Back After A Long Absence

[Guy La Pourque]

Awhile back life caught up with me and I got mugged by Darwin and Murphy. 2014 was my last post here. In any event I fell out of the game and just needed a break. Just started getting back in about last week. It makes me feel good to see the black powder geeks are all alive and well and still going strong! At least somebody has a sense of priorities in life and has kept things going!!!8-)

One of my big mistakes in life was I wanted to get into BPCR but just never seemed to get around to it. Last week I decided that enough was enough - I have a Pedersoli Spaghetti Buffalo Gun inbound - a Rem Roller. My question to the scholars of the forum is this: did I maybe wait too long? I wear glasses and a lot of the other old farts at the rod n' gun club are telling me I won't be able to get along with the peep sights. I need to order some long range tang sights for it but now I am wondering if I made a mistake.

Are any of you guys getting old, smelly and cranky too? Do your eyes have problems with them...? It's good to see ya again, boys. :-)

[shoot-n-lead]

Welcome back!

I am old, have to wear reading glasses and I can work with a peep, fairly well. But, I ain't trying to shoot tiny groups, either.

[Chill Wills]

There is a good chance you will be fine. The BPCR game is mostly older guys.
It seems like older shooters like myself do fine if we have been in the target rifle/aperture sight game for decades.
Guys my same age often say or are told they will have trouble. ... and then they do.

I think that seeing is a learned skill as much as all the rest of the rifleman skills.

I have shot with eighty year old plus competitors that are shooting through their cataract issues, switch to offset sights for a time, get that eye fixed and go back to regular sight and have the other eye fixed. And these guys are knocking out some fine scores all the while.
None of us see like we imagined we did once upon a time.

My story, and I am sticking to it, is many an older shooter who thinks his time is past with irons has given up too easy. It takes time and trying things and talking to others to get a handle on what to do; like size apertures, the right shooting glasses, an extra trip to your eye Doctor, training your brain how to really center up a fuzzy blob the exact same way every time. Just to name a few. It can be done.

I guess in part that is why our numbers are small. Everything about BPCR - especially everything about BPCR-Iron Sight is harder than shooting a Rem Model - 700 243 Win with gynormas modern scope off the bench at a time of our choosing and posting a few wallet groups.

BUT - the rewards of BPCR are sooooo fine.

[EDG]

First thing you can do is get the hang of sizing the apertures front and back to fit a 6" to 8" black bullseye on a white backer at 100 yards.

You size the front aperture to leave a band of white around the bullseye. Then the front aperture is centered in the rear aperture. The rear has to be large enough that you do not get an out of round hole. If I go too small with the rear aperture I get an out of round hole lined with fuzz.

Once you get the diameters set, shoot some groups and you will be surprised. I can shoot groups near 1" off of bench rest with good ammo. I have even shot a 10 shot group right at 1" at 100 meters once. This is with good light and a high quality bench rest.

I think the capability of the sights will surprise you if you learn the basic techniques of their use. PS my eyes are probably as old as yours and I have no line bifocals.

PS even if both apertures have a little bit of fuzz from being out of focus you will be alright. If you are in the center of the fuzz when the round goes off it will still be on target.

[boommer]

just do it! my eyes are not great and run in middle of the pack on comp at 1000 yd wear bi-focils and have fun and those old geezyerys? at the club ever done it? NOT!

[Don McDowell]

I always sort of grin when some 40 something says his eyes are getting old and he can't shoot irons anymore, and needs a scope.... Shoot I got kids that old..
Anyway don't let the glasses hold you back. I have my optometrist place the bifocal as low as I can talk them into. Mostly just need it to read the scale on the sight. They also put the focal plane of my shooting eye just a bit above and to the left of center.
From there on out it's a matter of quality sights front and rear. I like the "hadley" eyecups Usually just end up leaving it on the last of the big holes. The front sight most of the time uses a pretty big aperture for the targets. Have yet to find anything that really suits me for silhouette for the front aperture, but I don't shoot a lot of that so it's not a big deal.
Lastly keep your blood pressure in check, be mindful that some of the bp meds can have some side affects from being in direct sunlight or excess heat. Stay well hydrated and you can shoot the matches and have a great time. You'll likely be asking yourself why you didn't start years ago, once you get to hanging out with those nasty ol competition shooters.