Author Topic: Eyes, and other things (Read 3856 times)

little joe · « **on:** October 05, 2018, 10:48:49 AM »

Went shooting with Alacran yesterday over cast and no wind. My rifle is 38 cal, bbl. by Charley Burton, a .375 ball and Drill for patch. Small Siler and Davis set triggers.All to often we blame our equiptment . I was shooting high and to the right, off a bench. I felt good on trigger release and I,m doing the same with my other 2 rifles. I had Alacran shoot 5 shots 4 10s and a 9 at 40 yds Back to me I,m puzzled have not had a glasses update for 2 yrs. however am going at the end of Oct. Vision or how I,m applying myself or both, I don,t know,but as I said don,t blame your rifle, possibly It,s your skill level that needs to be improved.

Don Steele · « **Reply #1 on:** October 05, 2018, 12:55:20 PM »

Eyesight can surely be an issue. My eyes are pretty poor. I require all kinds of "corrections" in my shooting glass lenses...then there's the ever-present floaters..!! Grrr. $:-\$
All that said however, there are skills involved in shooting from a rest, just like there are skills involved in shooting offhand. I know this because whenever I spend time doing load testing, or prepping for a Table or Chunk shoot, there's NO question that my groups tighten over time, absent any changes in load or equipment, just more shots fired while concentrating on precision in my technique.
Just because you have the rifle on a rest, you're not immune to making very small errors that can "throw off" your shots.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #2 on:** October 05, 2018, 06:04:10 PM »

I had a similar experience with an unmentionable target smallbore I only shoot at one specific event. All my shots were tightly grouped but way low. I couldn’t figure it out, until I started thinking about how long it had been since I had shot the gun, and when my last trip to the optometrist had been. Sure enough, it wasn’t the gun, it was the new glasses.

Hungry Horse

flinchrocket · « **Reply #3 on:** October 05, 2018, 07:54:56 PM »

After I started wearing glasses my shooting went downhill. Either the sights or the target were blurry, sometimes both.

Huntschool · « **Reply #4 on:** October 05, 2018, 08:20:20 PM »

For many if not most of us in our late 60's and early 70's (perhaps some in their 50's) this eyesight thing is a bugger. I went to glasses for everyday wear at age 55. I was seeing fuzzy tails on sporting clays birds. Got that fixed and all has been well until this past year. Cataract is beginning to develop in my right eye and that's my shooting eye. My distance vision has also suffered.

My latest glasses have fixed the distance thing but my rear site may or may not be in good focus..... Shot some off the bench at 50 yards the other day just checking things out and fortunately The POI was still good except the group was not what I wanted...... fuzzy stuff.

Getting old is $#*!. Its usually the Indian not the arrow......

Daryl · « **Reply #5 on:** October 05, 2018, 09:41:14 PM »

I haven't seen a clear sight for many years - either of them. I tried wearing "computer" glasses, .25, .5 and .75 diopter glasses. These sharpened both sights, but made the target really fuzzy.

The only suggestion I can make, is to practice and become a better shot with what you have. The .5 diopter glasses were the best of the three- for me. For a while, Taylor was wearing .75's. They,

along with the .1 and .125 are worse for me as the fuzz-ball of a target is just too nasty to attempt a shot at.

With no glasses at all, I can almost make out the front sight. Still, one can do decent shooting if one practices.

alacran · « **Reply #6 on:** October 05, 2018, 09:51:49 PM »

Before I had cataract surgery shooting bulls eye targets was difficult, but doable.On a round target one has to imagine where the center is.
Shooting oddball shaped targets was more difficult especially in crappy light. The worst was on trail walks where not only the targets are oddball shape but odd colors and a varied background. Cataract surgery has diminished most of those problems. However it does't cure presbyopia or floaters.

Darkhorse · « **Reply #7 on:** October 05, 2018, 10:49:43 PM »

Early fall, 3 years ago I was very accurate with no glasses. At Christmas that year the rear sight became blurry with the top of the blade showing 3 blurry lines. Suddenly I was shooting high, how high depended on which line I sighted with.
I've never needed glasses for distance and when I tried them my groups just spread over the target. But I could still see the front sight and target plainly.
My solution was to make a simple rear peep sight for each of my rifles. Immediately my groups tightened up back to normal.
It's worth trying.

hanshi · « **Reply #8 on:** October 06, 2018, 12:41:18 AM »

My shooting has gone downhill the past several years. Either the target, front sight or both are blurry to at least some extent. With 1.25 reading glasses I can see the front sight fairly well. But often a floater will block that view and I have to wait a few moments until it moves along. When I start seeing 3 front sights when I aim, I'll just focus on the middle one.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #9 on:** October 06, 2018, 12:55:40 AM »

Quote from: Darkhorse on October 05, 2018, 10:49:43 PM

Early fall, 3 years ago I was very accurate with no glasses. At Christmas that year the rear sight became blurry with the top of the blade showing 3 blurry lines. Suddenly I was shooting high, how high depended on which line I sighted with.
I've never needed glasses for distance and when I tried them my groups just spread over the target. But I could still see the front sight and target plainly.
My solution was to make a simple rear peep sight for each of my rifles. Immediately my groups tightened up back to normal.
It's worth trying.

I am now released by my eye surgeon who said she wants to see me in May of 2019.
I still need reading glasses which will be used when I make locks for those who want
them.I had floaters years ago but none so far after the two operations.Shooting is
no longer important to me but being able to see to make parts for those who do is
important.

