Ok my eyes are old, sucks getting old

[bruce381]

Was out last week at range and best I could do was about 2-3 inch at 25 yards various pistols and laods.

Any way I realized I was either holding the BUTT smashed into the rest OR i held it in my hand but NOT touching the rest, Also I'm not consitant with grip.

But is it best to rest butt on rest or in hand above rest? make sense?
Thanks
Bruce

[Blackwater]

Keep the butt off the shooting rest/table. Guns of any kind kick away from any hard substance they encounter while the bullet is still in the barrel, and recoil DOES begin the instant the bullet starts moving from the case. And all us "over the hill bunch" have the eye problem. FWIW, I just got a pair of LPA adj. rear sights for my pair of Commanders, and they're at the gunsmith's now getting the slides milled for low mounting. The key is they have pretty wide, deep notches in the rear and the front shows light on either side when sighted to fire. The rear is a white outline and the front will have a white insert, since I see white best, particularly in low light. This has been a boon for me. I can SEE these sights, and even if they are fuzzy, I can align and "weigh" the proportions pretty darn quick, and get some reasonably good shooting done with them. This may or may not "cure" your eye problem, but it sure has helped me. Can't wait to get them back again. The low mounting should make them just a shade faster, since that's where I've always liked to see my sights, and tend to expect to find them there. All these little things mount up, and as we get older, they can work against us if we let them.

[tazman]

Bruce381---I hear you. I started too late in life. I am just now getting to the place that I can approach what you just complained about.
My eyes are going also. I can no longer see anything like as well as I did 30 years ago. I do what I can with what I've got and keep trying to get the form right even if I can't aim properly any more.
I may need to break down and put optics on my pistols. I really don't like that idea but it may be in my future.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

The butt should not smash into or down onto the rest. That is not the way it works when a pistol is fired from a rest which is often used to test accuracy. Start with the same consistent grip and use it all the time. Hold the gun so that the butt can recoil downward in the hand while you can rest your wrist or forearm on a small pillow or other support. Consistency takes quite a bit of practice; you don't usually succeed with just 10 shots or so. 2 inch groups for openers at 25 yards is not too shabby...its a decent start. Trigger control is essential and that takes practice too. If you know when the "let off" and or detonation will take place, chances are its a lousy shot. Watch out for anticipating the shot/recoil...that is bad. If you have already formed any bad habits they will have to be unlearned first. I shot BE comp for a long time and in the beginning I fought like hell to overcome some of these things before moving on. It took a lot of practice, effort and time, frustration and cussing so don't be discouraged at any point. Be patient, stick with it and good luck. LLS

[zomby woof]

Easy fix. Stop shooting from a bench.

[captaint]

Some of my best revolver shooting has been with my forearms resting on my shooting bag. Hands completely unsupported. Due to my old eyes, I tend to string a little vertically. Just can't get a sharp lineup of the top of the front sight & top of the rear. Just fuzzy, that's all. I have shot my best that way, anyhow.

[ioon44]

I just turned 65 and have to deal with vision issues.

One thing I use is prescription glasses that have two different lens one focuses on the pistol sight and the other at about 25 yards. Shooting with both eyes open it works pretty well.

I also am using Truglo fiber-optic with green rear and red front this great for IDPA.


For bench testing I have a heavy piece of 3/8" plastic mounted at 90deg on a 2"x12" with a v notch to rest the barrel or front of the frame for an auto resting my arms on sandbags.

[fredj338]

I find when bench testing, the butt needs to float or you get kickers. So I rest over the bags with my wrists on the bags. I also shoot a blended bifocal lens. I can still do ok to 50yds with irons on a handgun.

[wv109323]

I find shooting with your forearms supported on a sand bag is as good as anything. Your grip needs to be consistent.
For the iron sights, if you don't wear eyeglasses go to an Rx and get a pair of reading glasses. Take a pencil along and hold the pencil out beyond your extended arm. The point of the pencil will be about where your front sight would be. Buy the strength to get the pencil point in focus.
Or if you wear glasses get a set of clip-on lens that has the right strength as above. Clip-ons are about $15.00.

