Ruger Forum banner

Iron sights and Old Eyes

12K views 41 replies 30 participants last post by  rugersr99c 
#1 ·
Having just turned 65 recently I've noticed it's been more difficult for the past year or so to focus on sights and targets to the degree I once could. I wear glasses with tri-focals. Don't really need the bi-focal part and even take those things off while at the computer as they're not needed. Where the problem comes in is trying to focus on the front sight and the target at the same time. I know it's not possible to focus on the front, rear sights and target at the same time but when I attempt focusing on the front sight and a target at say, 7-15 yards, the target area(usually a 2x3 inch red oval gets fuzzy if I attempt to focus on the front sight and it's fuzzy too. I can lower my glasses or raise my head and use the center tri-focal part and then see the sights well but, then the target goes all to hell because I'm near sighted(see good up close but not far off without glasses).

Guys, enjoy your youth. You shall not pass this way again.:(
 
#3 ·
"in the past year or so" at 65?? Sheez, you're breaking my heart here... I've been in tri's for around 10 years and I'm only 60.

Your problem is well understood by those of us with it. Seems like there's about only two answers:
1) Try painting the sites or use fiber-optic types so at least you can pick them up easier with what left of our perif vision. Those '3 white dot' sights are useless to me.
2) Go to optics... I've pretty much moved over to red-dot's if not all the way to proper scope.
 
#4 ·
At age 70, and a tri-focal user for about 25 years, I've found the answer that works for me: forget the sights! Get a laser. I have the CTC on my sp101, and just watch the red dot. About 12 years ago I put a Simmons 2x20 'scope on my old S&W mod 27 357, and that works well enough for hunting, but I love the freedom to ignore the sights with the laser.
 
#5 ·
71 years young here. I use CT lasers on all my handguns. Practice without laser, and with laser. I can hit center mass up to 11 yards. Good to go for personal defense. i am also a tri-focal, can't see the sites clearly without glasses, but can see distance ok without.
 
#6 ·
Seeing sights

At 66 I recently had a detached retna that left me with waivy vision in my shooting eye. Learning to shoot from the other side is not easy. Revlon electric pink on my front sight helps, as do scopes and red dots, just keep going and adapt. Shot this afternoon for the first time this year. It was a hike thru the snow and ice but worth it.
 
#8 ·
I do not think that it is realistic to expect to be able to focus on the front sight and the target at the same time once you are over 25, at least at the age of 62 this is what I've been telling myself.:)
However, I have made my own shooting glasses that helped me and you may find useful as well.

I got a set of stick-on, Optix brand, reader lenses that allows my eyes to focus very well on the front sight (its +1.5 for me). Then I took my shooting glasses and stuck one Optix lens on top of the right side. BTW, I can only aim with one (right) eye, so I occlude the other side of my shooting glasses with a piece Scotch tape. With the magnifying lens on top of my glasses I can see the target well when I look straight, but when I lower my head to aim, I look through the magnifier and see the front sight really well, while the target is blurred but still visible.

Granted, this will not be good enough for bullseye type of shooting, but I still can manage (barely ;)) USPSA Production.

Then again, maybe I just don't want to concede that my best days are over and I'm too cheap to buy a laser or Red Dot. :D
 
#9 ·
Then again, maybe I just don't want to concede that my best days are over and I'm too cheap to buy a laser or Red Dot. :D
I'm too cheap as well. In many ways the best days are over and I've accepted that-don't like it but, I'm a realist and look reality right in the eye. It's part of the game I suppose but, I haven't accepted aging very well. I always thought I'd be 25.:D

I remember all too well in basic training how I could hit random pop up targets from a fox hole as far away as 300 meters and with peep sights on that M14 be able to hit it-all without glasses as I didn't start that till about 24 years old and it was just to see far off. I'd hate to try and qualify today even with glasses. I wouldn't make expert rifleman like I did then.

I may discuss this with my ophthalmologist and see what he might recommend. It's not that I still can't shoot pretty well, just not like I know I could if I could focus better. If I get a two inch group at 7-10 yards I'm happy. I know the gun can do it but, it's limited to the guy behind it. At times I'll have a beautiful 15-20 shots that look like a large clover leaf and then pull 3 or 4 to destroy the group...sort of like this.
 
#35 ·
Yes. I was very nearsighted in my youth. Got Lasik in my late 40s. One of the best things I ever did. I am 59 now and still have perfect distance vision with slight farsightedness. For shooting you cannot beat Lasik. I can shoot well with iron sights or optics, and I use both often.
 
