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Thread: old eyes and iron sights

  1. #21
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LUCKYDAWG13 View Post
    Bigger Targets did the trick for me

    I like the thousand yard targets from CMP for pistol practice myself

  2. #22
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    I’ve been known to wear a pair of reading glasses over my regular glasses at the range, held on by the pressure of my headphones. Looks goofy as heck but I’m 65 and don’t care about that anymore...
    Plata o plomo?
    Plomo, por favor!

  3. #23
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    I normally wear glasses with progressive lenses. I only shot rifles nowadays and when using iron sights, my head is turned and I am not looking through the center of the lens.

    I had an optometrist make me a pair a pair of glasses with the center of the prescription in the upper left corner for my right eye. A simple prescription, no progressive. He had me bring in my favorite rifle with iron sights and he calculated accordingly.

    They have helped a lot and didn’t cost much, because they were simple lenses. I didn’t get any extras like anti scratch, however, I may get a new pair this year that darken automatically.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master Forrest r's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE View Post
    I normally wear glasses with progressive lenses. I only shot rifles nowadays and when using iron sights, my head is turned and I am not looking through the center of the lens.

    I had an optometrist make me a pair a pair of glasses with the center of the prescription in the upper left corner for my right eye. A simple prescription, no progressive. He had me bring in my favorite rifle with iron sights and he calculated accordingly.

    They have helped a lot and didn’t cost much, because they were simple lenses. I didn’t get any extras like anti scratch, however, I may get a new pair this year that darken automatically.
    +1^^^^^

    I'd rather turn the lens on shooting glasses than turn my body/hold/stance to match reading/driving glassing I'm wearing.

  5. #25
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    its pretty simple you have 4 points target sights glasses eyes . when lined up it is a single line from eye to target it will go through the glasses in a single spot thus you are looking at a single magnification. you can move the glasses up or down to change the magnification but no matter what you are still looking a single point of magnification when all is lined up unless you have come up with a way to look through more than one point at the same time.

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RED BEAR View Post
    its pretty simple you have 4 points target sights glasses eyes . when lined up it is a single line from eye to target it will go through the glasses in a single spot thus you are looking at a single magnification. you can move the glasses up or down to change the magnification but no matter what you are still looking a single point of magnification when all is lined up unless you have come up with a way to look through more than one point at the same time.
    That is all very true as long as you only use one eye.
    I shoot with both eyes open and am looking through two different lenses when looking at my target and sights. My aiming eye is only able to focus to the distance of the sights. My other eye can focus to the distance of the target. This gives me the ability to see all the distances clearly at the same time.
    A person's brain will "adjust" the image you see when you use both eyes so that you get the sharpest image available to either eye. When I focus on the target, my aiming eye can only see the sights clearly, while my other eye can see the target clearly, all at the same time. The sight to target alignment is just fine.

  7. #27
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    Diopter sights really help, but the aperture has to be 1mm or less. Otherwise, they are just peep sights and that’s not the same. The small opening works like a camera lens when the aperture is closed down. It gives you a greater depth of field that helps a lot.

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    It's worth while to experiment with inexpensive drugstore readers which are about -0.50 to -0.75 less than your normal reading prescription. That's what worked for me until I got cataract surgery and a new lens in my shooting eye.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  9. #29
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    If you are going to be near sighted in one eye and far sighted in the other be advised that it may take awhile to get used to seeing that way. Had my first catarack surgery about 10 years ago. Right eye got very bad. Dr put in a far sighted lens. After 3-6 months I was comfortable reading with my left eye and shooting with my right eye. Eventually the catarack got bad in the left eye and now I am far sighted in both eyes. Can't read the newspaper but I now have the eyees of an eagle after 50+ years of being nearsighted.

  10. #30
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    You’re lucky to be eagle eyed now. You don’t really want to read what Is in the newspapers today anyway. Keep on shooting!

  11. #31
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    When you are using iron sights the only thing that really matters is being able to focus on the Front Sight. This is NOT something that comes natural as most all of us were trained to shoot with open sight .22's where we shifted our focus from front to rear to target when our young eyes could actually do that.

