I was at the range the other day and mentioned 6 o'clock hold to a couple young shooters next to me and they asked what that was. I guess I took for granted everyone knew what that was. If you are using center POA you may want to try a 6 o'clock or sub 6 o clock hold for target shooting. Here is a link with a short explanation and I added a sample sight picture. Sight Picture Fundamentals | Beacon Brass
when i joined the ncng long range rifle team, the coach tried to teach me to shoot using a 6 o'clock hold. i was reluctant to change from center mass hold so he secretly had my sights modified so i would HAVE to hold 6 o'clock to get a center hit.
I think that the wide spread use of optical sights has conditioned people to hold center mass. a red dot or cross hairs doesn't obstruct the target like iron sights do. the exception being the peep sight.
I hold center. If the diameter of the target changes, your 6 o'clock hold is no longer gonna put your point of impact in the center of the target. You'll be forced to lower your point of aim as the bulls eye diameter increases. If you're shooting at a golf ball, no big deal, but try the same shot from 35 feet at a 12" diameter bulls eye. Do you adjust your scopes to shoot center with a 6 o'clock hold? Not me....
The way it was 'splained to me during boot camp...the 6 o'clock hold will pretty much compensate for projectile ballistics (bullet trajectory) for targets that might be a distance other then the range for which the sights are actually set...sorta gives the bullet a 'depth of field' capability. It eliminated for the constant readjusting of the sights for terrain and distance compensation during a combat scenerio. It seemed to work pretty good for a moving target making a frontal assault...aim at the targets gonads and he'll move himself into a gut or chest hit.
The military (Marine Corps) taught this method until it adopted the M-16...then they seemed to switch over to the POA-POI concept. I don't know what the Corps teaches now...point and cut loose...maybe.
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Last edited by oldjarhead; 07-21-2012 at 09:04 AM.
the reason for the 6 o'clock hold is that it provides a more consistant poa (better reference point) in iron sight target shooting
sight adjustments are made and recorded for different ranges (thus different size bulls)
this hold is meant for target shooting, not combat nor hunting or using a scope
the reason for the 6 o'clock hold is that it provides a more consistant poa (better reference point) in iron sight target shooting
sight adjustments are made and recorded for different ranges (thus different size bulls)
this hold is meant for target shooting, not combat nor hunting or using a scope
Geez...I guess the Marine Corps got it all wrong during WW II, Korea, and early part of VietNam...**** them marksmanship hats at Camp Mathews training a million plus Marines the wrong way! Tsk, tsk
I feel so enlightened now.
__________________ If ya don't know where I've been and ya don't know where I'm going, your opinions of me don't count.
I've been watching and waiting to see if this was going to somehow start to make sense.
I didn't.
Try it. Set out two targets at 25 feet..... one of 'em a 2" diameter, and one of 'em a 12" diameter bulls eye.
Set your sights so that when you sight in at the 6 o'clock edge of the 2" bull, you hit center of that bull. now go shoot at the 12" bull.... you have to reset your sights every time the target diameter changes, if you expect to come close to the bull.
If you set your original sights to aim at center, hit center, you can shoot at any target with decent results, assuming that bullet drop doesn't become a factor at longer ranges.
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i use the time honored
close eyes and white knuckle modified billy stance as taught by the lake Titicaca royal coast guard.
The Lake Titicaca 'royal coast guard' on the Bolivian side is known as the Fuerza Naval Boliviano, meaning Bolivian Naval force. Seems funny that a land locked country has a Navy. I've been to that lake many times. The Trucha is delicious.
I lived and worked in Bolivia and came home with a really great wife from La Paz.
Here's a little military trivia about the Bolivian Navy. Military Trivia
Sorry for the thread hijack. =^)
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Try it. Set out two targets at 25 feet..... one of 'em a 2" diameter, and one of 'em a 12" diameter bulls eye.
Set your sights so that when you sight in at the 6 o'clock edge of the 2" bull, you hit center of that bull. now go shoot at the 12" bull.... you have to reset your sights every time the target diameter changes, if you expect to come close to the bull.
If you set your original sights to aim at center, hit center, you can shoot at any target with decent results, assuming that bullet drop doesn't become a factor at longer ranges.
'..you have to reset your sights every time the target diameter changes..'
I'm sorry, but if that was meant to clear things up...
It didn't.
Why on earth would I want to have to keep changing how my gun is sighted in?
'If you set your original sights to aim at center, hit center, you can shoot at any target..'
That part makes sense. The aim low part gives me a brain cramp.
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Maybe it's because I have older eyes but for me there's not enough contrast in color when I aim center. The 6 o'clock hold gives me that contrast which makes it easier for me to see. I also use the same target when I shoot so that's not a problem. It's really about preference and what works for you.
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