The notch and post system sight picture will only tolerate minimal movement before it gives the appearance that you will miss. But the large front dot and shallow "V" rear system provides a picture that does not seem to be saying you will miss. This helps shooters learn proper trigger control faster and easier.

Hand position is an important aspect of accurate handgun shooting. The web of the shooting hand should be tightly inserted into the web of the grip on a semiautomatic pistol.

This is not a new discovery. When the famous Western gunfighter Bat Masterson ordered two Peacemakers from Colt in 1885 he specifically requested they come with a front sight that was "a little higher and thicker than the ordinary pistol of this kind."

However, if your purpose for a handgun is hunting or precision target work, you will be better served with a more traditional sight. If you are just learning to shoot a handgun, and intend on using a handgun for personal protection or for participation in one of the many practical shooting disciplines, consider the large dot and shallow "V" rear sights.

One very important and often-debated aspect of handgun shooting deals with hand position. The web of your shooting hand should be tightly inserted into the web of the grip on a semiautomatic pistol or as high as comfortable on a revolver.

DOES SPEED MATTER?

Let's face it. A handgun is a defensive gun, which means it is a reactionary gun. For a reaction to be effective it must be fast. The "quickdraw" seemed to die off with the Wild West gunfighters, but to an extent it has a place. Those who look to a handgun for protection should be prepared to employ it swiftly and at a moment's notice. How fast? The answer is as simple as it is complex: As fast as you can. Well-trained police officers can draw their handguns and hit the vital zone of a human target at seven yards in less than three seconds; competition shooters can do it in half that time.

The handgun's barrel should be an extension of--point in the same direction as--your forearm when your wrist is straight. This will help you better control recoil and reach the trigger comfortably. The support hand should wrap around the shooting hand, and your thumbs should be extended or folded comfortably. Many shooters find that extending their thumbs in a relaxed manner makes it easier to manipulate the trigger without jerking.

The support hand should wrap around the shooting hand, and the thumbs should be extended or folded comfortably.

The position most often debated is the position of the body and arms. In general terms the body should be slightly canted forward from the hips, arms fully extended, and the feet shoulder-width apart. Beyond that, it is really personal preference. This was best described by famous exhibition shooter Ed McGivern over 30 years ago in Ed McGivern's Book of Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting. He said, "In my estimation there is no one best position that is suitable for everybody. The main object to be considered is steadiness and comfort, freedom from muscular strain, discomfiture or fatigue."

Regardless of your body position, it all falls back on sight alignment and trigger control. If you can keep the sights aligned and operate the trigger until the handgun fires without disturbing that alignment, you will hit the target even if you are standing on your head or sitting on a stump. Master pistolsmith and top-level IPSC shooter Jerry Dove considers the practice of sight alignment and trigger control essential elements of every range session for a handgunner.