#11 ·
I am in the over 65 catagory and am nearsighted (20/200). A problem you notice in trying to focus on target and sights even if not at the same time is due to dirigism or rigidiy in the eye that comes with age. What I did after trying the other things such as upside bifocals was to have the optometrist come up with a Rx. The most important thing is to be able to focus on the front sight. I had the Rx set for a focal length equal from my eye to a few inches past my outstretched hand about where the front sight on the revolver would be. It seems to work for me out to 10 yds or so as can still see the target well enough to see where I am hitting. At a greater distance the upside down bifocals could be used. I had the top portion set to the focal length of the front sight and the lower portion for distance that way when aiming one can keep his head low or normal and to see the target use the lower portion.

Here is a link that you might find interesting:

High Quality Prescription Shooting Glasses from SafeVision, LLC

I will note that the solution is not inexpensive, however, to enjoy one's hobby I would think
the money may be spent well.
 
#12 ·
If I use the tri-focal part of the lens, the one for seeing about 2 feet to six feet, I can focus on the front and rear sight and see daylight between both sides of the rear sight and can see the grooves in the front sight as with arms held straight out as in shooting. It's just then that the target will be somewhat blurred as it's much further away at 7-15 yards. That distance requires me using the top portion of the glasses as I need that for far off distance and you can't use the top and middle section at the same time.

A prescription tri-focal instead of bi-focal would probably do me well in that I could see the front/rear sight clearly. I can actually see the computer screen better or at least equally as well without the glasses. using the tri-focal part. Bi-focal, of course, is for viewing things like getting splinters out of your finger and that sort of thing. I can read with bip-focals or without them. It's the intermittent ranges that get me fouled up.

That's an impressive company. I looked at the link and they sure have an array of glasses but it wold seem awkward and strange to have the right eye with the reverse bi-focal and the left for seeing further away. Keeping both eyes open would take some time getting use to. Just how expensive are we talking about for this style of glasses?
 
#14 ·
The first pair of bifocals I had were for distance and up close ( don't know what the focal length was as never asked then). I use a closeup set of glasses, now, for the computer but do not use anything to read with as can see clearer without. The set of upside down bifocals I had made for the arms length focal length and whatever focal length they use for distance. It worked ok for me but I like the depth of vision I had with single plane glasses which is what I had setup for the sight focal length. As you note out at 15 yds or 50 ft. still don't see the target all that well but I have a hunch and should break down and buy a spotting scope. Now, on a rifle they say the glasses should be set to see the target clearly so they are supposed to be setup differently. Don't have much experience with rifles.

I would not think the shooting glasses should be priced much differently than other bi or trifocals but never contacted them. Somewhere on the Internet there is another company that also makes shooting glasses such as the upside down bifocals I mentioned. At any rate when I have a set made I tell them to use safety glass.
 
#15 ·
It's been many years since I've shot rifles...maybe 20. Probably one of the last rifles I shot was my old 58 cal black powder Zouave. That was always a treat. I don't think I'd ahve the problem with rifles like pistols especially with a scope. I never did so just assume I wouldn't now. The rifle range is a fair drive from here and too cold in the winter so I don't go anymore. I like the indoor pistol range and frequent that often.

Now that I'm on Medicare I don't think they pay for more than one eye exam a year so I may have to wait till late Spring for another check up since I just had one about six months ago. I will mention the need for some shooting glasses and see what he recommends and I intend on telling him about these "reverse bi-focals".
 
#16 ·
My first cataract surgery was in my right eye about 10 years ago - Doctors, 'knowing better' than everyone else, decided to make the lens focus @ 'reading distance' (about 18 inches.)

Having not shot anything for over 24 years, I went for my CCW class last Sep. 1st evening, everyone had to shoot .22 pistol @ a bullseyes target turned backwards, i.e. just a white rectangular piece of paper. Best I could do was hold the sights @ where I 'felt' the center of the entire paper was, i.e. orienting sights @ 'sensed' center of the entire 'frame' of rectangle. Shot first round into about perfect center - couldn't see the hole with naked eye but , saw the hole thru binoculars . Shot successive shots holding @ 'anticipated' center of entire square again - 10 shot group was less than 2" and one ragne officer said 'Wow! That's great!" (I was ashamed to tell him how I did it.)

Often I can't see indoors as well as out because of the glare at times. My point is that once you are 'older' (esp over 60 like me ) the instincts you developed over many prior years of shooting are still intact. So, don't give up on yourself - you have learned more than you may think. Just give all your experience that is hidden inside you a chance to manifest itself and you will be fine. :)
 
#18 ·
Often I can't see indoors as well as out because of the glare at times. My point is that once you are 'older' (esp over 60 like me ) the instincts you developed over many prior years of shooting are still intact. So, don't give up on yourself - you have learned more than you may think. Just give all your experience that is hidden inside you a chance to manifest itself and you will be fine. :)
The indoor range I go to is fairly well lit so not a great deal of trouble with that. It's definitely not outside brightness by any stretch but ample enough.

