Point of Curiosity: Shooting Further

[BoostLover]

It may not even be relevant but how do you hit a target that's so far away with an XD? I'm reasonably confident within 10 yards but (obviously) it gets less consistent out to 25 yards and I don't think I've ever intentionally hit a target 50 yards away.

The front sight actually obscures the entire target for me (most cases bottles or cans) beyond about 25 yars . . . I can't hit squat.

The obvious answer is to use a rifle but I'm curious as to how of y'all are able to hit stuff that far away with a handgun. Teach me, please!

[CTrider XD]

Originally Posted by BoostLover

It may not even be relevant but how do you hit a target that's so far away with an XD? I'm reasonably confident within 10 yards but (obviously) it gets less consistent out to 25 yards and I don't think I've ever intentionally hit a target 50 yards away.

The front sight actually obscures the entire target for me (most cases bottles or cans) beyond about 25 yars . . . I can't hit squat.

The obvious answer is to use a rifle but I'm curious as to how of y'all are able to hit stuff that far away with a handgun. Teach me, please!

Maybe at 25 yds you put the top of the front sight just at the base of what you are trying to hit.
I read someware that the XD is sighted in at 25 yds and you sight in at the 6o o'clock position.

[Noah Mercy]

Actually, with proper sight alignment, the target should be perched on top of the sights, not concealed by them. The normal sight picture (with the front sight centered in the rear notch and the tops level- target right on top of them) usually works fine out to fifty yards or so. Past that, you simply "hold up" the front sight in relation to the rear with the target still visible above the front sight. What this means is that the front sight will still be centered in the rear notch, but the top of the rear sight won't be level with the top of the front; it will be a little lower. (Some serious long range handgunners have gold bars painted or inlaid into the front sight to facilitate this style of shooting.)

[Archer1945]

According to the XD manual all XD guns are designed for a 6 o'clock hold at 25 yards with factory sights. That means at 25 yards your front and rear sights should be even and the target sitting on top of the front sight. At distances over 25 yards the target will still be sitting on top of the front sight but the front sight will be raised above the rear sight, the distance above the rear sight depending on the distance and this takes a lot of practice to learn.

Another factor that comes into play at distances beyond about 10 yards is how good your technique is. At distances under 10 yards you can make pretty good shot placement with mistakes in technique that would cause you to miss a rapid fire bull's eye target at 50 yards, that target is something around 3' x 3', if I remember correctly, in other words, a pretty good sized sheet of paper. The actual target area is, I think, 24" in diameter and the black center is about 12" in diameter.

Even when shooting from some kind of a rest it takes a great deal of practice to learn to hit consistently well at longer distances. Both the Service and Tactical XDs are quite capable of putting all rounds shot from them on a manhole cover sized target at 100 yards if the shooter does their part.

[Kaboom]

If you are shooting with both eyes open you shouldn't have a problem "holding over" while still being able to see the target.

[BoostLover]

Originally Posted by Archer1945

According to the XD manual all XD guns are designed for a 6 o'clock hold at 25 yards with factory sights. That means at 25 yards your front and rear sights should be even and the target sitting on top of the front sight. At distances over 25 yards the target will still be sitting on top of the front sight but the front sight will be raised above the rear sight, the distance above the rear sight depending on the distance and this takes a lot of practice to learn.

Another factor that comes into play at distances beyond about 10 yards is how good your technique is. At distances under 10 yards you can make pretty good shot placement with mistakes in technique that would cause you to miss a rapid fire bull's eye target at 50 yards, that target is something around 3' x 3', if I remember correctly, in other words, a pretty good sized sheet of paper. The actual target area is, I think, 24" in diameter and the black center is about 12" in diameter.

Even when shooting from some kind of a rest it takes a great deal of practice to learn to hit consistently well at longer distances. Both the Service and Tactical XDs are quite capable of putting all rounds shot from them on a manhole cover sized target at 100 yards if the shooter does their part.

Thanks for the tip; I've tried the 6:00 hold and all my shots are just low, particularly when shooting in closer.

Maybe I just need more practice but I seem to get the best results when the front sight obscures the target and is in line (both vertically and horizontally) with the rear sights. I'm not sure what you call this - point of impact sighting?

[arizona98tj]

Originally Posted by Archer1945

According to the XD manual all XD guns are designed for a 6 o'clock hold at 25 yards with factory sights. That means at 25 yards your front and rear sights should be even and the target sitting on top of the front sight. At distances over 25 yards the target will still be sitting on top of the front sight but the front sight will be raised above the rear sight, the distance above the rear sight depending on the distance and this takes a lot of practice to learn.

It seems that they leave out a somewhat important piece of information.....that being the target size at said 25 yard distance.

If I am shooting at a 12 oz. beverage can at 25 yds, and I hold the sight picture at the 6 o'clock position, where do I hit the can? In the middle, the top, the bottom?

If I am shooting at a varmit, say the size of an average dog, at 25 yds, and I hold that exact same 6 o'clock site picture, where do I hit the varmit....3" above the foot? Hey, I put the target on top of the front sight, right?

Maybe I missed that detail in the manual....if I did, shame on me. However, based on what you wrote, I'm still not sure where I should be aiming (following your response that is). I do know where my XD45 hits, but just wondering how others are to determine that based on "the manual".

[fredj338]

FWIW, my XD45Tac shoots POA/POI out to 25yds. Longer distance shooting is really just practice. If your pistol is upto it, then you can be too. For distances farthur than 25yds, I put the target on top of the front sight & then move the front sight up slightly higher than the rear. How much, well, that's why you have to practice. The Xd is capable of "-3" 25yd accuracy & if you do your part, 4"-6" accuracy @ 50yds.

[BoostLover]

Originally Posted by fredj338

FWIW, my XD45Tac shoots POA/POI out to 25yds. Longer distance shooting is really just practice. If your pistol is upto it, then you can be too. For distances farthur than 25yds, I put the target on top of the front sight & then move the front sight up slightly higher than the rear. How much, well, that's why you have to practice. The Xd is capable of "-3" 25yd accuracy & if you do your part, 4"-6" accuracy @ 50yds.

GOT IT! Thank you for explaining this! This is exactly what I was looking for. I was making the mistake of lining up the front & rear sights and then taking a shot "above" the target and trying to correct after watching the misses.