By the time I got off work tonight it was dark. I drove about 20-30 mins to the range anyway and it wasn't until I fired the first shot I realized how little I had ever fired in the dark. I was not in complete darkness. I parked my jeep with the lights shining on the targets. The targets were a 6" plate rack and 3 1/2" plates. I began shooting at 25 yards because I wanted to see how my shooting with my Glock 17 and 19 compared to my shooting earlier in the week with my S&W 3" Model 65 and 2" Model 60. I shot at 25 and then moved up to between 7-10 yards. I have to say I was sort of surprised. I shot the 65 better at 25 than the others. I probably shot the 60 and then the 17 and then the 19 in that order. I am sure the darkness played a factor even though my surroundings appeared to be fairly well lit and both guns had night sights. At 7-10 yards I found that I need to slow down. I found that I was trying to move to the next target before the first one fell. While this may be good for competition I'm not there yet. I found I was missing the first one because I was trying to move to the next. I also found that if I load only one round my first shots were more accurate. Of course on the way home I found myself wondering that since I shoot a revolver well and always have if maybe I should try an olive spring and this would slow me down. I shoot my 65 the best but find myself carrying the 19 due to weight and capacity. The weight more than anything. I am sure I may find different results in the daylight but found shooting at night interesting and challenging.
Night shooting and tonight at the range.
- Thread starter camsdaddy
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Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
I used to ride reserve with the local PD. One night back in 1974 my partner and I were talking about odds and ends, and it occurred to us that we never did any shooting at night - and that's when we were working. So we hied ourselves off to the local gravel pit, where we usually did our practicing.
We disturbed a pair of local lovebirds with our arrival, and seeing the marked car they hurriedly departed for more private premises, leaving us sole occupancy of the gravel pit. We did some work by headlights at various angles, then by flashlight, then by muzzle flash alone. It was a learning experience for us both and very much worthwhile.
Then we got a call from dispatch with a complaint of shots fired at the gravel pit, so we had to break off our session
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It's important to train and practice at night. It's a good idea to work with a flashlight - if you carry a gun, IMHO you need to carry a light as well, and be practiced at using it.
We disturbed a pair of local lovebirds with our arrival, and seeing the marked car they hurriedly departed for more private premises, leaving us sole occupancy of the gravel pit. We did some work by headlights at various angles, then by flashlight, then by muzzle flash alone. It was a learning experience for us both and very much worthwhile.
Then we got a call from dispatch with a complaint of shots fired at the gravel pit, so we had to break off our session
.It's important to train and practice at night. It's a good idea to work with a flashlight - if you carry a gun, IMHO you need to carry a light as well, and be practiced at using it.
aarondhgraham
Member
My local trainer does night shooting classes,,,
My local trainer does night shooting classes,,,
I've not attended one yet,,,
But it's on my list.
My Rifle & Pistol Club doesn't allow night shooting,,,
But they once sponsored a class.
It's more practical than most would think,,,
More bad stuff happens at night then in the daylight.
Aarond
.
My local trainer does night shooting classes,,,
I've not attended one yet,,,
But it's on my list.
My Rifle & Pistol Club doesn't allow night shooting,,,
But they once sponsored a class.
It's more practical than most would think,,,
More bad stuff happens at night then in the daylight.
Aarond
.
Infidel4life11
Member
I train every week this time of the year it starts to get dark at 5pm. Training doesn't start til 6pm so we have been doing a ton of shooting with a flashlight.
Hometeached1
Member
I try to shoot at least once a month when it's dark. Sure made me a believer in night sights, even with a flash light they help a lot! Camsdaddy I have the olive spring in both my glocks, it helps me shoot better and it's closer to the 642 I carry as a BUG. Hope this helps.
Speedo66
Member
Part of our agency re-qual program was low light and no light shooting. They also played a siren, and sometimes flashing lights, to get our adrenalin levels up. We did this after jogging in place to get our hearts pumping.
Obviously, until you fire your first shot in no light, you can't see the target. Once your first muzzle flash lights it up, you at least have some guidance.
Transitioning over to Glocks with night sights was wonderful! You had a clear picture of where your muzzle was pointed.
