[rachilders]

I was sighting in a gun the other day and after I'd finished, my wife asked a question that made me stop and rethink the process I'd just spent over an hour completing.

I was sighting in a SBR (I have the class III stamp so it's legal) I'd recently built and my wife suggested that the gun could be put to good use as a home defense weapon. I said it sounded like a good plan to me and since I have several different sights on the gun (red dot, laser and iron sights), I began the task of coordinating and adjusting the various sights on the gun so the points of impact would be the same at the same distance, 50 yards in this case. FYI, that's about the maximum distance I can shoot in my yard directly before encountering a fence or building.

After I was finished, my wife asked what I'd been doing and then said 50 yards was a long way to shoot at something if this gun was intended as a HOME defense gun vs. a PROPERTY defense weapon. She then asked where to aim the gun if a BG was already in our house since it was sighted in for 150 feet, not 15. I told her at 15 feet, just point at the COM and pull the trigger.

Anyway, she got me thinking and I'm considering a change in how I zeroed in my sights. I'd leave the laser zeroed at 50 yards, but change the red dot to impact POA at 50 feet (the max direct line of sight in my house). The adjustment change on the fixed sight is so close at either point that any change would be negligible. My thought is the laser could be used outside while the red dot would be used inside the house. My iron sights would still be there as a back-up or alternative to the optics.

Any thoughts would be appreciated on whether I'm making something out of nothing and it's not worth the trouble, or is having sights zeroed for different distances a good way to go? FWIW, this is not an optics vs. iron sights thread but rather is it a good idea to have various sights (if they're available) have a POA/POI set at different distances to better your chances of hitting what you're aiming at?

BTW, this is the SBR I mentioned.

[danf_fl]

IMO SD s/b K.I.S.S.
(In my opinion, self defense should be keep it simply simple)

The less bells and whistles I have to play with, the better.

Run the gun in a "hurried" manner on the range at the different distances. Then let the spouse do the same (cuz she may have to take up the firearm).
Changing sighting devices (and remembering what device does what) could be a distraction from the intended target.

[Retaks]

My AR only has an Eotec on it. Sighted in at 50 yards. Anything id need to shoot from 50 yard and closer i know i would hit no prob. My farthest shot is about 40 feet inside and i use my XDM for that unless im in the basement where my AR stays.

[Buckethead47]

Having it sighted at 50 feet should be fine for hd. at 7 yards I wouldn't be worried if my sights are off. If they were off it would be minuscule at closer range.

[dango]

Most all people that served for this great country learned to shoot from the hip ,quick fire, no sighting. The safest way to practice this is with a good old fashioned BB gun. It's super fast and easy to master , that is hit center mass Give it a try plus It's fun !

[BenLuby]

I think I'd opt for a shotgun for home defense.

[Ranger-6]

All my personal protection, CCW handguns are set bullseye, zero, center mass at 30 feet. My defense 4595TS is set bullseye, zero, center mass at 150 feet. From those two baselines it's all an elevation adjustment, and windage is held.

[JTJ]

Center of bore and top of post on an AR is about 2.5". That is the max you will be off at close range if sighted at 50 yards. That will shrink the further the distance from the muzzle.