Sight-in distance for fixed sight .38 special?

[flightsimmer]

Hi guys and girls;

I have a new fixed sight .38 special handgun. It shoots dead center and a little low (3") at 7 yards as tested so far, ideal I'd say if you want to regulate it to a specific ammo.
Now I have my own idea on what distance to sight it in on, probably 50 ft. with 125 gn. +P ammo, but I would like to hear the opinion of others who shoot the .38 special.
I'm an old bullseye target shooter and I use the 6 o'clock hold method, so a 50 ft. regulation target seems a good compromise for all around use.
What say you?

10mm, when you care enough to send the very best.

 

[jfdavis58]

If you have a 'fixed sights' firearm, what exactly are you going to do with sight-in data? Lets just say for the sake of discussion that we all go with your fifty foot target to gun process. Are you going to file the front post down (or somehow extend it if that is the needed 'adjustment') or drift the rear sight in some fashion (or is it truly FIXED)?

I have at least one fixed sight gun. I found some ammo that shoots to the same point of impact with the gun well rested on sandbags. I memorized that POI and checked other distances. Then I mentally compensated: "a bit blah and a bit yay" until I could repeatedly make the POI be at the center of mass. Took a few hundred rounds. When I carry that gun (or shoot it), I use that ammo. Distance to target for sight-in practicality, varied.

You would need to show me another process (that works) before I give up any more 'secrets'.

 

[Sam1911]

If you're using a 6-o'clock hold, that's about perfect. A fixed-sight gun is generally a defensive weapon rather than a bulls-eye gun, so it will be best regulated to shoot directly to point-of-aim. (Bad guys tend to not have bulls-eyes on their vital zones. )

So, printing groups a few inches low, when your sights are actually pointing at the bottom of a bulls-eye will be just right.

At normal handgun distances, there isn't really any bullet drop compensation to worry about. If your technique is good, and the gun shoots to point-of-aim at 7 yards, it should shoot to point-of-aim at 25 yards, too.

 

[Ole Coot]

At my age and at that distance I can't see the sights anyway but I have been point shooting with J frames and other fixed sighted handguns for 50+yrs and at SD distance I really don't need them. I doubt if necessary and your situational awareness wasn't in high gear you would point and pull. I recommend point shooting practice for confidence and I guarantee you will forget the sights when the SHTF.

 

[Bovice]

I agree with Ole Coot, at the distance that you'll be needing your self defense weapon you will be much faster using point shooting. I've never set out to practice point shooting specifically, to me it came by doing a lot of practical shooting. After a while, you coordinate your line of sight with where the muzzle is pointing without even lining up the sights. You'll know you've got it down when you shoot at a target and the rounds hit exactly where you're looking. When this happens for me, the gun is in the lower part of my field of vision.

It's pretty cool!

 

[BCRider]

First thing I'd do is switch to a heavier 158gn bullet if you're shooting lighter stuff. The longer time spent in the barrel will raise the POI a little. My own 6 inch barrel M10 shoots nicely to POA when I use 158gn LRN ammo and a little low with 125gn JHP's that are known to be stouter loads.

On the other hand 148gn target wadcutter loads are soft as all getout but shoot nicely to POA.

All in all it depends on what you're going to use the gun for. If you'll be using it consistently with 125gn jacketed +P's for defense and practice then cut down the front sight to zero it in so it works with your 6 o'clock or the "split" top of the sight method. Your choice. But once you do that it'll be the same as any other fixed sight gun and it'll only shoot with a limited number of loads for each bullet weight that lift the muzzle the correct amount before jetting forth into free space.

 

[Jeb21]

50 ft seems correct for a sight in distance of a fixed sight 38 special revolver.

 

[Old Fuff]

In times long gone, Smith & Wesson and Colt test fired revolvers @ 20 yards using "standard" ammunition for the model. In this case it would be the old police 158-grain lead R.N.

At 7 yards the trajectory is going up, so it should hit low. At 20 to 25 yards I would expect it to be closer to center.

If the revolver was made during the late 1960's onward, you may find it shoots to point-of-aim at 20 yards using 125-grain Plus-P ammunition.

It pays to experiment, but not at 7-yards.

 

[timothy75]

Id just make a note of how far i could keep my shots on a paper plate with a center hold. The put a full size silhouete target out to 25yards or further to see where to aim in a worst case scenario. Good luck

 

[flightsimmer]

I think I found the answer I was looking for at this web site.
http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_trajectory_table.htm and also
http://www.handloads.com/calc/
The handgun in question is a single action "fun gun", not especially intended for self defence but if needed for that I wouldn't need the sights anyway.
What I was trying to find is described in the links, the all around usefull elevation for practical shooting distances for the .38 special.
Now all I have to do is decide.

10mm, when you care enough to send the very best.

 

[Ole Coot]

One other thing besides point shooting I personally do is not be fixated by distance. Seven, fifteen, twenty, twenty five yds. really doesn't mean much in real world SD. I find I cover everything by shooting at non-measured distances. I don't think the BG will be at a distance you practiced. I use soda cans and "walk" them out. This gives me my practical distance for point and aimed fire practice besides dry fire every day. I was taught to shoot a handgun by WWII vets in E. KY and they knew of what they taught me, same with other weapons.

 

[doc.lonestar]

for my ruger lcr in .38 (I use whitebox jhp +p) I find that it poa is spot on for up to 7 yards. When pushing out to 15 yards I have to adjust up slightly, but is very accurate. For defense purposes (read not range fun) 5-7 yards for a snubbie is good range to be at, with some time in at longer distance for experience.

 

[BCRider]

One other thing besides point shooting I personally do is not be fixated by distance. Seven, fifteen, twenty, twenty five yds. really doesn't mean much in real world SD. I find I cover everything by shooting at non-measured distances. I don't think the BG will be at a distance you practiced. I use soda cans and "walk" them out. This gives me my practical distance for point and aimed fire practice besides dry fire every day. I was taught to shoot a handgun by WWII vets in E. KY and they knew of what they taught me, same with other weapons.

All you wrote there is very true. It's why I prefer to shoot in the local matches of various sorts which emphasises the variability by putting various sizes of targets out at various distances and under various conditions. It's not a perfect training for any SD situation but it's better than standing at a bench shooting at fixed targets at fixed distances. And it's more fun as well. Along with that having an RO with a timer behind you does inject a little stress and adrenaline into the picture as well.

 

[Nushif]

I use soda cans and "walk" them out.

I used to do that, too, but then I found a ballistics cube or whatever they're called. But yes, realistically with any fixed sight gun, which you don't plan on filing away at the whole notion of zeroing is more for your benefit than the gun's. 8)
Kentucky windage is a valuable skill to have in either case.