One of the biggest concepts I first learned when I started shooting was what sight picture to use at different distances. This is called the focal continuum and it’s what we will be covering today on this Colt Pro Tip.

I have four targets set up at four different distances. One at five yards. One at 10 yards. One at 15 yards and one at 25 yards. 

I have set these targets up at those yardages because those are the yards where your vision pretty much needs to change. The focus on your front sight and targets needs to change in order to get better hits and great speed.

In the focal continuum your eyes need to be aligned with the front and the rear sight and the targets. 

At five yards, you are going to do what we call point shooting, rear and front sight are going to be blurry while the target is going to be clear.

At ten yards, you’re going to bring the focus from the target back to the front and the rear sight, a little bit more, but not quite all the way. 

At 15 yards, you’re going to make sure that your sights are centered on the target and you’re going to bring the focus back, almost all the way back to the front sight.

Then at 25 yards or more, you’re going to have a crystal-clear front sight picture, that is going to be very hard focus. The target will be quite blurry, but still enough that you can see everything. 

As you start shooting this sequence, for the closer targets you use point shooting, which allows you to go quicker. When you go further out with your targets the sequence slows down, so you can give more respect to each target.

I am using a Colt Gold Cup Trophy in Nine Millimeter, but you can use whatever firearm you wish, because you are practicing the concept of the focal continuum in this drill. 

I have used a shot timer and I like to stay under the three second mark when shooting this drill, but you don’t have to because you are practicing aiming at the targets and seeing what you need to see and letting your hits dictate the speed in which you will shoot those targets.

If you practice this drill I guarantee you’ll become a better shooter.