[Shiloh]

Get used to it.

I went to the eye doctor several years ago and complained I didn't see like I used to. He chuckled and said "And you never will see like you did when you were a younger man." He said his job was the slow the deterioration and to keep my eyes as good as they could be.

Night driving is a lot harder as well.

SHiloh

[popper]

Most of the big-bore revolver shooters I see at the 25 shoot off-hand. One of the RO's does it with the butt on a padded 4x4. That said, 2-3" @ 25 is good for my SA, for me. I can't focus on front & rear but the glow front on my XDs is a great advantage. I practice point&click with the red laser pointer on mine, either hand, no glasses. If practice for hunting, get a scope or R.D.

[JohnH]

Using Red Dots saved my handgun shooting.

[whisler]

I couldn't see the sights on my RIA GI .45. I sent it to Dawson Precision to have a carry rear sight (taller with wider notch) and a matching height fiber optic front sight. Now I can see the sights much better. Used a pair of 1.5 diopter reading glasses instead of my bifocals and my shooting improved immensely. I'm 72 and my eyes aren't great either. Taking 20 mg. of Lutein daily has slowed my sight deterioration. (doctor's advice)

[.22-10-45]

I feel your pain! Used to shoot IHMSA & took a few state championships..now I need either the Merit or Gehmann adjustable iris on my glasses..it does sharpen up those sights again! I always used to shoot my S&W .357, or .41 Mag. off sandbags..resting front of frame on bag..or supporting wrist/forearms..but when I try that with a S.A.A., impact is always low and left.

[guicksylver]

One thing that helped me extend my handgun shooting (I am now 67) was a stick on adjustable optic for my glasses. B
Boy does it work !

The other thing that I noticed as the years progressed though my Bulls Eye League experience is that back lighting is the determining factor.

Light on the target NO Back lighting.

[oley55]

I ordered a set of these EyePal patches last year. one for rifle and another for pistol/archery (slightly different sized aperture).

http://www.eyepalusa.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVeEwVFAWME

I was about to give up on iron sights altogether, but not now. For me it's by far the best thing since sliced bread n canned peanut butter.

[tomf52]

Take a piece of black electrical tape and punch a hole through it using a 1/16th in pin punch that has a good sharp, flat end. Find the spot on your eyeglass lens thaat you would normally look through when sighting your gun and stick the piece of tape there with the hole lining up of course. The size of the hole may have to be changed according to your specific optical needs, but start with 1/16th. This works like a charm for me. A supply of these homemade "tabs" can be stored and carried in your bag by sticking them on an old credit card or piece of milk jug. Can't get any lesws expensive too. If you have an old pair of glasses just leave them set up in your bag.

[oley55]

Take a piece of black electrical tape and punch a hole through it using a 1/16th in pin punch that has a good sharp, flat end. Find the spot on your eyeglass lens thaat you would normally look through when sighting your gun and stick the piece of tape there with the hole lining up of course. The size of the hole may have to be changed according to your specific optical needs, but start with 1/16th. This works like a charm for me. A supply of these homemade "tabs" can be stored and carried in your bag by sticking them on an old credit card or piece of milk jug. Can't get any lesws expensive too. If you have an old pair of glasses just leave them set up in your bag.

that would most certainly be a lot cheaper. by pin punch, is this a specific tool or just a pin?

[TXGunNut]

Easy fix. Stop shooting from a bench.

That works for me, I don't do well with a pistol off bags. I shoot offhand, one-handed classic BE stance with my SA revolvers and C&B revolvers. 45 Colt BP loads can be a handful but I'm good for a few cylinders full.

[Cmm_3940]

Cheap HF leather punch with the various size punches will work. I use the Merit adjustable aperture myself. Without it, I have NO sight picture, just a fuzzy gray blur. About 1/8" works for me at most distances; you will need to find the hole size that works with your eyes.