Iron sights and old eyes

[gkainz]

Hi all, new poster here. I have a TC Hawkins .50 that I built from a kit back in the 70s. Took it out the range today and my old eyes just aren't handling the iron sights very well any more. 50 yards was ok but 100 yards had a standard bullseye target too blurry to even attempt a shot.

Back when my eyes were better (not great - glasses since high school) I always buried the front bead deep in the notch of the rear blade, and float the target just above the front bead.

Driving home I got to wondering if floating the front bead above the line of the top of the rear blade, and float the target above the bead would give me a better sight picture?

Besides a new lens prescription (appointment ASAP) , any other tips for iron sights and old eyes? Current glasses are progressive tri-focals.

Thinking a rear peep might work out better? I shot a NM Garand with 1/2 minute peep on a Navy rifle team (also long ago) ?

Greg

[wgr]

i have the same problem. and i put peep sight on most of my rifles. works great for me

[0verkill]

Not that old, but my eyesight is bad. Either way, me and my Ol' Pappy both agree that peep sights are more accurate (no doubt his eyes are old). As for the sight picture, sounds like a reason (excuse) to go shoot some more!

[451 Pete]

As a lot of peoples eyes age they loose the ability to focus enough to align the rear and fron sights properly. The aperature or rear peep sight is one solution. Another that I have seen on a lot of old rifles is where as the eyesight got progressively worse the rear sight was moved further out on the barrel and closer to the front sight. It is not uncommon to see two or three dove tail slots on some of these guns.

Pete

[Sasquatch-1]

I bought a pair of 1.25 magnifiers shooting glasses just recently. It helps me focus on the sights (which had really become a massive blur) but the target, even at 25 yds, is still a blur. Without glasses I can focus on the target, even at long distances, fine. I was always taught center of mass shooting and it has worked for me, although this isn't great for competion at long distances.

Now the problem is keeping the shooting glasses from fogging. :veryconfu

[bob208]

try moving the rear sight forward. i shot matchs with some that the rear sight was almost to the forend cap.

[Tatume]

I now have trouble resolving open sights also. So, I went to aperture sights on most of my rifles. See here for an example:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=161519

Aperture sights are the best solution, and were used on period guns and even crossbows.

When I hunt with my Parker-Hale Volunteer I wear Knobloch shooting glasses. I keep the right lens folded up until I’m ready to shoot, then pull it down and make the shot. It’s not the best solution, but I’m reluctant to modify the gun.

[Lead Freak]

I started to have the same problem with my hand guns at just about every distance. I jury rigged a pair of shooting glasses from an inexpensive pair of shooting glasses by glueing a lens from a $2 pair of readers on the inside of the right lens. I carfully applied a thin bead of clear epoxy around the edges of the lens while holding it in place on the lens of the shooting lens. They work perfectly.

[johnson1942]

track of the wolf makes a primative gostringsight that i inlarge the peep hole on slightly, you would have to cut a dove tail for. look on the internet a marlin gost ring sights, they are good ones.they make shooting fun again. johnson1942

[waksupi]

For the biggest peep sight, try a buckhorn sight. Heat the tips, and use a round mandrel to make the inside of the sight round. Put a wide front sight on, and you will have about the best visibility you can get. Just use the whole interior of the buckhorn as a peep sight. Still keeps you legit for primitive matches.

[fouronesix]

Yep, some kind of aperture rear is probably the best way to help the situation. And yes, moving the rear sight forward will "clear" up the sight picture but at the expense of an inherently less accurate shorter sight radius.

[nicholst55]

try moving the rear sight forward. i shot matchs with some that the rear sight was almost to the forend cap.

That's the advice I was given. When I bought parts from Track of the Wolf for a new rifle, I had them position the rear sight dovetail several inches forward of what I normally use, and it's been quite effective.

Another effective method is to either buy or make an aperture to apply to the lens of your shooting glasses like this: Lyman Hawkeye (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/936878/lyman-hawkeye-shooters-diopter-optic-aid)

[DIRT Farmer]

The Lyman Hawkeye works well, I have used one for several years. Another solution is to widen the rear sight notch slightly giving more defination to the front post. After widning the notch, try sighting in with the top of rear sight leval with the front bead. That gives even more defination to the sight.

[gkainz]

The OEM rear sight is too shallow and undefined for me it seems (had a hard time getting a suitable photo). I drop the front blade down in the dip with just the bead showing. The rear sight drops too gradually for me to get a clearly defined horizontal plane to ride the front bead up high.
This will be only for hunting so not sure how the eyeglasses options would work. Interesting options tho!47130
47131

Zoom in (a lot) for a closer look. I can't make my camera focus on the front sight only

[Maven]

Greg, You may want to look at this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Merit-Delux-Optical-Attachment-Target-Rifle-Sight-Gun-Parts-/251134801748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a78ccf754

Btw, it's also available from Midway, et al., if you'd rather not deal with eBay.