Project Appleseed

I've been having pretty good results with using COM sight picture on round highpower targets vs 6 o'clock hold. I think this is due to front sight washing into bottom of aiming black with light changes. I'm taking my M1 to the KD in New Philidelphia OH(lots of room left on the line, by the way,) and I'm wondering if I should stick with COM or try 6 o'clock with the defined horizontal line at the bottom of the d target. Seems like it will be hard to get a defined aim point on a sillhouette compared to splitting the aiming black on a bull target.

Tom

Center Of Mass (COM) is the preferred hold, and is also being instructed as such by the AMU.

Lighting and eyesight with iron sights may invite one to use a 6 o clock hold, but the preferred hold is COM.

With a scope, COM is absolutely the preferred hold.

I used 6 o clock for awhile, and my scores rose when I swapped to COM.

Honestly, it really comes down to what one's personal preference is.  Silhouette targets are HUGE in size and there is not a lot of accuracy to brag about other than I hit 3, 5 or V. 

Either hold on the silhouette will be fine.  But, for accuracy work, COM.  Tough thing if there is no V ring on the silhouette.

If there is a V ring, I would absolutely aim for that.

With my wood rifles, on iron sights like the 03A3 or 1917, I use 6 o clock, because elevation adjustments are difficult and I just don't shoot em enough.  In fact with the 03A3 I use a line of white, and with the 1917, I use bottom of the 8 ring on the left edge of the aiming black!  NO windage adjustment on the 1917 other than drifting the front sight.

The few times a year I shoot the Garand, I use a COM hold and it seems to work well for me.

Eyesight is a BIG deal....if you can see the aiming black well enough, I'd advise to hold COM....I have poor eyesight, and at 600 yards the aiming black had a pretty big halo around it.  I really struggled with a reputable hold and tried COM and 6 o clock.

Another option, and one that would likely have worked....would be a FRAME hold.  Never got to try that since we swaped to the optics.



R/
Chris

I think the answer is "it depends". 

When I am using iron sights with a black front sight post/blade against a black target, I will not infrequently have difficulty ascertaining exactly where the top of the front sight ends.  That tends to lead to vertical stringing.

The "line of white" sight picture can help in that situation, adjusting the sights for a sight picture just slightly lower than the 6 o'clock hold.  The thin line of "white" target between the top of the front sight post prevents the top of the post from blurring into the black target, making it easier to see where the top of the post ends.

On the other hand, if you are not having difficulty seeing the exact top of the front sight post, I think you are better off with a COM hold, especially with an Army "D" or "F" silohette shape.  I do find it difficult to find the exact tranverse center at the bottom of those wide targets.

A COM sight picture will probably also be more versatile if you are at events shooting at targets with different shapes such as the Army E silohette or IDPA targets.