[fredhead]

When I was a teen my Dad was teaching me to shoot his Czech .32 semi-auto he had brought back from the war. we had set up some targets at the edge of the woods and he was teaching me one handed, you know arm straight out, using the sights. He missed almost the same as he hit.

Mom comes out, asks to give it a try. She points the pistol without sighting, empties the 8-round magazine, and only misses two.

Louis L'Amour always stated that you aim by pointing your finger.

[marktwain]

It is a technique that can work at very close range. It works best if you bring up the pistol so that it is between your eye and the target. Then your brain does subconscious aiming for you, because you can see where the pistol is pointing.

It is a controversy to this day, but the shots who win the "practical" shooting matches all use the sights, and have practiced so much that aiming is a conditioned reflex.

Pistols are much harder to shoot well than rifles or shotguns. The reason that so many people are lousy pistol shots is because of bad habits or lack of any training.