If a weapon is sighted correctly and ammunition reliable, the same spot should be hit every time at point-blank range. Point-blank range denotes the distance a marksman can expect to fire a specific weapon and hit a desired target without adjusting its sights. However, since none of the early sources mention a white center target, blanc may refer to empty space or zero point of elevation when testing range. It is thought the word blanc may be used to describe a small white aiming spot formerly at the center of shooting targets. The term point-blank dates to the 1570s and is probably of French origin, deriving from pointé à blanc, 'pointed at white'.

In popular usage, point-blank range has come to mean extremely close range with a firearm, yet not close enough to be a contact shot. Point-blank range will vary by a weapon's external ballistics characteristics and the allowable error at the target the flatter the bullet's trajectory or the larger the target, the longer the point-blank range will be. Therefore point blank range for a deer size target is about 275 metres (300-310 yards). 270 Winchester, as an example, the bullet first crosses the line of sight at about 23 metres (25 yards) as it is rising and has a maximum impact above the line of sight of approximately 75 mm (3 inches) and crosses the line of sight again at about 250 metres (275 yards). This results in a weapon that hits too low for very close targets, too high for intermediate targets, too low for very far targets, and point blank at two distances in between. If the sights are set so that the barrel has a small upward tilt, the bullet starts by rising and later drops. But if the target is close enough, bullet drop will be negligible so the shooter can aim the gun straight at the target. If the bullet leaves the barrel parallel to the sight, the bullet, like any object in flight, is pulled downwards by gravity, so for distant targets, the shooter must point the firearm above the target to compensate. Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. This compensates for bullet drop over a given range. When the bar on the rear sight is raised, the barrel of the rifle points slightly upwards compared to the sights. The ladder sight on an M1917 Enfield rifle.

Point blank performance