    My biggest challenge in shooting has been developing the skill of focusing on the front sight. It will be yours as well.

    I wear progressive lenses and when I got my prescription I had the Eye Doc soften the prescription one notch on the closest focus. IE: I wanted a longer short focal length than what the machine showed as the highest amount of correction.

    With this I can focus all the way down to 8-10" but can easily focus on a Front Sight on a rifle that is 3 feet away, by simply shifting my head up or down slightly. After a while wearing Progressive Lenses you will do it unconsciously..

    However there is some technique differences involved to shoot both open and aperture sights effectively.

    Here's what they are.:

    With Open Sights: You will align the front and rear sights first and hold that relationship in place with your cheek weld. On a pistol you hold it in place with your grip and stance. In other words, when you present the gun to the target the first thing that happens is sight alignment, then you simply put the front sight on the target and break the shot. Once the sights are aligned you no longer need to divert attention to the rear sight. I know this sounds simple, but it will take some time to get all of the basics in to where you aren't thinking about them.

    Aperture Sights are easier. With them all you do is look thru the rear sight and put the Front Sight on the target and let fly. Your eye automatically centers the Front Sight in the Rear Sight and if your aperture is sized correctly it will put the front sight in perfect or nearly perfect focus. That aperture will work with either your bare eye or glasses depending. Merit Adjustable Apertures are a great way to figure out exactly what size the Aperture needs to be to properly focus your particular "Optical Solution" to the Front Sight.

    The "Optical Solution" is the complete package of distances from your eye, front sight and target which your brain processes into your "Firing Solution." You don't need to concentrate on all these factors as your brain is doing it for you and all you need to do is put the front sight on the target and pull the trigger.

    With a Pistol as I present from the holster I am making sight alignment as the gun is moving from position #4(extension) to position #5 (ready to fire.) and the only thing left to do is put the front sight where I want and break the shot. I have already taken all the slack out of the trigger as well as most of the creep, and it is ready to break with only a thought impulse when the sight is on target.

    With a Rifle or Shotgun with sights, as you are presenting the weapon you push the gun away from your shoulder and bring it back into the pocket and make cheek weld as the gun seats in the shoulder pocket, as this is being done your eye should be in line with the rear sight Open or Peep, and then the front sight comes into alignment. Then you put the front sight on the target and break the shot.

    After some practice this all comes together and the only thing you concentrate on is the Front Sight and covering the target with it. The key with rifle or shotgun is "cheek weld" as that holds the sights in alignment so you don't have to put any attention on them,,, all you are looking for is the front sight on the target.

    If you are shooting groups or trying to make a precision shot on a target or game animal you need to focus on the target enough to place the front sight correctly. The target will still be fuzzy but still should be good enough to insure proper shot placement. Also since you are shooting off some kind of rest the position of the front sight on the target shouldn't change as you shift focus which should only be a split second anyway.

    I try to have very prominent front sights on my iron sight guns so they are easy to pick up rapidly. Green Fiber Optics are my favorite, with white line front sights being next.

    Get your optics sorted out first then go learn to focus on the front sight.

    Note: You need to go back and read this a few times so you can get all the fine points, there's a lot here to digest and nobody will get it only reading it once thru.

    Then pick up a gun and try it. When have I steered you wrong?

    Randy
    Last edited by W.R.Buchanan; 01-12-2019 at 03:44 PM.
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  12. #32
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    Burris Fastfire 3's fixed that problem for me, give it a try sometime.

  13. #33
    DOR RED BEAR's Avatar
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    Tazman you are a lucky man I shoot with one eye closed. Tried keeping both open a lot just can't do it. At pistol range I have given up using sights all together. At 7 to 15 yards I can keep all center mass with or without glasses. I often practice with just safety glasses because I often forget my glasses.

  14. #34
    Boolit Grand Master tazman's Avatar
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    I always thought of my poor eyesight as a handicap. In this case it may well turn out to be an advantage.
    I will wait a while before I determine which it is for certain.

