sights for senior eyes

[JohnnyFM]

I'm thinking that semi buckhorn just might fit the bill.  Thanks again.

[Dennis Glazener]

I have trouble seeing the front sight and what seems to work well for me is to use the standard front signt with silver blade like most of the vendors sell. Then I cut the rear notch with an 1/8" end mill. I end up having enough light on each side of the front sight that I can easily see it. I have had other old guys look at my sights and comment how much better they can see the front sight than with their own rifle. Works for me.
Dennis

[Leatherbark]

Mr. Glazener

Is the rear sight notch square after using the 1/8 inch end mill or is it round? I like a lot of daylight in my rear sight also.

Bob

[Boompa]

WalMart reading glasses are cheap.

Yep and Dollar Stores even cheaper
Dennis

     That worked for a few years but not anymore. I've got the same problem as patkinson.  Even peep/aperture sights are a challenge nowadays.  I'd be hesitant to hunt with my MLs at this point.

[Dennis Glazener]

The bottom of my sight is square after cutting with the 1/8 inch end mill.
Dennis

[Mike Brooks]

I just received in the mail a Merit optical you stick on your glasses. From just sighting off the back porch I'd say this may solve my problem.

[hudson]

Bit late on this subject, will add my findings. As Dennis states I also open my rear site with a 1/8 end mill. I like light equal to or slightly more than the front sight width on both sides of the front sight, as viewed through the rear. On shooting glasses I have in the past gone with having the optical center ground in line with my sights. I also use the little suction cup gadget sold by Lyman. Recently I have discovered so called high definition glasses, there are probably other names for these. They have a very large optical correct area. As I understand it around 75% of the lens. I found it no longer necessary to have a separate set of glasses for shooting.

[Robby]

These things work as well or better than anything I have tried, and I've tried just about everything. their just a cheap pair of clip on's with a strategically placed hole ground in the lens, that hole covered with electric tape and a pin hole burned through. Flip them up and they're out of the way, flip them down and the pin hole is in the same place every time. Just do the best you can with what you got.
Robby

[stuart cee dub]

Two weeks ago I picked up a new bespoke rifle built by Mr Gates of Missouri .At his suggestion I had him install a set of sights most similar to what Daryl has shown numerous times over the years namely a vee backsight . Mine has a fat blade on the front instead of the bead.It works much like a peep.

Windage is dead on ,the elevation i'm still working on at the moment. It is a new gun after all.A fine sight works great at 25 and again at 50 yds.

I am sold on the shallow vee. Iv'e got 57 year old eyes and am quite happy needing to look no further. My eye naturally centers the front blade in the valley of the vee sight like a peep.The vee sight is further down the barrel but it is a long rifle so there is sight radius to spare.

It really does work.Simple cheap and I don't have to move to the any metallic sights category unless I want to.Just bought myself 20 years more of shooting.

[Caihlen]

Stuart,  any chance I could talk you into posting a picture?  I'm a visual learner and am suffering the same aged vision.

Thanks
kc

[Hungry Horse]

 Daryl's sights are just what I use with a couple of modifications. The bead should fit the notch as Daryl said,with little or no light on either side, and should be a different color, so you can distinguish it from the rear sight. If you need light on either side of the sight, your eyes aren't truly bad, because that light would look like a supernova on top of your barrel, if they were. Thinning the center of the rear sight, and filing angles to reduce reflected light, and create shade for the rear sight are important. The long gradual V that culminates in the round bottomed notch is very important. It forces the eye to focus on the notch.
 I take it one step farther. I often bore the center out of the rear sight, and replace it with a thin sheet of sterling silver. I then file my gradual V, and round bottom notch in it. This insures the rear sight will always be a deep flat black ( after the first few shots) because the powder residue from the pan will tarnish the silver very black. A piece of refrigerator magnet material stuck to the rear sight base will allow you to place the rear sight where it will work best for your eyes.

  Hungry Horse

[Jeger Justnes]

Neat solution there Robby.
Will have a go at it :-)

Regards, Tor

[bones92]

Also, a trip to the optometrist may be in order. 

[Hadden West]

Get a pair of Essilor Definity glasses and you can shoot like you could when you were young. These progressive lenses have a wide channel and allow you to focus like normal at different ranges. Great for looking at computer screen too.