Close, Medium, Far: Manage Your Sight Picture for Max Accuracy

Winchester's Becky Yackley explains how your pistol sight picture should change when the distance to the target does.

posted on June 29, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Becky Yackley is many things: champion competitive shooter, hunter, writer, Winchester brand ambassador, mother and expert mentor. She's been helping women of all skill levels achieve on the firing line for years, and she's happy to share her secrets. Top among those secrets is the fact that your sight picture—meaning the way that your handgun's sights relate to one another and to the target—needs to change just a little depending on how far away you are from your target.

In this video from Winchester Ammunition, Yackley will shoot from three distances: one that's nearly close enough to touch, one further back and one a full 150 feet away. These various distances are called "target presentations," and that's relevant both for competitive shooters and for self-defenders. At very close ranges, as Yackley notes, your sight picture is really secondary to what you need to do, which is essentially treat the gun as if it were your index finger, point, and then shoot. (Hence the term "point shooting.")

Further back, the sight picture becomes increasingly important, because the margin for error becomes narrower. Once you've retreated to 15 yards, it becomes important to align the sights side to side and top to bottom before squeezing the trigger. So what does that look like in practice? Let Yackley walk you through the steps of close, medium and far and you'll start to get the (sight) picture.

Latest

Yackely Slugs Buckshot Photo By Yackley
Yackely Slugs Buckshot Photo By Yackley

Slugs and Buck Shot: Why You Should Have Both for your Shotgun

Having a supply of ammunition, especially if it makes your firearm useful in multiple situations, will keep you prepared for the unexpected.

Honest Self-Assessment Tips to Improve Shooting Skills

Using a video camera and a timer is one easy way to identify where progress can be made. 

3 Lessons My Students Taught Me

The best instructor never stops being a student. Here's what you can learn from yours.

The Armed Citizen® October 23, 2026

A woman who was being stalked finally put an end to it on her own (with help from a little friend). 

A Responsible Offense Helps with a Credible Defense

If you ever have to defend yourself in court, all sorts of things in your past will be called into question.

Women for Gun Rights Announces Inaugural 2026 Award Recipients at National Summit Gala

Four distinguished honorees were recognized for outstanding contributions to Second Amendment advocacy, leadership and service.

Women's Interests



Get the best of NRA Women delivered to your inbox.