Bob Roller

hudson · « **Reply #10 on:** October 06, 2018, 06:31:45 PM »

I have found opening up the notch in the rear sight helps allot. As for floaters the one I have is just off center. I have found if I look off to one side then back it is right in my sights, if I look to the other side it disappears out of line of sight when I bring my eye back. Hope this of some help.

Huntschool · « **Reply #11 on:** October 06, 2018, 07:36:44 PM »

I have found opening up the notch in the rear sight helps allot

Now there is one I had not thought about.....

Thanks Hudson.

Daryl · « **Reply #12 on:** October 07, 2018, 05:23:15 AM »

Slightly wider notches can help. Something else that can help, is wide V rear sight with a bead front sight.

I find I can almost shoot as well with these style of sight as I used to shoot when young and could actually see.

The wide V does not fuzz up as badly as a V or U notch and the fuzzy bead has a centre which is where the ball hits.

Hold the centre of the fuzz ball of a bead on the centre of the target or bullseye and that ball hits there. A flat topped sight

had too many surfaces for me to figure out which one is the top ege. The bead works.

Turtle · « **Reply #13 on:** October 07, 2018, 01:31:13 PM »

I have often suggested here a wide rear sight notch. I make mine so the front sight looks 1/2 the width of the notch.
I'm tempted to try the v and bead as even a wider notch is working less well.
Turtle

Bob Roller · « **Reply #14 on:** October 07, 2018, 03:52:28 PM »

That sight combination against the dark sofa is ideal to me.

Bob Roller

Don Steele · « **Reply #15 on:** October 07, 2018, 04:09:08 PM »

Bob is right..!!!
That combination looks ideal for fast shooting in low light to stop a charging sofa ..!!
😁
On a more serious note.. where can a guy find a set of sights like those..??
Before anyone types the obvious response, I don’t have the skill or gear to build’em myself.

Daryl · « **Reply #16 on:** October 07, 2018, 10:16:14 PM »

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/sights/index.htm?k=express+sights&ksubmit=y

Trackofthewolf has a lot of different sights that can be filed as you wish. I do not know of any maker

of sights already filed as these.

Here are 4 pages of sights from Track. Many of them can be filed out as desired.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/880/1

This one is very close, as-is.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/880/2/RS-FJ-I

and this one
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/880/3/RS-JAEG-3

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #17 on:** October 08, 2018, 06:21:58 PM »

Most all my life I was terribly near sighted. Couple years back, I found I was having trouble reading speed limit signs until I was right on them. You guessed it - cataracts!

Got very lucky, as the surgeon was also a target shooter. He did the left eye first, made the new lens 20/20 - for the first time I could really see without glasses!

When he did the right eye (dominant), he crafted the new lens to give me 20/15 vision - and I could really pick up the bull on the 100 yard target.

Now, I do need to wear reading glasses, and raised the magnification of my Optivisor a bit. But it is so very nice to actually see things without those often-dirty lenses to peer through!

Target shooting has become fun once again!

Daryl · « **Reply #18 on:** October 08, 2018, 08:45:53 PM »

Taylor likened it to looking through an empty plastic milk jug's side wall.

rich pierce · « **Reply #19 on:** October 08, 2018, 11:54:48 PM »

Made a “Daryl” front sight today. I’m not sure I got the “bead” big enough but I can fix that if needed. I’ve been having trouble with vertical stringing from the bench. Will see if this helps.

smylee grouch · « **Reply #20 on:** October 09, 2018, 12:30:57 AM »

You can google New England Custom Guns, they sell those express sights in one,two or three blade styles. I have one on my 62 flinter and it works great in low light conditions with the large round bead front sight.

Daryl · « **Reply #21 on:** October 09, 2018, 09:32:04 PM »

That front should certainly help eliminate the vertical error, Rich. With both rifles with such sighting, the balls hit spot-on at 25yards AND 50yards. (within an inch)

I wonder if Taylor re-shot his rifles on paper since he got his shooting eye "fixed"?

Every one of his iron sighted guns shoots 2" low for me. This is not to say my eyes are right and his aren't, but most of us 'see' sights differently. It is not common for

one fellow to be able to sight in a rifle EXACTLY right for another.

rich pierce · « **Reply #22 on:** October 15, 2018, 05:24:32 PM »

I also made a wide, shallow V sight and got my .45 re-sighted in on Saturday. With the fire-end over a rest, not true bench rest shooting with bags fore and aft, it reduced my vertical dispersion by at least 50%. Still have some side to side issues but improvement overall shooting into a 3-4” vertical slot at 100 yards now. I generally prefer period correct sights but I am keeping those in reserve. I used a 1/8” bead and it seems about right for a 42” barrel.

Daryl · « **Reply #23 on:** October 15, 2018, 08:37:38 PM »

Glad to hear it, Rich.

yulzari · « **Reply #24 on:** October 15, 2018, 08:57:19 PM »

I should learn to shoot left handed as my left eye is fine but the right is not so good. Stupid brain insists on using the right eye as the dominant one nevertheless. I just cannot get on with firing left handed. My body just screams 'you are doing this all wrong!'.

Left handers who have had to do so many things right handed will be laughing at me; quite justifiably.

1.00 reading glasses sharpen up the fore sight quite handily though, for the errant orb.

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Author Topic: Eyes, and other things (Read 3856 times)

Turtle