{"id":13304,"date":"2016-05-02T18:00:20","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T18:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=13304"},"modified":"2016-05-02T18:00:20","modified_gmt":"2016-05-02T18:00:20","slug":"target-focus-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/target-focus-shooting\/","title":{"rendered":"Target Focus Shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"XSS-11\"<\/a>
At close range you do not have to focus on the front sight to get hits but you do need to see it.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you are faced with a threat, be it a bad guy wanting to kill you or a brown bear wanting to eat you, you will look at it. Your eyes will focus on that threat and if you want to shoot at it, you will struggle to switch your focus to the front sight.<\/p>\n

We train to shoot defensive handguns by learning to focus on the front sight because that gives us our best chance for accurate hits. However, as shooters progress in skill they begin to shoot with more of a target focus when the range is close. This might sound like a bad thing but in reality its not. Its faster than focusing on the front sight and as your skill improves its just as effective inside spitting distance.<\/p>\n

I call this target focus shooting and detail it in my book, Handgun Training for Personal Protection<\/span><\/a>. Target focus shooting is not something you can master on day one. You have to build your skills the old fashion way and then it begins to come naturally. Once you realize you are gravitating to that type of shooting at close distance you can work to improve it but you need the right sight to do that.<\/p>\n

In reality, you’re still looking at your front sight when you shoot with a target focus, you’re just not focusing on it. This is one of the reasons I like the 24\/7 Express\u00a0Sights from XS Sights<\/a>. It’s why they are on my Nighthawk 1911<\/a>, my Ruger Single Seven, and almost every other serious handgun I own. They are large and easy to see, even when you are not looking directly at them. In other words, you can still align the sights for an accurate hit, while remaining focused on the threat.<\/p>\n

\"XSS-2\"<\/a>
With the XS Big Dot Sight you’ll notice that the front sight is easy to center over the rear sight and on the target, regardless of whether your focus is on the rear sight, the front sight, or a close range target.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Again, the distance has to be close. For me it\u2019s inside five yards. For others it might be inside three. For good competition shooters it might extend as far away as 10. Does it work? With practice, very well. I\u2019m just as accurate but faster inside five yards if I focused on the target and have\u00a0superimposed that large XS Big Dot right on its center.<\/p>\n

Target focus shooting also comes into play when you’re using a laser sight. I\u2019ve discussed before how to properly zero your laser sight<\/a>. When zeroed properly a laser\u00a0supports the target focus technique. If you present your handgun to the threat with your eyes focused on the target and do not see the laser, you should see your front sight right where you expected the laser to be. If your front sight is the large and prominent XS Big Dot, you wont have to focus on it to get a good hit, fast.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t confuse this technique with point shooting. They are not the same thing. Target focus shooting is simply the employment of a highly visible front sight that allows you to maintain your natural tendency to focus on the threat, while still being able to keep your handgun aligned to deliver accurate hits.<\/p>\n

\"XSS-1\"<\/a>
When you focus on the target while using standard notch and post sights, they become almost invisible. Most will not work for target focus shooting.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The key to target focus shooting is using a laser sight like Crimson Trace<\/a> Laser Guard or Laser Grips or a sight – like the XS BIG DOT<\/a> – you can always see in any light, even if you are not focused on it. (Ideally you would use both for redundancy.) You\u2019ll find this technique extremely difficult to employ with standard three dot notch and post sights but maybe a bit easier with a fiber optic front when paired with a very wide rear notch.<\/p>\n

You could say target focus shooting comes naturally and in truth it does. Focusing on the target is what your brain naturally wants to do. However, to do that and get hits,\u00a0you must have a front sight you can easily see, even when you are not looking at it. And, as natural as it might seem, you have to learn how to shoot before you can make it work.<\/p>\n

\"XSS-10\"<\/a>
We’ve been told for years that its all about the front sight. Well yes, it is. You need a front sight you can always see no matter where your focus is at.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are faced with a threat, be it a bad guy wanting to kill you or a brown bear wanting to eat you, you will look at it. Your eyes will focus on that threat and if you want to shoot at it, you will struggle to switch your focus to the front sight. We train to shoot defensive handguns by …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2509],"tags":[597,138,2651,2650],"class_list":["post-13304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-defense","tag-crimson-trace-lasers","tag-firearms-training","tag-target-focus-shooting","tag-xs-247-express-sights"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-3sA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13419,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/shooting-while-moving\/","url_meta":{"origin":13304,"position":0},"title":"Shooting While Moving","author":"gunwriter","date":"May 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If you are a harder target to hit while you're moving, then why would you ever stand still? Well, it's harder for you to get hits when you're moving. A laser sight can help with that because it dramatically simplifies the aiming process. With a laser sight you do not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SW-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/SW-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/SW-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/SW-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/SW-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13699,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/we-dont-need-no-stinking-scopes\/","url_meta":{"origin":13304,"position":1},"title":"We Don’t Need No Stinking Scopes","author":"gunwriter","date":"July 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I\u2019ve been singing the praises of XS rifle sights for a long time. Of course in this day an age if your rifle does not wear an optical sight \u2013 in most cases a very large optical sight \u2013 you\u2019re looked upon as either an old fart or a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/logo.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13407,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/shooting-from-unconventional-positions\/","url_meta":{"origin":13304,"position":2},"title":"Shooting from Unconventional Positions","author":"gunwriter","date":"May 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"There's a lot of argument on the Internet, at shooting ranges, and across gun shop counters about the best shooting stance. I have an opinion but we'll save that discussion for another day. In the mean time, while you're thinking about all the ways you can argue with whatever shooting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"CT-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/CT-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/CT-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/CT-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13013,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/lights-lasers-and-myths\/","url_meta":{"origin":13304,"position":3},"title":"Lights, Lasers, and Myths","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"There are a number of myths associated with laser sights and lights on defensive handguns. There are also some given facts. For example, you cannot shoot the bad guy if you cannot see your sights. And, you have no business shooting at a bad guy unless you know he is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"CT-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CT-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CT-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CT-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/CT-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13370,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/12-years-with-xs-sights\/","url_meta":{"origin":13304,"position":4},"title":"12 Years with XS Sights","author":"gunwriter","date":"May 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Long about 2004, my old buddy Charlie Sisk of Sisk Rifles put a .358 Winchester rifle together for me. I specified back-up open sights on the rifle and Charlie suggested a set from XS Sights. However, he cautioned me to not expect \u00a0great precision with\u00a0them. \u201cThey are a little coarse.\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"XS-8","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XS-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XS-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XS-8.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/XS-8.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13576,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/its-your-trigger-stupid\/","url_meta":{"origin":13304,"position":5},"title":"It’s Your Trigger, Stupid!","author":"gunwriter","date":"June 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Some shooters just don\u2019t get it, probably because they spend too much time shooting from the bench. From the standpoint of practical rifle shooting, the bench rest has no place. You can easily manage a bad trigger from the bench because 90 % of your concentration in on the trigger\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "DEFENSE"","block_context":{"text":"DEFENSE","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/defense\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"T-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/T-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/T-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/T-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/T-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13304"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13311,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13304\/revisions\/13311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}