Old eyes and iron sights

[AndyPanda]

The past 10 years or so I've had to wear glasses to focus. At first I was switching between glasses for driving and glasses for reading. Now I have progressives and that is more convenient than switching back and forth. I have a modern hand gun with a green dot and a rifle with a red dot and those are both amazing as I can see the target and the dot at the same focus.

The question comes about two older pieces. I have my grandfather's .22 rifle from about 1905 and a S&W model 13 revolver and I'm able to get shots on paper but not in anything resembling a group. I'm just not able to see the target and the sight at the same time. I could probably get a mount that would fit in the rear sight dovetail to get an optic on the vintage rifle in a way that is reversable. But the Model 13 is fixed sights. It has no collector value (original blue is long gone and has a previous owner's name stamped into it) so I could probably machine something into the frame for an optic -- but I just can't picture an optic on the Model 13. Would that be blasphemous or hideous?

I found this picture online (not a Model 13 but similar shape) just to give a rough idea.

 

[Kentos]

Do whatever you want to make shooing easier and “funner”. I don’t think people should have any opinion on what other people do to their guns.

Ceracoating a vintage unfired pristine blued Colt Python might raise some eyebrows, but whatever it’s cool if that makes the owner happy.

 

[Jay21]

Try a rear peep sight and a front hood on rifles. The small aperture makes it easier to keep things in focus.

 

[Herrenberg]

I guess everyone's vision is different, but mine is pretty bad (been wearing glasses since age 6). I can use a red dot just fine if I wear my distance glasses, and I can use iron sights just fine (at least at any sort of distance of which that short barrel will perform) if I wear my reading glasses.

 

[AndyPanda]

I guess everyone's vision is different, but mine is pretty bad (been wearing glasses since age 6). I can use a red dot just fine if I wear my distance glasses, and I can use iron sights just fine (at least at any sort of distance of which that short barrel will perform) if I wear my reading glasses.

When you wear reading glasses, what does the target look like to you? For me, if I'm wearing reading glasses (or tip my head so my progressives are in the reading area) then I see the sights just fine but the target is a blob and I can try to aim at the general mass of the blob but I have no idea where the bullseye is on that blob.

 

[Herrenberg]

When you wear reading glasses, what does the target look like to you? For me, if I'm wearing reading glasses (or tip my head so my progressives are in the reading area) then I see the sights just fine but the target is a blob and I can try to aim at the general mass of the blob but I have no idea where the bullseye is on that blob.

It's not just a blob. It's not exactly crisp, but I can see what the circle is plenty well enough. This is with reference to B3 targets at 10-15 yards.

Different target choices might be useful. There's the man-shape ones, which are huge. I really like these: Birchwood Casey Dirty Bird. 6 large-sized bullseyes in one target.

I'm suspecting that there's something very different about our subtle vision characteristics, though. Since we're dealing with subtleties, I guess I should mention that my "reading" glasses are actually optimized for computer use, so the focal point is a little more distant than the usual reading glasses, about 27". It may be helping me. Also I assume you are not using Wal*Mart specials. If you have an astigmatism, as I do, those will not do.

 

[Kentos]

My uncle had special shooting glasses that have a focal point optimized for target shooting.

 

[Rob72]

Funny, I was just looking at revolver RDS plates Monday.

I'm very astigmatic. For irons, I use TruGlo TFO fiber optic-tritium sights, and I've recently been switching over to the Holosun 407C-G, green dot, sights.

I find the green to be better defined and easier to pick up than red, for me.

The other consideration would be your intended use- is this a "fun" gun that you'd like to be more functional for you, or are you trying to improve it for defensive use?

I can tell you that Briley, here in Houston, TX, can cut a S&W adjustable sight dovetail.

Had I to do it over, I would probably send it to D&L Sports (I believe that's one of theirs in your pic) and have the adjustable sight and the RDS plate.

 

[jkingrph]

Try a rear peep sight and a front hood on rifles. The small aperture makes it easier to keep things in focus.

Yes, I am 78 and have had cataract surgery on both eyes. Before that I was nearsighted, now 20/20, more farsighted. Both before and after the surgery I could shoot irons, preferably peep or aperature sights well. Think of the rear sight as a pinhole camera, it can, depending upon the distance from your eye make objects focus, but only if it is at that one distance so placement is important. Aperatures are not that great for handguns because they are generally too far from the eye and you will not see much if anything through that tiny hole. I am big into air guns, and most of my rifles are equipped with aperature rear sights and adjustable diopters, some even have a diopter in the front sight hood, ie another disk with a hole where you look through the rear sight, and center the target in the hole in that front sight. That system is really thought of as a pure target set up as the front diopter size is sized for a certain size target at a specific range, The first time I was exposed to it and used it was shooting small bore target in college . Now I can use it for plinking, just center my target in that front diopter, no having to focus on either a front or rear sight, just look through them.

