Talk to me about Iron Sights and aging Eyes

[targetshootr]

This subject has been on my mind too. When I took up shooting regularly at 45 (7 years ago) I already lost one eyeball due to disease which is not a shooting problem but the other eye is going downhill. I look over my glasses to get the front blade in focus which makes the target fuzzy. It doesn't stop me from enjoying going but it would be nice to shoot better before I have to give it up. Last week I noticed Bob Munden still shoots like there's no tomorrow so there's still hope I guess. He must be well into his 60s and he hit a balloon at 200 yards offhand with a snubbie 38.

[floodgate]

223tenx:

Congatulations! My wife and I - now into our mid-70's - had ours done eight or ten years ago. Ain't it nice to be able to go around without feeling someone has smeared mayonnaise on your glasses???

One other advantage is that you can specify the focal length for the new bionic lens implants, so - for all you shooters - discuss with your opthamologist / surgeon just how you use your eyes, and settle on the best lens. I had mine set for 30" - 36" best focus, and I can actually read comfortably at arm's length, and - by daylight at least - COULD drive safely if I should lose my distance glasses. (I don't, and I always carry a spare set - my last year's ones - but I COULD, in a pinch!).

Not everything about life in these times is a step down from the "old days"; and eye surgery is one of the best examples!

[End of rant!]

floodgate

[Dale53]

Well, I had the left eye sugery yesterday afternoon. It seemed to go well but not only included a lens replacement (cataract) but retinal "peeling" and laser treatment for a hole in my retina. It only took about 40 minutes including a storm induced power outtage while the surgeon had his big feet in the interior of my eyeball. The Surgeon was quite cool, however, neither did I fret. Just made things a tad more "interesting".

I agree fully with 223tenx that it is an easy piece of surgery. I had the right eye done in 2003 and this went even better. They put me under for the big shot in the eye and then I was awake for all the rest of the operation. The Cincinnati Eye Institute in the person of Dr. Petersen did the work and I can recommend both the physician and staff with out reservation. REALLY good people.

This morning when the patch came off, my eyeball was still locked in place from the anesthetic and I got a good approximation as to how it must feel when "cross eyed". My left eye didn't track. Really a weird feeling and somewhat disorienting. It was expected, however, and most of that cleared up later in the day. It'll be a few days before I know HOW successful the surgery was but things are improving almost by the hour. It looks good if things continue in a positive direction.

For what it's worth, I had not a single moment of pain. Piece of cake...

Dale53

[Nueces]

Good deal, Dale. Here's hoping the rest of your recovery goes as well.

Mark

[tomf52]

In this thread have been several suggestions, and good ones at that, for those diopter attachments for your glasses when shooting. I have found a very inexpensive alternative to the ones marketed for shooters. Pick up a pair of those plastic clip on sunglasses and spray paint the lens of your shooting eye with black paint. Then in the appropriate location drill a small hole, start with about 1/16" and work up until you find the right size. 1/8" seems to work beat for me. This arrangement is very convenient to use. Flip down to shoot, up to reload or do whatever. Unused side still acts as sunglass for the bright days. You can actually plot out the best location and size for the aperature you want to drill in the lens by using pieces of blac electrical tape on your everyday eyeglass lens first. Costs about $6.00 to make them.

[Dale53]

Nueces;
Thanks for the kind words.

Tomf52;
that suggestion sounds like a GREAT idea for the economically challenged (and who amongst us can say we have never been "in that place"?) You can even remove the off side dark lens if you need to, but I would probably welcome the "dampening" of the vision in the left eye (it is very important to shoot with both eyes open and a dark lens on the unused eye will allow you to do that but concentrate your vision in your aiming eye. I really like that concept.

Dale53

[twotoescharlie]

I posted on the clip on, flip up sunglasses about 2 years ago, seems like most wanted to go to the expensive route.

TTC

[Dale53]

twotoescharlie;
Most of us opt for the commercial items if we can afford it (proven to work and requires no effort on our part except buying it/them).

Years ago I was shooting "Traditional" black powder cartridge handguns and needed some help in the vision area. It would have been severely frowned upon if I had tried to use the Merit eye piece. However, no one would have thought much about it if I had used your method (I, of course, would not have advertised that I had a hole in my dark glasses). That would have solved the problem for me. I won my share but I would have done better with a good sight picture.

Some of the "traditional" rules for muzzle loaders just about guarantee that someone in his fifties doesn't have a chance (open sights only). However, in one of my books there is a picture of an original flintlock riflewith peep sights. In fact, there are original crossbows that date back to the sixteen hundreds that had peep sights on them. Yet, they are not allowed on "Traditional" muzzle loaders. In fact, at the NMLRA Nationals, for years they fought against allowing boots in the "Primitive" matches (Primitive meaning traditional) and some actually argued that boots were not invented before that period. Wonder where they think the term "Wellington" boots came from (Wellington fought at the battle of Waterloo, defeating Napoleon well before the "Traditional" time period). Of course, George Washington's boots are at Mt. Vernon (I have been there and seen them). Ignorance knows no bounds...

I'm beyond using aperture glasses to help my vision when pistol shooting (Red Dots are doing fine, now) but if I weren't, I would go out today and buy a pair of clip ons and make me a set. That's how nice an idea I think yours is. I have both a Merit eyepiece (suction cup on glasses) and a German adjustable iris that clips onto eyeglasses similar to flip up sunglasses. Of course, I also have several merit irises in peep sights. They work extremely well where they are legal.