Good training.
Obviously, until you fire your first shot in no light, you can't see the target. Once your first muzzle flash lights it up, you at least have some guidance.
Transitioning over to Glocks with night sights was wonderful! You had a clear picture of where your muzzle was pointed.
Good training.
scaatylobo
Member
Night sights
We shot with and without night sights at firearms instr school,it was VERY obvious as to why the night sights are sold.
as long as you can I.D. your intended target = use the night sights and you wont be sorry.
Another use of the night sights is in total darkness of my bedroom,I can find my pistol AND the flashlight at the top of the slide USING the night sights
We shot with and without night sights at firearms instr school,it was VERY obvious as to why the night sights are sold.
as long as you can I.D. your intended target = use the night sights and you wont be sorry.
Another use of the night sights is in total darkness of my bedroom,I can find my pistol AND the flashlight at the top of the slide USING the night sights
mokin
Member
Good job on getting out in the dark. I haven't done any shooting in the dark since the military. It's started to weigh on me. With the weather the way it is I doubt I'll get to it anytime soon. Kudos to all of you who get out there and do it.
M2 Carbine
member
I do a good bit of low light/dark shooting (home range). I guess I average about three evenings a week.
Over the years I've found that nothing compares to a laser, or better yet a gun mounted laser/light like the Streamlight TLR-2, for speed and accuracy.
A laser is good when it's too dark to see the iron sights but there's still light enough to identify the target.
Kind of like this.......
....or this......
....or this.
The laser/light is perfect when it's too dark to identify the target.
Like this..........
......or this.
Over the years I've found that nothing compares to a laser, or better yet a gun mounted laser/light like the Streamlight TLR-2, for speed and accuracy.
A laser is good when it's too dark to see the iron sights but there's still light enough to identify the target.
Kind of like this.......
....or this......
....or this.
The laser/light is perfect when it's too dark to identify the target.
Like this..........
......or this.
Queen_of_Thunder
member
A local indoor range twice a month turns he lights out in one bay and lowers them in the other. I now try to shoot once a month under no light conditions. Its good training.
Kingcreek
Member
A while back I had rented an excavator to tear down an old wooden farm building. I dug a big hole to burn it in and bury what was left. The result was a BIG dirt pile next to a smoking pit. As it was getting dark I thought this is too good to waste and called a couple shooting buddies. I set up target stands and steel targets and we shot in the dark with swirling smoke and by truck headlight. We shot shotguns, pistols and carbines with and without lights and lasers. Great practice. There is a range an hour away that offers a low light training class. I'm probably going to do it when it warms up a little this spring. -10 on the thermo this morning.
Yeah, shooting pistols in the cold really sucks. A lot. Especially if you have to reload magazines with cold ammo. I can't do that with gloves on and it numbs the fingers, which then makes shooting real painful.
I'm lucky in that I can shoot off my back deck whenever I want.
My next goal is to shoot different types of gunpowder out of my 45 to see what effects it has on muzzleflash. I've heard some powders are MUCH better for night shooting than others.
I'm lucky in that I can shoot off my back deck whenever I want.
My next goal is to shoot different types of gunpowder out of my 45 to see what effects it has on muzzleflash. I've heard some powders are MUCH better for night shooting than others.
MtnCreek
Member
Ramshot Silhouette gives great velocity and muzzle flash is noticeably less than similar powders I've used.
Thanks MtnCreek. I've never tried Silhouette before, I'll give it a try!!!
I found Bullseye and Unique are sure eye openers after dark. One of them (can't remember which now) gave more orangish flames that didn't hurt my night vision quite as bad. The other just left me blind as a bat.
I found Bullseye and Unique are sure eye openers after dark. One of them (can't remember which now) gave more orangish flames that didn't hurt my night vision quite as bad. The other just left me blind as a bat.
Yes, Cooper and others who claim that luminous sights don't help are definitely out in left field someplace. Even with a flashlight, the luminous sights help you hit more quickly, because you dn't have to "hunt for" your sight alignment. Today's 3 dot systems are quite inferior to the setup I had, one dot under the other.
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