Shooting without using sights

taylor · Apr 18, 2013

I just finished reading about Rodd Redwing a full Chicasaw indian who was a trick shooter and Hollywood shooting coach in the 50's. He holds many records for quick shooting such as throwing a knife at a target and immediately drawing and firing his revolver with the bullet striking exactly where the knife tip hits a fraction later. He was an expert with all weapons and would be off camera shooting when the Star would pretend to hit some target. Everyone he taught said they shot much better after his teaching.
What I thought was interesting was he filed the sights off all his rifles and handguns , he could hit bullseyes with rifles at tremendous distances w/o using sights. I guess he was lining up the barrel like you would an arrow with a bow. In the article they never really told the method he used but he was quoted as saying it was like shooting a bow.
Does anyone here shoot w/o using sights?

jbett98 · Apr 18, 2013

Does closing your eyes when pulling the trigger count?

Caveman Jim · Apr 18, 2013

No not without sights but I do strive to mount the shotgun in the exact same way each time and rarely look at the sights, makes for better bird shooting while you follow through after the trigger is pulled.

mosinguy1 · Apr 18, 2013

Depends on how far. I have a couple of 22's i am pretty good at point and shoot without using the sights, at aout 25 to 50 yrds. Not bullseye everytime but hitting target.
Could probably stretch it out farther with a lil more catchup practice.

teflon6string · Apr 18, 2013

I use sights if I want to make a beer can dance around, or kill a golf ball at 50'. But if I ever need to defend myself or others in a dire emergency, I might not have the time to be so attentive. So with that in mind, I run a couple quick drills whenever I shoot, just so "reactive shooting" (my name for it) is not completely unfamiliar if/when it ever has to happen right now.

Practice outdoors. Take a box to shoot at - it's okay if it has holes in it when you haul your trash home. Set it on something about chest/heart high, step back about 10 feet and quickly empty your pistol into it. Forget about the sights. Just point assertively and shoot. Repeat at various increasing distances. Note and refine the size of your group. Warn your pals to stand back, and move in a semi circle around the target. Try moving closer, or duck back away from it and take cover. Sure footwork is crucial.

Smart preparation for this is to practice getting your empty weapon safely out of concealment and raised to a combat posture. Without chanting my preference for certain weps, let me just remind everyone to avoid shooting a hole in your pocket, glovebox, backpack or leg. So this is not intended to spark a debate about favorite pistols. Recognize the trigger guard as a useful tool and work safely with what makes you comfy.

Lots of muscle memory there, sort of like swinging a tennis racquet or golf club. Slow and sure is actually faster than mistake-prone fumbling. Just a few evolutions of that, empty and loaded every time you go shooting, will be more than many disciplined shooters ever try. Hats off to you if you're an ace and accurate when the SHTF. Try it two-handed, strong hand and weak hand because you cannot always choose your circumstances.

I'm impressed with anyone who can pull out a concealed pistol and quickly destroy something the size of a basketball at 10 feet or 10 yards without really looking at the sights (and maneuver while shooting with both eyes wide open). I'm getting there gradually, tightening up a little bit every time I go. And I'm amazed at those super-instinctive shooters who can do it at 50'.

misplacedtexan · Apr 18, 2013

I can hit most stuff with my rifles out to 50'-ish without using sights. On a silhoutte if you put the front sight on the stomach, without using the rear peep, it should put rounds in the chest. If not front sight you can use the barrels end, but placed lower still. Takes a bit of practice and experimentation.

Handguns I just point my thumbs at what I want to hit. Pretty spot on about it. Wouldn't try and play William Tell about it, but it works.

Bigfoot · Apr 18, 2013

We have a natural ability to point, just takes some practice to hone it. I found that out shooting a bow and I took those stupid sights off.

Most of my pistols have lasers, great point/instinctive training tools.

I can aim my glocks at a point without using the sights (sometimes w sights taped off) and activate laser and I'll be within a couple inches 90% of the time.

