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**JohnKSa** · July 13, 2017, 10:55 PM

Follow through is not really the same thing as what you focus your eyes on. In fact, nothing in your last post is really about follow-through.

Your eyes shouldn't follow the front sight during recoil but you do need to keep track of the front sight if you want to be able to hit something past a couple yards of distance.

When shooting multiple targets, generally the best (fastest) shooters actually look at the next target and then let the gun catch up with their eyes, shooting when the sights are on the target, then look at the next target and repeat.

Choosing whether to focus on the target or the sights is sort of a non-productive endeavor. You obviously have to see both to make hits. How well you have to see depends on the distance and the size of the target. A large close target doesn't require a careful focus on either the sights or the target. But if you need to make a precision shot you're going to need to see the sights pretty clearly to make sure they're aligned properly. And since you can't focus on two different distance objects at the same time, if you have a very clear focus on the sights, your focus on the target will have to blur a little.

For self-defense shooting, it's likely you'll focus more on what could take your life than on the sights. That's why you need to have enough practice/training so that the process of getting the gun on target with the sights aligned and pulling the trigger without jerking the gun is second nature.

If you don't have that level of skill then you're going to either point and spray or focus on the sights very carefully and have difficulty keeping track of what's going on downrange. The former is FAR more likely than the latter.

What you DO need to do is to keep your eyes open while you're shooting. A lot of shooters blink involuntarily BEFORE the shot breaks. This keeps them from noticing that they're flinching and also makes it hard for them to shoot rapidly and transition from one target to another. If you don't see the muzzle flash on a fairly regular basis then you're blinking before the shot and flinching.

July 13, 2017, 10:55 PM	#37
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 25,002	Follow through is not really the same thing as what you focus your eyes on. In fact, nothing in your last post is really about follow-through. Your eyes shouldn't follow the front sight during recoil but you do need to keep track of the front sight if you want to be able to hit something past a couple yards of distance. When shooting multiple targets, generally the best (fastest) shooters actually look at the next target and then let the gun catch up with their eyes, shooting when the sights are on the target, then look at the next target and repeat. Choosing whether to focus on the target or the sights is sort of a non-productive endeavor. You obviously have to see both to make hits. How well you have to see depends on the distance and the size of the target. A large close target doesn't require a careful focus on either the sights or the target. But if you need to make a precision shot you're going to need to see the sights pretty clearly to make sure they're aligned properly. And since you can't focus on two different distance objects at the same time, if you have a very clear focus on the sights, your focus on the target will have to blur a little. For self-defense shooting, it's likely you'll focus more on what could take your life than on the sights. That's why you need to have enough practice/training so that the process of getting the gun on target with the sights aligned and pulling the trigger without jerking the gun is second nature. If you don't have that level of skill then you're going to either point and spray or focus on the sights very carefully and have difficulty keeping track of what's going on downrange. The former is FAR more likely than the latter. What you DO need to do is to keep your eyes open while you're shooting. A lot of shooters blink involuntarily BEFORE the shot breaks. This keeps them from noticing that they're flinching and also makes it hard for them to shoot rapidly and transition from one target to another. If you don't see the muzzle flash on a fairly regular basis then you're blinking before the shot and flinching. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?