Where is your focus

[Duramaximos]

So you're approaching the final step in the sequence of events that ends with you breaking the trigger and firing a round at your intended target. In those last few moments prior to breaking the trigger where are you keenly focused, on the target or on the reticle?

[Scotty454]

I find it easier to estimate the position of a slightly out of focus reticle, rather than an out of focus target (reticle doesn't move relative to sight picture)

Haven't been shooting for very long, but that's what I've found personally. If anyonewith more experience than I has any advice to the contrary, I'd be glad to hear it.

[sillyak]

Assuming you don't have an adjustable objective?

Reticle

It's the thousands of rounds sent down range with iron sights that gets me to do that. You focus on your front sight when shooting irons so it is natural to focus on the reticle for a scope without an adjustable objective.

[Leeper]

I don't have a clue. I just put the crosshairs or dot where I want it to be and pull the trigger. Usually works OK.

[Dick284]

Both.
You must be cognisant of where your reticle is upon the given target.

[Dettah Wolf]

Originally Posted by Leeper

I don't have a clue. I just put the crosshairs or dot where I want it to be and pull the trigger. Usually works OK.

x2

[expmler]

If you are asking if one or the other should be "in focus" the answer is both the target and reticle should be in focus, neither one should be blurry.

If you are asking which on I "focus on" I focus on placing the reticle on the proper place on the intended target, whether that is a bullseye or the vitals of an animal.

[Serenity Farms]

I can't really be 100% sure but I 'feel' like I can see both when I pull the trigger. maybe i'm just imagining seeing the crosshairs though. I do have AO on my scope.

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by Scotty454

I find it easier to estimate the position of a slightly out of focus reticle, rather than an out of focus target (reticle doesn't move relative to sight picture)

Haven't been shooting for very long, but that's what I've found personally. If anyonewith more experience than I has any advice to the contrary, I'd be glad to hear it.

I believe that the OP is referring to where you focus your eyes rather than to whether your reticle or target are out of focus. You reticle is focused by adjusting the ocular lens to match your eye. The reticle moves relative to the sight picture, as you move your eye from the center of the ocular lens, unless it is parallax free. Most scopes used for hunting have are designed to be parallax free at 50 or 100 yards and intended to be used at normal hunting ranges. Scopes intended for accurate close, or long range, hunting or target shooting are equipped with an adjustable objective that allows them to be set parallax free to 500 yards or infinity. A good scope should also focus on the target when it is set parallax free which enables it to be used for range finding.

When using iron sights a shooter must focus his attention on keeping the rear and front sights in alignment with the spot that he is aiming at on the target. In other words he must focus his eyes on three different points.

Peep sights are much like a scope in that your eye automatically centers on the aperture and parallax is virtually eliminated. Therefore the front sight is much like the reticle on a parallax free scope which means that your eyes have only two points to focus on. As well the aperture enhances your eyesight and using a bigger aperture allows more light for tired old eyes or shooting in low light conditions.

However accurate shooting not only requires that a shooter focus on both the reticle and target but that he holds that focus through trigger break and follow-through.

[JD848]

Both have to be applied at the same exact time,one method I used years ago to sharpen my shooting skills was buying a bag of ballons and blow em up and letting them drift across a safe shooing area field or lake.I like the lake more because you could see when both the target and the trigger pull was not happening at the exact moment. Do not go and start shooting across a body of water unless you are in very remote spot and know exactly what is on the other side because that bullet will hit the water and takes off who knows where. The moving target will help with your concentration and eye focus and trigger pull or touch. Or find an area with a safe back ground some rope a tire and a tall tree and place your paper target on a piece of wood inside the tire and let it swing.Practice this for a month and see how your shooting skills improve.GOOD DAY TAKE CARE, also go out pick your shot balloons keep your area clean water or land.

[Duramaximos]

Thanks folks.
I am referring to where you focus your vision/attention when breaking the trigger. Not necessarily about focusing the ocular or objective lenses...although it all might be related.

I have seen a lot of so called top shooters recommend focusing on the reticle for ultimate accuracy.

Personally I've tried both and don't find any measurable difference in my group size.

[gitrdun]

When shooting silhouette style, most absolutely I focus on the target. When shooting bench or F class, I alternate between target and reticle.

[twofifty]

Given the responses, what might matter most in a hunting situations (the instant the animal is known to be legal game & there is a safe background) is how long it takes to get the reticle on target and to release the shot.