I can also find a target, close my eyes, raise pistol and point at that target, open eyes and activate laser to see how close I am. I'm almost as good that way as w eyes open.

I do some informal practicing and the results are good although I prefer to do it w my 22 cal glock conversion because of costs.

Sgt Nambu · Apr 19, 2013

Google....... US Army "quick kill" its one method. I have used with both long and short weapons. It worked great with an M-14 rifle!

Sling Blade · Apr 19, 2013

We've always shot our pistols while holding them sideways. Is that wrong?

signed,

A gangbanger

Bigfoot · Apr 19, 2013

Sling Blade said:
We've always shot our pistols while holding them sideways. Is that wrong?

signed,

A gangbanger

Wrong? Nope, that's exactly the way gang bangers should shoot, good job.

newthings · Apr 19, 2013

I know another amazing example of a instinct point shooting method and Worlds Record.

Google " Chief A J"

This, now 75 year old man, set a record of hitting 40,060, 2" wood blocks tossed into the air, without a miss in, 1986. He used 5 Ruger 10-22's tuned up to his specs. The story describes what a physical enduro it was. He is still associated with a gun shop and has someone doing trigger work at low prices. I sent two trigger assemblies to the shop a few years back and was disappointed with the results. I suspect a poor spin off with no supervision.

Meanwhile Chief A J as gone on to sell videos of the shooting method. He uses an adult length Daisy BB gun for instinctive training.
He makes and promotes sling shot hunting and shows examples of getting deer, bear and fish with arrows fired with his model of sling shot.

I believe him to be an amazing shooting talent, a bit of a huckster, but you must give props to a teacher and trainer.

Roy

chief aj's instinct shooting

Chief AJ, (217) 253-2959 e-mail: [email protected]
POB 131, Tuscola, IL 61953-0131

Instinct Shooting

Worlds Record Shooting

<broken link removed>

Contact info— Maybe

Lock Stock & Barrel
Scott Cutler – Owner
110 N. 3rd Street
Altamont, Il 62411
618 483-9009
<broken link removed>

DoubleTapDrew · Apr 19, 2013

Sling Blade said:
We've always shot our pistols while holding them sideways. Is that wrong?

signed,

A gangbanger

They've even thought of a solution to that!

Silver Hand · Apr 19, 2013

My first experience was watching a fellow shooter at the skeet range shooting from the hip and many other positions, about 1970. I was amazed and pleased to be shooting along side of him. We spoke for the entire round and shot practice for quite some time afterword. I thought it was magic until I shot and actually hit a few clays. That started me drawing and firing my pistol at targets the same way. I don't hit them all! but I know if there is no time to aim with my eyes, I can get a few shots in that might just count some day at close range.

My best day was back when soda cans were made of steel. I pitched a half can of Pepsi as far as I could, underhand. Drew my state of the art stainless steel S&W mod 66 -4'' barrel revolver and let go five shots as the can had not yet stopped moving from the first drop. Five out of five hits or just low enough to keep it jumping around. I stopped at five \ the guys there that day were amazed. One turned to me and asked why did you not shoot the sixth round. My response was I did not want to miss. To be truthful it was all a lot of luck, But I never told anyone to this day.
It is a kick and I just enjoy cutting up my first targets of the day as I turn and fire. It is a bunch more satisfying than keeping score under the pressure of a match.
Silver Hand

speeddemon94 · Apr 19, 2013

There was a TON of this in my previous life in the military...

Medic! · Apr 20, 2013

Amazing shooters use something not on the gun. They may make use of the triger,sights,stock and other parts of the gun. Or none at all. But they have come in contct with something more than can be explained buy the on the gun. There are many versions of this shooting magic. Each man finds his own method. The amazing thing is the human brain and sences. This and god given talent. Talent like shooting well can't be measured or put in a boxand sold.It's hard to even explained and not be called a lier. It's realy only visible when a person makes a shot that can't be made. And you go ''How the heck''? Then think ''that was amazing''. I hope we never fully understand how man dose what he can do.