So I noticed today at the range that the point of aim/point of impact on my M&P with newly installed Warren Tactical sights lies underneath the tritium front dot. I’m not so much a fan. I prefer the POA/POI to be just above the front sight post so I can see what the crap I am shooting at. This got me to wondering what you all prefer and why?
my glock 19 and HK p7 both hit right behind the dot on the front sight. I prefer that. For one thing i didn’t buy these guys to shoot bullseye, so lining it up so that the bullseye is right over my sight isn’t really what i’m doing. I think it makes more sense to my lizard brain to set the dot where i want the hole.
as with anything else, your mileage may vary.
I can relate to that.
I am no bulls-eye shooter either. I only care about making hits anywhere on an 8" circle at distance.
Pistols are like rifles, only less dramatic and it gets less airplay (unless your concerned about hitting bullet holes at 3 yards and X rings at 25…)
So, depending on your sights and height over bore and individual gun you need to shoot that gun and see where it hits at what range.
My G17 with Hack sights hits at the dot inside 5, and is just over the tip of the post at 25.
A few years back I put an Ashley Express ghost ring, and trit front post on my guide gun, and promptly adjusted the sights so that POI was above the post- happy with the precision I could get from her. Imagine my surprise a year or two later when I took a shot at a deer in light just low enough to see the trit dot better than the post, and hit him in the spine instead of the lungs. Who knew? I readjusted the sights to put POI under the dot. I didn’t think about that when I adjusted them the first time- I’m glad the deer didn’t suffer for my dumbassness. I’ll take all my short range guns with the holes under the dot, thank you.
This.
I believe warrens are a six o’clock hold past 7 yards. I THINK Mr Warren designed them this way on purpose to make headshots at 15 yards a little easier.
I might be talking out of my rear end so someone correct me if im wrong.
I know that my Warren sights on my Glock 19 shoot this way.
I prefer to have POI under dot at some 10-20yard, then have POI (area) cut in half by top of front sight at some 27yard (25m). This is how I set up my pistols (either by adjustable sights, exchanging sights height or even using file on them).
ISSF target shooters prefer to have POI over POA to keep sights on white background under black zone. This makes keeping proper sight picture easier. This way you aim for small strip of white between top of the sights and bottom of black zone.
For dynamic (IPSC/IDPA/USPSA) or combat use this is irrelevant, so POI is usually somewhere around top of front sight or, since sights started to have “dots” of different type, around this dot.
Also remember that different ammo bullet weight and velocity will move POI up or down, so for one ammo POI is under dot, for other just at front sight and for other “pumpkin on the post” target style.
I am under the dot fan fan. To me it’s just more natural to have the dot on the target. So much so I replaced the sight on my AR with a dot.
I’m rather surprised us “under the dot guys” are in the minority. it seems like every stock service pistol shoots under the dot. 
Under/behind the dot. Faster for me, and easier for me to keep my focus on the front dot.
I prefer point of impact to be one to two inches high at 25 yards.
I prescribe to the “shoot the dot” method at 7 yards which works for most of the pistols Ive shot.
I prefer over front sight post. I like my shots where i can see them.
This is an interesting topic and I dont want to start a new thread that basically travels under this topics same heading, so I am going to necro-post.
I have purchased two sets of Warren sights and two extra front sights as well. That being said, please see the two below scenarios:
Glock 34 9mm- Ordered Warren sevigny Blk on Blk sights for competition. Loved the combination of wide rear notch, thin front sight + serrations to help with the Southern Nevada sun. I shot from a benchrest fully supprted to check “zero” (point of aim/point of impact) and noticed that the gun printed 6-10" high at 25 yards, this was shooting multiple brands of 124gr FMJ factory. I figured perhaps it was the longer sight radius and ordered the taller front sight post. Now the impact is too low…
Glock 17Gen4- Ordered the Warren Sevigny Carry pistol sights with the two dot (straight 8 style aiming concept) night sight combo. I noticed the same heigth issues at distance with the same 124gr FMJ style ammo and ordered the taller front sight post at the same time as the G34 front sight post. I am thinking about filing the base of the post down to basically zero the sights to this pistol.
These are two accounts of different pistol lengths so I am wondering if people have the same problems with point of aim/point of impact being so far off. I desire to cut the target in half with the front-top portion of the front sight post and have the bullet land at the top of the front sight blade. I dont want to go to an adjustable rear sight.
Is any one out there having these same issues?
Has any one tried to solve them by modifying the bottom side of their front sight posts in order to preserve the front sight, tritium vial height?
Is there a standard distance to zero pistols to?
I tend to 6:00 hold, so I like above.
I have recently replaced sights on 5 handguns
1.Springfield Loaded- 10-8 High rear and high F/O Front was hoping for a under the dot or right on top of the dot pistol now shoots 6"high at 20yds.
2. Springfield XDM Tru-glo TFO’s 8" High at 20 yds
3. Ruger SR9C Meprolite night sights 8" high at 15 yds
4. CZ P01 Meprolite night sights 4" high at 20 yds
5. CZ 75B CZ Custom tactical rear with FO front 4" high at 20 yds
The TFO’s were just completely fubared from the start as I cant see wanting a 200yd zero on a handgun.
the 10-8 and CZ Custom sights seem to be ment as competition sights so I can understand the 6 oclock hold for them but will be going with taller fronts to get closer to point of aim.
The Meprolite matched sets should be right under the dot for defensive purposes but are not.
Victorious…
What front sight heights did you end up installing?
Just to clarify, you’re shooting LOW at 25 yards?
Edit - responded to OP which is necro…
This is something that is horribly overlooked.
Everyone should understand their pistol POA/POI and if possible take the time to sight in their handgun. For close range shooting it doesn’t make much of a difference when trying to hit another person’s torso, but past 10 yards it starts to show - and when the shots get harder it means more and more. Without getting adjustable sights, you can still push a rear sight left/right with a sight pusher and here is an easy guide on understanding sight height - http://www.dawsonprecision.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=SIGHTS+FRONT. There is some math involved but knowing what your correct sight height is, using the right sights, and benchrest verification is where mechanical accuracy with a handgun starts. Most of the time if you want to buy a sight set, manufacturers have already figured out what is right for the gun you want, but it never hurts to doublecheck. If you’re going to mix/match sights then it is an especially good idea to do this, or at least understand this, and understand your POA/POI.
Magsz- Yes I am hitting low. the second front sight post I purchased is the .245 (as opposed to the factory .215).
I just figure that we zero our rifles for the reason that we want to hit where we point them at distance. Why not zero the pistol and ensure that we can hit at distance as well?