One of the most important things to do before you take any gun out to shoot is inspect and familiarize yourself with it. Each gun is different and has its own unique properties that set them apart from one another and learning to operate each one safely should be one of your top priorities. Another factor that is important to account for in a gun before you start shooting is its mechanical offset, also known as sight offset.
What is Sight Offset?
Mechanical offset refers to the distance between the center bore of the gun’s barrel and the sights or optics you use to aim. This distance is different based on the type of firearm that you are using. With rifles, the sight offset usually sits around one to three inches whereas handguns stay at fractions of an inch.
Why Does Sight Offset Matter?
Sight offset comes into play most often when shooting from behind cover or with an object as a base. This is because with the sight offset, a scope may be clear of the object, but the bore-axis isn’t. This means that you may have a clear line of sight with your target, but with the bore-axis still behind an object, you would still be shooting at a wall.
Accounting for Sight Offset
Before you start shooting, take a good look at your gun and become familiar with its own mechanical offset. Practice in an open shooting range to get a feel for how your particular gun operates.
If you’re looking for a great place to practice shooting a wide variety of guns with all different types of mechanical offset, book one of our gun range packages at the Vegas Machine Gun Experience.