Dale53

[versifier]

Willy has now posted my Peep Sights article on the GL Home Page. Here is a link: http://gunloads.com/modules.php?name...howpage&pid=40

[lead_her_fly]

I shoot handguns almost exclusively. What I have done is gotten "mepro lite" type sights for them. They gather light and that really helps.
My optomatrist is a shooter and he makes shooting glasses for some of us. He takes what would be a trifocal, arms length focus, and makes a single vision lense out of it for your dominant eye. Works well for some.

[JohnH]

I enjoyed that article a lot, trying to figure out where to put a peep on my Mosin Nagant

[smokemjoe]

I have something like what Champion Shooters have that I just found this week in a box,I used them Monday with irons and I put 10 shots in a 1.5 at 100 yds, It puts a new look on shooting, Now what do you use for the wind. Smokemjoe

[georgeld]

Being 63 now and always worn pop bottle bottoms for glasses since the 3rd grade.
Been wearing contacts since about 78. One of the best things I've ever discovered.

Went to scopes when I was still a teen, even on my .22. About 10 yrs ago, got my first m/l and couldn't see the front site. Fought it til someone told me to paint the front site white. We had about 10-14 shooters in the b/p matches and I was in the lower 3/4 most of the time. With that white spot I went to being quite competitive. It's the simple things that make the most difference it seems.

So far Iv'e not had cataracts, nor those iris helpers. I have worn bifocals about 12 yrs or so. But, mostly store bought +2 readers over the contacts for reading and much of the time online too. I get along well enough considering. Seems most of my problems is ortho related. Knees and back surgeries.

Worked as a weldor about 15 yrs too. I've found wearing those readers while welding makes a lot of difference in the results since I can see what's happening with the puddle and joint a lot better.

You guys with the eye surgeries, I wish you all the best results.

[charger 1]

Talked to the optometrist on this cause I was loosing my ability to focus irons, ecspecially on snow. He was telling me that the blast of air they hit your eye with in an exam is to check the fluid behind the eye, its ability to flex. Supposedly as we get older we can expect irons to get harder to shoot, not so much at arms length and 6" apart like a handgun, but on things like say my high wall with lyman peep up close and blade way out. According to him when you were young your eye wasnt focused on both at once ,but rather going back and forth between them and target so fast you werent even aware of it. As that fluid dries out you loose that ability. His answer was never stare at a single distance for extended periods, get good sleep(haha) Oh ya, and live with it

[piwo]

Boy, doesn't this all sound familiar.... Yep, aging eye's are the devil. LIke mainiac, I too shot and spent money on creating as accurate a rifle was possible (on my budget), and was blessed to get a nice rifle put together by a legend of benchrest. I too now shoot exclusively muzzle loading smoke poles..

Well, I may break my 30-06 out this fall and start some load workups. Until then, just my flinters, and hence the developement of my not so world famous "piwo peep" sight. It has helped my aging eye's greatly, and I really think it's improved my shooting. Not necessarily for pinpoint accuracy, but quick and sure target aquisition with old eye's, it's been a big help.

[223tenx]

I took the grandson, he's 11, to the range on Tuesday and shot my Mossberg 22 trainer. This is the first time I've shot it since cataract surgery on my right eye. I shot a 3/4 " group at 50 yds and giggled. GS told me not to gloat. I explained that I wasn't, just really tickled that I could use the peep. Now I have to wait a week to see, literally, how the left one came out. He shot a 2" group. I can't get him to concentrate on breath control.

[Just Duke]

Well I just picked a fine time in my life to switch from tactical mid and long range weapons back to Lever Actions. I still have all the tactical weapons, well, most, but I took a long hard look at my inordinate supply of jacket 308 bullets and ask myself if this will last me the rest of my life or if something bad happened and couldn't get anymore bullets at least I could cast them. Hence the aqusition of the new rifles.
So it went from. I couldn't see the front sights on an AR-15 to, I couldn't see the front sights on my M-14. Most days off a bench, ragged hole groups at 100 yard. Not now. I can barely see the trigger.
I do have two Marlin 45-70 that I put Aim Point scopes on and that works real well.
The scarey thing is I am contemplating fabricating a dovetail picatinny bracket to mount the new Aimpoint Micro Dot scopes on my Winchester 1886 rifles.
GACK!!! Yes please no tar and feathering today. Just playing with the idea.

The operation to get my eyes fixed looks nasty and I would want to be put to sleep.......
My distant vision is very good though.



.

[Dale53]

I have moderate to severe vision problems. I have switched to Red Dot scopes for my handguns and am completely "back in the game". Hopefully, something similar will work for you. The important thing is to not lose faith and to keep trying.

Dale53

[JohnH]

Dale 53,

My eyes are doing ok, have taken up a return to shootzen handguns this year, a Taurus Gaucho in 357 and a Taurus Tracker in 45 ACP. A friend traded an NEF single shootzen rifle in 44 Mag for a big batch of cast boolits. I still have trouble with changing light conditions, but am enjoying irons as often as I can, but figure the time is coming that optics will be required on all I shoot. A small price to pay for getting to enjoy getting older.

[tomf52]

Have gone to Marble's Folding Tang sights on my 1894 Marlin leverguns and i am very happy with the clarity that the diopter effect of the peep offers. Another very inexpensive aid for eyeglass wearers is to cut squares of black electrical tape and punch the center of them with a cleanly ground pin punch on a block of hardwood. Cuts a nice clean round hole for the diopter effect. Trial and error will tell you exactly what size you need your hole to be. Pin punches, nails,welding rod pieces can all be "sharpened" to create exactly what you need. I make up a bunch and store them on a piece of plastic such as an old credit card in my shooting bag.

When I posted this morning I did not realize it was an old thread I had already put my two cents into. Sorry. One additional comment - At fifty yards with my 1894C Marlin in .357 I shot a five shot group that was a clorleaf with the Marble's peep. Haven't even shot this well with glass! Some luck in there I guess.