I remember while in service of our great country we were taught early on about recognizing a threat in near darkness by looking above, below and left and right of an expected target quickly letting your eyes dart from each side and top/bottom and you could begin to make out a form. It still works and if need be I think I could still do that as well as ever.

The mid lens is very good with the sight picture, but blurry on target.
That's exactly where I am. If I raise my head as to see through the tri-focal the sights are sharp both front and rear but, the target is not.

Shoot more. Think about how good you are doing and not about how you miss that old youthful clarity. As long as we can responsibly discern a threat we can defend the castle and as long as we can get the sights on the vitals we are good to put meat on the table.
I do miss the clarity I once had and know for sure I never even thought of the sight picture as it wasn't a problem then. I'd just like to have back the hair, eyes, teeth and endurance I had at 35...even 45 or 50. Things started going haywire around 58 years old. Four vascular operations in five years from 2004-2009 didn't help with self esteem, that's for sure. But, I guess this all beats the alternative.
 
#17 ·
Col Colt -- that looks like fine shootin' to me. I have trifocals and have had retinal reattachment surgery, so this topic is a great interest to me. I needed to rebuild my confidence/abilities. Short effective fire without any glasses was important. I found that sight picture was great even if the object/target was blurry. This is a possible home defense scenario. But could I responsibly discern the target? I found that I could and the groups were good, even without glasses. Then I worked with the trifocals. It took some work to build confidence with the distance lens. My stance is more a modified type Weaver with arms more outstretched. The stretch truly helped with that lens. The mid lens is very good with the sight picture, but blurry on target.
Now I have decent groups and developing skills. The has helped me a lot. The practice helped my attitude and suppressed my own emotional reaction to the change in vision.
Shoot more. Think about how good you are doing and not about how you miss that old youthful clarity. As long as we can responsibly discern a threat we can defend the castle and as long as we can get the sights on the vitals we are good to put meat on the table.
 
#19 ·
Co Colt -- Yea... the flesh decays. But our challenge is to be as good as we can be, as we are. And for survivors, that is probably damn good. And we can have a lot of fun continuing to grow and to help others get schooled up before they get too far down the road.
Life is more than this slow descent... On the other side we will have our best days...
All the best.
 
#20 ·
I remember while in service of our great country we were taught early on about recognizing a threat in near darkness by looking above, below and left and right of an expected target quickly letting your eyes dart from each side and top/bottom and you could begin to make out a form. It still works and if need be I think I could still do that as well as ever.

I think most peoples' eyes automatically 'gravitate' toward the center of a rectangle/square/circle if they can see the entrie periphery. Some call it 'square vision.'

Remember pointing your domoinant-eye-side forefinger @ a small light switch or something, then holding it there while you sighted along it (the finger) toward what you pointed at and the finger was aimed dead-on? Used to work every time for many.

Some people can hold 6 o'clock on a large black bullseye @ 25 yards and shoot the x ring out of the target tho they can't see the X at all. Sometimes, it's a matter of 'relative perspective' like looking over the tip of an arrow at a certain angle to an 80 yard field archery target.

You can do it - just dig into your 'repertiore' of shooting experience.

I'm rooting for you ;)
 
#21 ·
I haven't gone to trifocals but these bifocals are the pits for shooting. No matter weather I shoot with or without them I always have 2 front sights. Sometimes I can pick the right one and the groups will stay together. I use an outdoor range and shoot from shade to sun. If I use a black bull sometimes the front site will fade into the bull. I make my own targets and try to go with bright colors for the bull, yellow, red, orange, and even green against a white background. On dark backrounds I use white bulls. Normally I'm using a 2" bull at 25 yards. I guess we just have to accept the fact we don't have the sight of a 25 year old any more.
 
#22 ·
The bi-focal part of my glasses is way down and doesn't interfere with shooting. The tri-focal part is right above that and doesn't get in the way either. I have to raise my head up to even see the tri-focal but, at least using it to shoot I can see the sights good.

I'm considering getting Ruger's red front sight to see if that may help. I don't recall seeing anything in the GP owners manual about how to replace it however, but, I know you can. I don't know if that would aid me in any way but it's possible-especially with any black target.

