Problems aiming, what to do?

[500MAG]

I have had perfect vision my whole life. Just the past couple of years, I've needed to use reading glasses. My regular vision is still spot on. I noticed today, I'm having a problem lining up my handgun sights. The dots are blurring on me. If a fly lands on he target I can practically count his legs but my 3 dot sights, right in front of me, are blurring. Anyone had this problem? If so, what do you do? If I wear my reading glasses the target will blur.[smilie=b:

[wch]

I suggest you try a Merit adjustable aperture.

[fecmech]

I have had perfect vision my whole life. Just the past couple of years, I've needed to use reading glasses. My regular vision is still spot on.
It's called presbyopia and it happens as you get older. Welcome to the club. That's why us old guys have dot sights on handguns and peep sights or scopes on rifles.

[RED333]

It's called presbyopia and it happens as you get older. Welcome to the club. That's why us old guys have dot sights on handguns and peep sights or scopes on rifles.
This plus 1

[Lead Fred]

Yup, my eyes have gone parallax crazy.

There isnt anything you can do.

Now you know why old men get grumpy.

[btroj]

Always, and I mean always, focus on the front sight. A sharp front sight with a fuzzy target allows for a good shot. Shoot with a sharp target but a fuzzy front sight and you aren't going to do near as well.

You can have glasses made with a compromise lens. Just enough correction to give a sharp front sight but not so much as to make the target worse.

[chsparkman]

Yep, it started for me about ten years ago. Now all but two of my rifles have scopes and one of my handguns as we'll. The stick-on-the-glasses apertures help with pistols. White dot sights also help. Getting older sucks.

[brtelec]

After about 50 I had a little trouble with a sharp front sight. Not enough to affect hunting and such but enough to be annoying at the range. I have glasses to sharpen my front sight. Most optometrists can help you with this.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I have this too however I shot .22 silhouette again today with open sights and did just fine. The secret is to focus on the front sight.

I know it sounds simple, but that's all there is to it.

On a Rifle I use my cheek weld to line up the front and rear sights, They are held in alignment by the cheek weld. Then I shift focus to the front sight only and line it up where I need to be on the target. break the shot.

The target doesn't need to be focused and is clear enough for you to place the Front Sight where it needs to be to make the sight picture that results in a hit.

I sucked overall today, but I still hit 9/10 turkeys at 75 meters. With open sights.

You can too with a little practice.

Note; I said "a little practice." It takes a while to break yourself of the idea that you can't focus on three things at once. I told you how to do it. You just need to practice it a little. A pellet gun or BB gun helps.

It is easier with a Peep sight since all you have to do is place the FS on target. But then you still have to focus on two things, unless you do like I said above and only focus on the Front Sight.

+1 on getting old sucks, but you don't have to succumb to it easily, you just have to work around it. Believe me your eyes aren't going to be the only thing you have to work around!

Randy

[500MAG]

I have no problem hitting the target, it's the grouping that is getting me. Never had that issue before and it's only with handguns. I'm gonna try what btroj suggested first then I'll pick up a Merit Aperture if needed.

[Beagle333]

Always, and I mean always, focus on the front sight. A sharp front sight with a fuzzy target allows for a good shot.
This is very true. My optometrist is an avid shooter as well, and he gives the same advice.

[Bohica793]

Perfect vision until 40....now trying to shoot through trifocals. I won't get special glasses as that is not what I will be wearing when someone attempts to do me or my family harm. I also practice 7 yards with no glasses just in case.

[GabbyM]

I'm 58 so this hit me a few years back.
I can't see the sights on my S&W 659 in 9mm or colt Anaconda 44 mag. However I can shoot fixed sight M-10 and adjustable sight M-15 S&W's just fine. Along with my Winchester M94 lever gun. I know one thing you need as you get older eyes is a wider notch in the rear sight to give a wider gap besides the front blade. The big U grove rear sight in the M-10 frame focuses effortlessly for me.
Three dot sights and orange front inserts I believe may be a thing of the past. Black over black seams to work best. For me anyway. According to our optometrist at our age of 58 eyes should stabilize for a while. As opposed to needing a new prescription every year. So hopefully I'll continue to be able to shoot my K frames for a while.

[btroj]

An aperture makes a difference. When I was shooting high power I had glasses made to help focus on the front sight. When the gun was down the target was blurry, it was hard to see the scoring disk. Looking thru the rear aperture the target became clear and the scoring disk was easily seen.

Talk to your optometrist or eye doctor. Tell them exactly what you need and ask them to work with you.

[Tatume]

Sometimes I'll use my Knobloch glasses, but usually I just wear reading glasses to shoot. Works fine.

[starmac]

I'm glad you guys have found some eye doctors that understand. I finally got my first glasses a couple of years ago and mentioned this. My doctors response was to use scopes. duh.
Most of my shooting involves hunting, so reading glasses is not an option, and some of my guns will be put away before they see a scope.

[44man]

When I shot IHMSA both sights were in focus and also the steel.
Gone now so the Ultra Dot saves me. Still need glasses or I see a star. I use lineless bifocals and can adjust my head to clear sights. It is a pain to wear glasses hunting but it is what it is.
The good old days are gone.
But what saved me was I never, ever went into the sun without sunglasses so at 76, only lens hardening bothers me.
The sun will kill your eyes faster then anything but age takes a toll on the lens softness.