the standard iron sights that came on the gun, or whatever hard site is on the gun. It can be done on bags, but some care is needed. If you don't set it up right for that very short action, you'll destroy the bag. After you get that sorted out you can adjust the laser as necessary.

Sidearm proficiency is the fastest dying skill in todays 'market'.

In my experience pistols are fairly sensitive to the way they are held, particularly on elevation, so there's not much point in sighting in off a rest unless you are going to use a rest when actually using the pistol. IOW if you are going to use it for one-handed match shooting, you sight it in one-handed. If you are going to use it for competition where you'll mostly shoot Weaver or Isosceles, you sight it in accordingly. The same for use as a defensive weapon: will the pistol put them where you aim them when you draw and fire?

A short-barreled 9mm is not really a long-distance prospect. I would think that if you are hitting where you aim on a small popper or similar sized target at 20 - 25 yards that would be good work. With a good pistol and a steady hand you may be able to do it further away, but whether that would make much difference for defensive use is probably moot. The main thing then is to practice with it.

Yeah… unless it’s a bullseye gun, it’s a waste of time sighting in past 20-25 yds. If you want it sighted in at that range, shoot multiple groups on the same target position. Use group “pattern” to center sights. Hand to rest position changes impact point, so sight in as you plan to use.

Shoot off a rest to see how accurate your ammo is , but don't zero from a rest as your handgun will only be zeroed when shooting from a rest. Zero at 25 yards using the stance you normally use, one handed Bullseye style, two-handed Weaver style, etc. This may vary from one shooter to another, but I've found if I zero using a one-handed Bullseye position, groups at twenty-five yards will be lower by a few inches when going to a two-handed Weaver position. Keep grip consistent regardless of your shooting stance. Many seem to prefer a six o'clock hold; that works best for me. If you zero at 25 yds., point of impact at shorter distances will often be close to the 25 yard point of impact.

If you’re form isn’t terrible you should be able to zero it by just two hand hold slow firing. Sitting in a chair and shooting off of a table or bench if you really want to be technical assuming that you’re talking about iron sites or a red dot on a typical combat type pistol.

If you’re new to shooting you can Google charts that can give you a rough idea why POA and POI aren’t matching in a lot of cases. Don’t just assume that it’s the gun or ammo. Newer shooters have a tendency to shoot low because they anticipate the recoil and dip the pistol down to compensate for the recoil just as they shoot/jerk the trigger.

Another thing to consider is how tight you are gripping the pistol. For most shooters that shoot right handed if your right hand is holding the pistol in a death grip you’re going to lose your dexterity and tremble. Your left support hand should be the hand that clamps down more tightly over your shooting hand. If your right hand is gripping tight enough that you cannot easily work your trigger finger you’re gripping it way to hard with the wrong hand.

Take your time relax get your feet into a good athletic boxers type stance with your weight slightly on the balls of your feet and focus on site picture and trigger break.

Usually one or two mags should tell you how it shoots.

If EDC, 15-20 yds.

One of the benefits of a laser is that it lets you see your movement, in particular when the trigger breaks. You can then practice to minimize that. Very handy kit, but regrettably even the green ones aren’t bright enough for much use in daylight, for safety reasons mostly, I think. They also let you fire from cover with minimal exposure of the various parts you don’t want to be shot. I’ve used several on J-frames and they were pretty much on target right out of the box. At short range, even an old guy without his glasses can do some pretty good shooting with one, just like in the commercials.

I’ve used rail-mounted ones when changing sights a number of times. Align the laser with the old sight, change to the new one, then adjust to match the laser.

They’re also a lot of fun.

Apologies - didn't answer this part of your question. If you are new to sidearms, or have little experience with them, start at the 5 and 7 yard line. 'Practical range' is really shooter dependent, within the limits of the caliber and chosen gun platform. But generally speaking, if you can hit a target IN OR AROUND ITS PRIMARY TARGET AREA at the 15 yard line without flyers, then you should be satisfied with it. Wouldn't hurt to tinker with longer distances just for fun, but practical range for the shooter is primary.

As Pappy has indicated, opinions on the tactical worthiness of a laser are in the 'eleventy millions billions'. In my experience, if you don't already have the basic fundamentals 'trained in', the laser only shows the shooter his flaws. If that shooter is already dealing with a bit of anxiety, or worried about whether or not they'll handle their weapon safely, then the laser only exacerbates those issues, making it harder for the new shooter to establish the basics and become confident in their own ability. Run a lap around your range, then shoot a 10 yard target with it and you'll get an idea of what it's like to actually use it in a self defense scenario. Sure - the idea that it is only a recreational tool can't be tossed out. And, there's nothing wrong with considering your pistola to be a recreational only sidearm, but if it's any kind of daily carry, EDC, or whatever nomenclature you prefer...learn the gun, learn your arm and sight picture, then learn the laser.

I use one of these. Works pretty good.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394035144095?hash=item5bbe53259f:g:BcsAAOSwFkNiXFKd

If you take the time to learn how to shoot well and practice regularly, you'll probably decide the laser is just another gadget that serves little or no purpose.

A few comments:

Have found, after considerable experimentation, that how much the "rest" affects accuracy and point-of-impact depends a lot on the size/weight of the "pistol," just as it does with rifles. Have used a rest that includes both a hand and barrel rest a lot, especially with pistols such as the T/Contender--where it works very well, due to their overall weight, especially with a scope.

With lighter, open- or laser-sighted handguns it definitely affects accuracy and POI.

I usually find myself in a rock pit, just shootin stuff. Pretty obvious if things are not hitting where you want them to. Adjust until your getting hits. Pretty simple

mud_bogger has it fgured out.

LOL you know its dialed in, when there isnt a shotgun shell in sight

I bought a Ranson Rest and several different inserts for $250 around 25 years ago. I figure that it has paid for itself at least twice, as you don't waste any ammo when you're dialing in your sights.

EDIT: My most frequently carried handguns are .22LR, .22MAG, AND .44SPL revolvers that are sighted in at 25 yards. The .22MAGs have 4" barrels and the .44SPLs have 3" or 4" barrels, so there isn't a lot of sight radius to work with and any deviation of sight alignment really shows up at ranges over 25 yards. I don't practice enough to be more than a very average handgun shooter, but I think that I could put 80% of my rounds into the center of mass of a silhouettd target at 40 yards if I had to take the shots.

So you saved $20/year on ammo?

If I was buying ammo at today's prices, it would have been more than that. I probably don't shoot more than 400 rounds of centerfire or 500 rounds of rimfire handgun ammo during any 12 month period.

I shoot pretty well, and find that the laser, while not magical, very definitely is a useful “gadget” in some circumstances. In the case of the Crimson Trace models for revolvers, they also come mounted in some very good grips. If they could be made brighter safely, their utility would increase.

In the right light, they allow firing from cover, firing from the hip or other odd positions, firing without glasses for some people, and the intimidation factor can’t be ignored. I find one useful for dry-fire practice as well.