... there are much better arguments for why point shooting should be learned and used. The fact is, both skills are essential to a competently armed person.
Yes, like low light condition where visualization of sights is not viable. (And proponents of night sights, keep reading below)
We should consider unsighted point shooting as "plan B/contingency" shooting option to sighted shooting as plan A in real life don't always come through. I like having options in life, especially contingency options.
I read somewhere,
“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy." In real life optics fail, batteries die, red dot/laser mounts get bumped, flashlights can be dropped, etc. and I have even seen front sights fly off pistol slides in matches (Personally, I lost a front sight while shooting under barricade when slide recoiled up and hit the bottom of barricade). Well, what do you do next? If you have point shooting as back up shooting option, you can exercise that option. Something for us to chew on.
For sure, the guys standing on a firing line or shooting at steel are going to come up with all kinds of theory. Show me what it looks like in FoF.
+1. Absolutely.
This thread will generate never ending sighted vs unsighted shooting comparison and discussion. But keep in mind the OP clearly specified shooting in "self defense situation" which I take it as shooting at closer defensive shooting distances of 5-7 yards.
sight / target focus in a self defense situation.
While I am a proponent of point shooting at close range, when the shooting range increases beyond 7 yards, I will emphasize transition to sighted shooting but with focus on target while "looking past the front sight"
I think Fairbairn ... did emphasize the value of point-shooting, but also readily acknowledged the usefulness of sights, particularly at 10 yards and beyond.
Leatham's "Why Aiming is Useless" video is often misrepresented, the takeaway I got was "Aiming is useless, until you've mastered the trigger pull without moving the gun". Guys sometime use it to advocate for [point] shooting.
You are correct in your takeaway. The point shooting drill I outlined (
In this thread) is essentially fulfilling Rob Leatham's mantra of "Jerking the trigger without moving the pistol" but providing a shooter another shooting option (unsighted with focus on target) when sighted shooting option is not feasible.
Yes, there are times in "self defense situation" where visualization of sights is not possible or practical and we must be trained to handle this situation proficiently. In low or no light situation, visualization of sights is not possible but if you have identified a definite threat approaching your way, you need to be able to hit the threat. This is where point shooting option is applicable. Inside my house, I can proficiently hit (fast and accurate) any human sized target with low/no light as that's what I practice regularly.
During my defensive shooting training (by instructor/USPSA RSO who taught PD/SD SWAT teams), instructor had us remove front sights of our Glocks, dimmed the range lights so we could barely see the outline of cardboard targets and tossed in smoke grenades among USPSA-like stage setup so even visualizing night sights was difficult (We have done night shooting with night sights and I am a student of keeping my eyes on target and movement vs focused on night sights). This drill emphasized the importance of point shooting option and with deliberate practice, we proficiently engaged the targets and hit center of mass.
The instructor emphasized that we must train to shoot proficiently when we are woken up in the middle of the night with low visibility and turning on the flashlight may simply give the threat a point of aim. Being able to point shoot in low/no light situation may give me the advantage. Sure, illuminating the threat with blinding light is another option but I may not always have a source of bright light handy.
As to Rob Leatham's "Aiming is Useless", another thing I do in addition to point shooting is shooting with eyes closed (Yes, eyes closed). When I am teaching defensive shooting, especially with someone who never shot before, after going over the basics of stance/grip/trigger control, I have them point the pistol at center of target at 5 yards and shoot with eyes closed. This provides the shooter with "natural point of aim" and I have them practice until eyes closed point of aim is synchronized with point of impact. Once they accomplish this, I tell them now they can hit anywhere on the target at will, even with eyes closed and put them through various shooting drills at multiple targets, with eyes closed.
Rob demonstrates this at 1:25 minute mark of this video as a solution to sight fixation where shooting is done with EYES CLOSED.