  15. #35
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Attachment 233893I turned my rear sights around on my marlin cowboy rifles to move the rear sight farther away from my eye. Makes it a little clearer. My mini or ar’s have red dots or a scope. I went to a hi-viz front sight on my 625 smith revolver that I compete with. I’ve also had shooting glasses made that make the front sight clearer. The red dots work the best. Have a fastfire on my model 41, makes it into a can’t miss pistol. Here’s what my Krag scout rifle scope view looks like.
    Last edited by Baltimoreed; 01-13-2019 at 02:25 PM.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Glasses won't fix cataracts. Get your eyes checked. Fuzzy and dim (hard to notice it) - you can 'see' distance but can't 'resolve' the edges? Also often get a 'halo' for bright lites. Peep sights work as they are like a pinhole camera lens.
    At 7 to 15 yards I can keep all center mass with or without glasses.
    Good for SD and you should practice either hand, not both.
    Whatever!

  17. #37
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    even tho i don't use glasses,yet(i checked with the eye dr every year, 20/20 in both), there will come a day that i do. i use aperture(peep) sights on my rifles. i have a aperture sight on my ruger sbh.
    when i was 18yo, i was introduced to aperture sights. the US Army have known about them for years, so it was decided to learn about aperture sights on recruits(me). i did my time(6 years) and i just plain forgotten about peep sights. i was into scopes, not open sights!!!! 7 or 8 years ago, i was reintroduced on aperture sights. it was a no drill redfield 102k aperture sight on my 30-40 krag. things i've forgotten about, came back to me. now all of my guns(that have open sights) have aperture sights.

  18. #38
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    I posted this on another thread but it is more pertinent here;

    I have found that the "Old Eyes" problem generally centers around "Technique, more than Physical Limitations."

    Learning how to use the Front Sight is not something that you just start doing. It takes lots of practice to break habits that are decades old and embedded like ticks.

    But just getting your glasses sussed out so you can actually see what's going on is the key thing that everyone can get done, and will improve your shooting immensely.

    It also takes some time to adjust to Progressive Lenses. It took me about 6 mo before I could wear them full time for driving and I have a set of bifocals I used to use just for driving at night. I am getting them converted to progressives this week because the frames are nice Ray Ban Tortoise Frames and I will retire the black frames I've been wearing for the last few years.

    The table on my Milling machine is bowed down on the ends when looking thru progressive lenses, and I have to make allowances for that when working, but. after a while your brain recalibrates and you don't have to think about this stuff.

    I get my eyes checked at Costco and anyone can afford that. We have a place called "Santa Barbara Eyeglass Factory" locally and I will get the lenses made there for $60-70 in about 2 hours. Costco also makes glasses for reasonable prices as does Sam's Club.. There are usually local outfits that make glasses in most towns that don't charge an arm and a leg. Those same lenses made at one of the nationwide chains like "Lenscrafters" were more like $250 to $300. If you go to an Optometrist and buy your glasses there you will get hosed!

    There is no need for anyone to be blind today because they can't afford decent glasses. Plenty of good places to get them.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  19. #39
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    Another good fix is the Red Dot type of optic. In this case the only thing you have to concentrate on is the Red Dot which is pretty prominent.

    Put the dot on the target and let fly. This is very easy to do with a rifle or shotgun and is the fastest method of target acquisition there is.

    It is less easy with a pistol as the Dot has to be found every time you present the gun to the target. This takes time and for me took lots of practice to maintain both the finding of the dot and the trigger control that goes along with keeping the dot on the target. Both deteriorate quickly as practice sessions get farther apart. I removed the Red Dot (Burris Fast Fire III) from my Pistol and it is going on my Browning A5 Slug Barrel where I can really get some benefit from it.

    For shooting moving targets the Red Dot sight is by far the most effective sight ever concocted.

    "Wild Boar Fever" on demand on the "Outdoor Channel" shows why.

    Randy
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  20. #40
    Boolit Master MOA's Avatar
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    Yup, gettin old sucks..I got so tired of my vision sort of tunneling in on me I decided to see my doctor too, and boy oh boy did he have a fix for me!!!

    Click image for larger version. 

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