How to Sight a Pistol

When you own a pistol, you don’t need to be told about the importance of accuracy. The difference between an accurate and an inaccurate pistol can be crucial when out in the field or world, which is why it’s your responsibility to ensure that your pistol is sighted correctly for an accurate shot.

But maybe this is your first pistol and you aren’t quite sure how to sight a pistol? You’re in luck! We’ve got a step-by-step guide that will teach you how to sight a pistol, as well as some prerequisites that you should know about before getting into handgun sight adjustment.

Prerequisites

Believe it or not, not everyone can accurately sight a pistol. There are a few different prerequisites that you must take into consideration before you undergo the process of sighting a pistol.

Ability to Shoot a Group

First and foremost, in order to accurately sight a pistol, you need to be able to shoot a group. What does that mean? It means that you must be able to accurately place your shots near each other on a target. If your shots are spread out over a target and aren’t consistently located in a specific spot, then you won’t be able to accurately adjust your sights.

It doesn’t matter if you’re consistently hitting the spot you’re aiming for — in fact, that’s why you’re working on sighting your pistol. What matters most is that wherever you are hitting the target, you’re hitting it consistently.

Being Consistent

Speaking of consistency, once you’re consistently hitting one spot on the target, you’ll want to keep the consistency going in terms of not only the quality of your shooting but also the quantity of your shooting. The more you can get out and shoot at targets, the better your chances of a perfectly sighted pistol will be.

This will also make you a more confident, more comfortable, and overall better shooter, which will have more of an impact on your aim than any sighting will. It’s all a part of a process of becoming the best shooter you possibly can — the more you can shoot, the better you and your pistol will naturally become.

Making Adjustments

Once you are shooting groups on a consistent basis, you can finally start to make changes to the hardware of your weapon. The reason you want to wait until you’re consistent is so that you aren’t making any hasty changes to your gun, which can make your shooting even more erratic.

When you make adjustments, you want to make them slowly and far between. This will give you plenty of shots and reps to determine if you made the correct adjustment before you go and change things to make things worse. Be patient with the process and make gradual changes until you are consistently hitting the bullseye. It will come, but it takes time.

Sighting in a Pistol Scope: The Step-by-Step Process

If your pistol has a scope, then your process will look slightly different. Here are the steps you should follow to make it happen:

Use a Bore Sighting Tool if Possible

If you have access to one, a bore sighting tool will make your pistol sighting process a much smoother and easier experience. It’s a tool that holds your weapon still in a vice so that you can ensure you’re getting a consistent shot every single time. This makes it easy for you to be confident in making your adjustments and getting the best shot possible. If you’re serious about getting the most accurate shot possible, then you’ll want to use a bore sighting tool.

Start Off Close

If you don’t have a bore sighting tool, then you’ll have to sight your weapon by hand. Hand-done pistol sight adjustment is best accomplished by starting off close to the target. Start by shooting 10 yards away. Are you hitting the target in a consistent spot? If not, you’ll want to shoot until you find your shots are grouping together well. Take your time with each shot and make it the best shot you possibly can. This will help you to ensure that you get the best results in the process.

Slowly Move Back

As you start to consistently hit shots, you can slowly start to move back and see if you’re getting the same results. With a scope, you’ll want to get comfortable with your shooting when shooting from various distances. This will not only help you sight your pistol better, but it will also make you more comfortable with shooting a pistol with a scope, which can be challenging for some people. Slowly move backward and make sure that your shooting is happening within a group so that you can be confident within the tuning process.

Tune it In

Once you start hitting shots consistently from a variety of distances, you’ll want to start tuning your scope so that it adjusts to your shooting patterns. The more practice you can put in, the more your shooting will zero in, which is the main goal. Tune your scope and then try shooting from various sights. If you can do this accurately, then you will know that you’re in good shape for the field.

Protect Your Ears While Reducing Recoil

Now that your pistol is sighted and ready to go, you’ll want to do whatever you can to stay true to your aim and give yourself the best chance possible out in the field. One of the best ways you can do that is to add a suppressor from Silencer Central. A silencer can help you not only protect your ears when you’re shooting, but it can also reduce your recoil and help you make a steadier shot. Learn more about Silencer Central or drop us a line if you’re interested in learning more about how to buy a suppressor!

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