Ruger-GP100-Red-Front-Sight-Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
 
#23 ·
My understanding of sight replacement on the Redhawk is to depress the plunger on the front of the sight and the sight is suppost to lift out. I also have thought of sight replacement with the 4 color package Ruger offers. I haven't tried to remove the front sight but it doesn't sound to challenging.
 
#25 ·
That sounds easy enough. I may get that red one to see if it offers a better solution.

A thought if you do eventually get bifocals. One can specify the percentage of the lens to be given to each section. This can get rid of some of the anoyances due to the lens split being at an inopportune spot. On a indoor range I get some target pasties for the bullseye. There is a brand, forget which, that enhances where the bullet strikes making it easier to see. The bright color also makes sighting easier.
I do have bifocals as well as the tri-focal. The bifocal doesn't get in the way as it's way down on the lens. I think the tri-focal part could be a little higher up than it is and I could see the sights better without having to tilt my head up so high. I'll talk with the doc next time I go about that as well as the shooting glasses mentioned earlier. I know there's a better way.

I saw a gal at the range week before last that had some of those targets and wondered how they worked in that each time she shot it stuck out like a sore thumb. Probably a little more expensive that others I'm sure but would be a great aid in seeing where you're hitting better than the ordinary targets. Those must be the same ones you're talking about.
 
#24 ·
A thought if you do eventually get bifocals. One can specify the percentage of the lens to be given to each section. This can get rid of some of the anoyances due to the lens split being at an inopportune spot. On a indoor range I get some target pasties for the bullseye. There is a brand, forget which, that enhances where the bullet strikes making it easier to see. The bright color also makes sighting easier.

The 5.5 and 7" bbl. Redhawks can have the sight removed easily by depressing the spring plunger at the front of the barrel and lifting the sight up and out. The 4" bbl. Redhawks have a pinned sight. Ruger at one time had a 4 color sight set for the Redhawk with yellow, blue, orange and red fronts. They say red is the hardest to pickup in dark lighting. I found a brighter sight to be the blaze orange metal sight Millett used to make which perhaps could be turned up somewhere. There are also fibre optic ones and I imagine one could spring for a custom gold bead sight using a Bowen blank in patridge form. Another alternative with the metal front sight would be to have a gunsmith fashion a color insert in the color of your choice. In the past this has cost me about $25 or so.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Go Colt, try these on your GP100. Outdoors they focus the light into the pipes and they glow like the sun.

Ruger-GP100-6-Light-Sticks-Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

I've found the green work best, but you'll get several sizes and shades of light pipes.

Depending on the age of your GP they are just a drop in, by depressing the pin latch on the front of the muzzle. ( I think some older models don't have the pin latch, but I may be remembering wrong, eyes aren't the only thing age messes with. :( )

If you see a small hole on top of the front of the barrel pushing in on it with something the size of a small punch will "unlatch" the old sight, which lifts out. Then just snap the new one in.

Simple fix, took me literally 30 seconds,and a great advantage for my "old eyes"!
 
#29 ·
Go Colt, try these on your GP100. Outdoors they focus the light into the pipes and they glow like the sun.

Ruger-GP100-6-Light-Sticks-Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.

I've found the green work best, but you'll get several sizes and shades of light pipes.
They've got entirely too many goodies for these guns.:D I've wondered about these after market front sights and just how much they'll change your POI from the factory sights as they look higher. I suppose they don't make them to the same height as factory but at least you can correct with a bit of elevation adjustment. I may have to try those.

I'm beginning to think you guys definition of bifocals and mine are different. I can't shoot with the bifocal part of my glasses as it's solely for reading and taking splinters out-can't see a thing if I raise my head high enough to see targets/sights with them. The tri-focal part(middle of glasses) is what I can use to see the sights with but this makes the target blurred-sort of a compromise.
 
#27 ·
I shoot my revolvers mostly at an indoor range @ about 15 yds. with glasses, Bi focals.Rifles I shoot at an outdoor range, usually @ 50 yds. with my bifocals. I shoot archery also. Right now I'm @ 20yds with the archery; bare bow, recurve. The target is a standard 60 cm FITA target 25" X25" American I can see the target plainly with out glasses but have trouble seeing where the arrows land on target but I am usually within 2 " or less of the center if I "pick a spot" and shoot from almost the same position each time. I cannot shoot archey with glasses because of my anchor point. I am 70 years old
 
#28 ·
When the eye doctor told me I needed bi-focals I started with the no line style in the late 80's and they work great for me. Just look thru a different section for different focal lengths. At 63 I can still test 20-15 all day and 20-10 on a good day with my glasses on but my problem is after shooting about 50 rounds my eyes get tired and focus and accuracy just disappears. All my rifles carry glass but most handguns are stock sights.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top