[Tom in Ohio]

I noticed something odd today. I was shooting steel today - a dueling tree - and I noticed that when my eyes' focus began drifting toward the target, I would get some misses and as I maintained a hard focus on the front sight, I slowed down. What was odd was that when my eyes' focus was kind of in between, I was both accurate and fast. The targets were about 6" round and the range was 10yds.

By having a "mid-range" focus, I was able to maintain awareness of the location of the targets - as they kept re-appearing in different positions as my "opponent" shot them back to my side - and I was able to have a pretty good sight picture. Not a hard front sight focus, but a softer focus - not blurry either - just not super clear.

Has anyone else noticed this?

[bkeeler]

You are opening up and starting to see everything!

BK

[Duane Thomas]

I have noticed the same thing. With a hard target focus, the sights are unacceptably blurry. With a hard front sight focus, the targets are unacceptably blurry. Just relax your eyes, however, so your focus is in-between, both the targets and the sights are somewhat blurry but you can easily see both at the same time. Also, this allows you to see the entire plate rack as you're shooting which really helps with transitions.

[Morgan]

I've noticed I do something strange occasionally when I'm on a roll - my visual focus will be on the target, or maybe a little forward of it, but my eyes will be centered stereoscopically on the front sight. So I'm seeing two targets, but in focus, and the sights superimposed, but a bit blurry.

Vary rarely I've noticed the opposite - lens focus on the sight, stereo vision on the target.

I don't make these things happen, they just do - as long as it's working I just observe and shoot.

[Houngan]

My best shooting is usually a combination of focusing on the target, then concentrating on the sight. During the concentration my focus moves back, but I can't say that it comes all the way to the sight on most shots. Maybe 50 yards I can see the flecks on the corners, but in general I focus enough to make it opaque and square.

H.

[bulamike]

I do the same thing with targets in and around 10yds. But I think its more natural because the target itself is closer and on steel there are no specific focal points or bulls. Like shooting on IPSC/IDPA paper, you can get away with your eyes dancing around a bit, but dont try that on 25m Bulls

[1917]

Will have to try that.

[benos]

For moving or unpredictable targets, as long as the shots aren't too hard, a "soft" or "mid-range" focus often works quite well.

To do well, a key is not to believe that you always have to see the same thing.
be

[11.43mm]

I may not explain this well but I heard a noise, the dogs went berserk and I felt I just had to see what was going on outside...the blinds were closed-almost; I could not see, somehow I bobbed my head (the way you've seen owls and disco dancers do it) and the images my brain picked up completed a useful color picture enabling me to identify a silver Silverado which has been tearing up grass and property in the neighborhood. First thought was "what am I missing by not moving through a course of fire?" Second thought was now we got'em. Not unlike a visual doppler effect, I immediately tried to see what all I could see- the faster I bobbed the better the image. Now to get that front sight involved.