 

[Ad Astra]

Glasses. Use "computer glasses" to clearly see handgun irons ... and then the target is blurry. However, that's what Jack O'Connor says to do in one of his great books. You can't see it all ... any more.

Where it kills me is milsurp rifles. Not going to scope those, and Williams peeps, Mauser pyramids etc are getting challenging. Can still hit, but the target needs to be ... big. Preferably, well-lit too.

Yeah, I can't see.

AA

 

[DesertIguana]

I shoot without glasses, except protective lenses. Eyes still good for distance.

 

[OkieStubble]

I have astigmatism in both eyes and am myself, just now trying a pistol with a green dot. When shooting irons, my focus has always been a hard focus on the front sight, which of course, makes the target down range blurry even with good eyes. This is a natural order of things when using irons even with 20/20.

As I got older and the ability for the lenses in my eyes to focus become much harder, that crisp front sight picture has been swapped out for a fuzzy and blurry front sight when the pistol is being aimed away from my body at arms length.

Corrective glasses aren’t much help, because distance glasses make the target clear but totally jack up the front sight picture. 1.75 or 2.00 reading glasses makes that front sight clear and crisp again like I’m 21 years old again, but the target is still blurry.

I can still just manage to shoot 25 yds and in without glasses at a man sized silhouette anyway, by closing the weak eye and just focusing and aiming thru the dominant eye only, much like when using a rifle and then I’m still opening and using both eyes 15 yards and in and am still quite effective with my shooting.

It’s not 4 leaf clover target shooting I’m doing and I am converting to a green dot on a pistol, but I definitely do not want to ever give up on shooting iron sighted pistols either?

I love shooting with iron sights. I thought I read somewhere of a new technology in making eye glasses that can automatically adjust focus for the eyes. Wouldn’t that be something?

I think I’m going to have to consider lasik even though I’m a big chicken.

 

[David57]

Lasik is great!
one eye done next week the other.

 

[simon1]

I have astigmatism in both eyes and am myself, just now trying a pistol with a green dot. When shooting irons, my focus has always been a hard focus on the front sight, which of course, makes the target down range blurry even with good eyes. This is a natural order of things when using irons even with 20/20.

As I got older and the ability for the lenses in my eyes to focus become much harder, that crisp front sight picture has been swapped out for a fuzzy and blurry front sight when the pistol is being aimed away from my body at arms length.

Corrective glasses aren’t much help, because distance glasses make the target clear but totally jack up the front sight picture. 1.75 or 2.00 reading glasses makes that front sight clear and crisp again like I’m 21 years old again, but the target is still blurry.

I can still just manage to shoot 25 yds and in without glasses at a man sized silhouette anyway, by closing the weak eye and just focusing and aiming thru the dominant eye only, much like when using a rifle and then I’m still opening and using both eyes 15 yards and in and am still quite effective with my shooting.

It’s not 4 leaf clover target shooting I’m doing and I am converting to a green dot on a pistol, but I definitely do not want to ever give up on shooting iron sighted pistols either?

I love shooting with iron sights. I thought I read somewhere of a new technology in making eye glasses that can automatically adjust focus for the eyes. Wouldn’t that be something?

I think I’m going to have to consider lasik even though I’m a big chicken.

Sights? SIGHTS? I don't need no stinkin" sights.

 

[Ad Astra]

Well. Allegedly old (middle aged, lol) gunfighters in the old west would switch to shotguns for this reason ... no glasses and no can see.

AA

 

[OkieStubble]

Well. Allegedly old (middle aged, lol) gunfighters in the old west would switch to shotguns for this reason ... no glasses and no can see.

AA

What was that movie with John Wayne and the younger kid who carried a sawed off in a holster on his gun belt?

 

[KenM]

What was that movie with John Wayne and the younger kid who carried a sawed off in a holster on his gun belt?

El Dorado, the character Mississippi (James Cann) carried the shotgun and a throwing knife. Great movie.

 

[OkieStubble]

El Dorado, the character Mississippi (James Cann) carried the shotgun and a throwing knife. Great movie.

Oh yeah, I remember now. He would lay down in front of running horses saying a horse won’t step on a man?

 

[DesertIguana]

Steve McQueen's Mare's Leg from Wanted Dead or Alive.

 

[jar_]

Oh yeah, I remember now. He would lay down in front of running horses saying a horse won’t step on a man?

I was helping load a horse in the trailer for a friend when it balked, looked back at me, step over and forward with his hind hoof and on my foot; then laughed and walked the rest of the way up the ramp.