Hold on, or 6 o'clock?

[Bigmon]

About to sight in a new rifle.  When I could see well I would hold on where I wanted the ball to hit, no matter what I was shooting, a muzzleloader or cartridge gun.
But I did see the advantage others tried of holding just under, at 6 o'clock.  Especially in the poor evening light when hunting.
Well now I can't see well at all.
What do you all do, 6 or dead on??

[rich pierce]

If you ever think you’ll step around a tree and see a broadside big buck at 45 yards moving slowly through the trees, stopping for a second now and then, you’ll want a dead on hold. Others can remember they need a six o’clock hold but I cannot under those circumstances. I put the sight on the heart lung area and fire. I don’t shoot at the belly line or whatever a six o’clock hold would be. More deer are missed high than low.

[Bigmon]

Most of my shooting is now hunting, as I cannot see well enough for target shooting, even siloet.
But as I attempt to zero this gun, or as we call it "shoot it in" I need to know where it is hitting.
I agree about shooting over a deer, which I still do especially in low light. To me, maybe another reason to have it hit low at 6 o'clock.  As is I raise my blade so high I can see it and am outomaticcally then high?
So I have you down as a HOLD ON.  That is my inclination, but I am now thinking otherwise.
This is a shame, I used to be a dead on dead eye, no more!!

[577SXS]

I want my sights dead on.

[oldways]

 When I sight a rifle in I use a 6 O'clock hold on the target. I'll shoot for a group till i'm consistant with my groups. The bottom hold on the dark circle gives me a better sight picture than to try and hold center bull.

[Bigmon]

Thanks to all, it's a neat subject.  I'd have no trouble if I could see?
One gun I built, I just shot at a vertical 1" wide so line till I got the windage right on.  Then a horizontal line until I got the height right on.
But that is when I could see.

[StevenV]

Hunting , dead on hold ( point of aim) . I believe it was discussed here already , for compromised eyes the "V" sight with a ball rear sight was best to see. I ran into sight issues last hunting season and I used shaders while hunting and it helped  tremendously to see the sights. Prior to the shaders I missed two, with the shaders I got two.   StevenV

[Craig Wilcox]

I'm more of an instinct shooter, but believe I hold where I want the ball to go.

Have your eye Doc check for cataracts.  If that is the cause, you will get some new, crystal-clear lenses in those olde eyes.  And 20-20 vision.  BUT you'll have to get some reading glasses!

[Marcruger]

Neither. The top line of my front sight cuts the target in two horizontally.  If you hold the whole blade or a bead right on the target, you cannot see the target at any distance.  I like a square notch rear and square front post.  God bless, Marc

[JPK]

For a hit with a six o’clock hold you need to always have the same bullseye size to aim at. My club shoots all sizes of black at a single match so a hit on a six inche bull will be high on a three inche bull.  Then what distance? I sight in with a dead center hold then know the drop for distance and compensate.

[snapper]

You need to do what you need to do for being able to see and shoot.   As always practice and you should be fine.   

Dont exceed your physical limitations and enjoy yourself.

Fleener

[justinp61]

My rifle is sighted to point of aim, this way it doesn't matter if the target is the size of a paint can or a quarter.

[Leatherbark]

Was it Mr. Vickery or Mr. Salisbury that wrote something to the effect you'll never shoot competitively at NMLRA offhand using a six o'clock hold?

Bob

[Jeff Murray]

JPK's comments on different size bullseyes is good advice.  This concept applies in spades for irregular targets like the animal targets used by the NMLRA.  With a six o'clock hold you need the same distance from the bottom of the bullseye to the center on every target.  You also get more drop at extended ranges.