Guy asks:
Okay, I have asked something similar to this before. When aiming with the Garand's 'peep' sight, should the target bullseye be centered or should the top of the front post sight be centered?
Either way will work, as long as you are consistent. Most folks I know center the top of the post and put the bull on that. This also has the advantage when shooting "non-round" targets... i.e. silhouettes, game, etc....
Just be sure you are NOT, rpt. NOT using any OTHER part of the post as an indexing point, such as holding the sight wings or the base against the rear aperture. This will throw you off if you are not 100% perfect in your head position from shot to shot. It is also just one more thing your are trying to "Line Up" visually. YOu don't need it......
Below is a posting I made to a "sticky" on another board (slightly edited). It addresses parts of your problem.
Best regards,
Swampy
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Jack,
Don't know if I'm the kind of "Expert" you are after, but that's what my NRA Highpower card says I am... Have not quite made it to Master yet, but I'm getting real close... just have to string 3 matches back to back in which I make it above the 94% Master break point. Done 2 in row several times, but keep missing that third one.... Oh well...
Sight "Holds"....
There are several different holds that apply to all USGI Service Rifles. What hold the shooter chooses is purely personal preference. There is no specific hold that relates to the position being used.... it's all subjective.
Probably the most common is the 6 O'Clock hold, or the "baseball on the fencpost". Obviously, it's putting the target's aiming black so that it sits atop the front post as if it's resting on it. This is probably the easiest to teach to shooters who are new to USGI type iron sights with a front post and aperture rear.
The next most common hold would be the Center Mass, or Navy hold. This is putting the top edge of the post in the center of the bull or whatever target is being used. For many seasoned and experienced competitors this is a bit more precise than the 6 O'Clock hold, but you do have to have a very fine control over your focus in order to hold down variances in windage and elevation. Shooters who are new to aperture and post seem to have the most trouble with this and do better with the 6 O'Clock.
Variances to these two are the "Flat Tire" hold and the "Line of White" hold. Flat tire is bringing the post just up into the black bull so that it appears the bottom is flattened, the Line of white is just opposite, holding the post slightly away from the bull so that a bit of light shows between them.
What you choose to use where depends on your eyesight, and what seems easiest for you to use in the conditions you shoot.
Personally, I started out using the 6 O'Clock hold in all positions.... It works. I shot a lot of very good scores with the 6 O'clock hold. Many shooters though, especially those with older eyes, have a problem with elevation because of a visual phenomenon I call the "bloop".... When you bring the post up to the bull and try to make a fine alignment with the bottom of the black, it appears that the black does not want to let the post touch it... it seems to contract and expand like a black balloon that is being compressed between two books.... but as you bring the sight up further to try to make it touch, it all of a sudden goes "bloop" and the sight is not just touching the black, but is fully into the bottom third of it, looking alike a "Flat tire" hold. There seems to be no middle ground here......
This is strictly a subjective phenomena.... Many shooters have never experienced it and look at you like you just landed from Mars when you try to explain it. Good for them... glad they don't have that visual handicap. As for me and many others I know, the solution to this was to intentionally go to another hold.
For me, I ended up using a Flat Tire hold for the rapid fire stages and a Navy Hold for the Prone Slow and Standing Slow fire. So far these have given me the best results..... My scores have improved significantly from the 6 O'Clock hold. Again, that's just me. Every shooter has their own preferences as to what hold they use in what position or circumstances...
I know many Master class and above shooters who still use 6 O'Clock and are happy. Many also use other holds.... or combinations of holds like I do.
In the end, try them all and use what works for you....
ONe thing.... Re the Sight Wings on the front sight. I know very few shooters who actually try to use these as a part of their sight picture. For me trying to keep track of where the wings are while doing everything else would be an added and un-needed distraction. My eye naturally centers the front post and bull without the need to use them. Most other shooters I know feel the same way. I'd advise letting your eye's natural ability work for you and just concentrate on the post and bull (FOCUSING, of course, only on the front sight post).
Also, if you index your sight alignment off the sight wings, your head position will make a difference in elevation. The effect of moving your head and indexing the wings agains the aperture changes the position of the top of the post within the aperture itself. Move your head forward and the post moves up in the aperture, move your head aft and the post drops. You will be shooting high and low depending on inconsistent head positon... IF you are indexing your sight with the wings against the rear aperture.
Ignore the wings...... Let your eye's natural centering ability do the work.
Just my thoughts,
Swampy
Garands forever
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