Aging eyes.....

[Marcruger]

I just posted this within another thread, but I though it might be helpful as a stand-alone too.

For those who have eyes that are getting worse, here is a tip.  Go to your local store with a yard stick or meter stick.  Find the section with reading glasses.  Try on glasses until you can see the end of stick clearly.  Buy the ones with the lowest magnification that allow you to see the end clearly.  I have a baggie full of reading glasses I take when I go shooting (they don't cost much) .  I can handle just about any length barrel that way, from short handguns to longrifles.  The longrifles need the lowest magnification, and are the easiest to shoot well.  Yes, the target is a little fuzzy, but isn't that what instructors say is correct anyway?   Don't give up on good shooting!  This works for me and I hope it helps others.

God Bless,   Marc

[Mike Brooks]

I've been doing a bunch of pistol shooting lately. Went and bought a pair of 1.25's and PRESTO CHANGE-O! I can see the sights. Haven't picked up a long gun since I have them but I suspect I'll need 1.00's or less, but the weakest I can find are the 1.25's locally. The sights are crystal clear again, but the target sure is fuzzy, don't know how that is going to work past 50 yards or so, we'll see......

[Bob Roller]

I have a set of Dollar Store glasses,2.0 diopter I use with the computer like right now.
Shop glasses are prescription with 3 different lenses.

Bob Roller

[Pukka Bundook]

Mike, try some clear glasses, no magnification.  Safety glasses work well, and stick a piece of electrical tape on one lens with a hole burned in it to sight through.
Burn hole with a thin wire.  you might be surprised how it cleans up the sights And target.

Try it and see, and if no good report back here and say so. :-)

Pukka.

[Mike Brooks]

Mike, try some clear glasses, no magnification.  Safety glasses work well, and stick a piece of electrical tape on one lens with a hole burned in it to sight through.
Burn hole with a thin wire.  you might be surprised how it cleans up the sights And target.

Try it and see, and if no good report back here and say so. :-)

Pukka.

Already tried that, no worky. Even bought one of those fancy diopters you stick to your glasses. Waste of $60 for me.

[Bigmon]

I am confused?  For those that wear prescription glasses, like me I use progressive lenses (that is another mistake).
Do we not use the prescription glasses and just go with the readers?
Or is there no hope for us (me)??
I have tried a few different readers in a store and couldn't see a thing a distance?

[Daryl]

Many people have TOO grossly different prescriptions from eye to eye to use cheap drug store readers.

Many people can get by with just cheap readers. Generally, the weakest readers in stores will be 1.0 diopter.

Most all Optometrist offices can order you a pair of .75 Diopter glasses. Some outfits, also sell .25 to .75 diopter 'computer' glasses.

Let Google do your walking for you:

http://www.eyefatigue.com/computer-glasses/

[Darkhorse]

I have found the perfect solution for me. I had got to the point where I just couldn't shoot a group in the same place on the target from day to day. And what groups I shot had gotten a lot larger. Couldn't hit a squirrel or rabbit, most likely a deer also. For a few years I've been thinking about putting peep sights on my rifles but the swamped barrel made it difficult but I finally got it figured out.
As I said, I'm a hunter first. My choices were to just quit hunting with a ML or install a peep. Well, I'd rather hit what I'm aiming at with a non PC sight than miss with open iron sights, because I have no intention of not hunting with my flintlocks.
I immediately started shooting tiny groups again, right where I was aiming. It doesn't matter the distance now, if I miss it won't be because of blurry vision. The sight is unobtrusive and just works real well. The sight in the photo has been sprayed with flat brown paint for testing purposes. I have now installed peeps and made new front sights on my .40 flint and .54 flint. Worked good enough I got an 8 point buck and a doe last season.
Plus the nearest club (over 100 miles away) has a greybeard flintlock class that allows peep sights so us older guys can keep on shooting.

[hanshi]

Before I got the cataracts removed I wore bifocals.  The bifocals enabled me to see the rifle/pistol sights but trying to tilt my head back to see through the bifocals was impossible.  My neck is fused and any attempt was agonizing.  I started using other glasses, and post cataracts, I had to use reading glasses.  I found 1.25 diopter glasses worked for both and 1.50 worked okay for pistol.  I guess I can go back to shooting pistols now.  2.50/3.00 are what I use for reading but need nothing to see movies, TV and drive.  Still considering getting prescription tinted shooting glasses.

[hanshi]

Where'd you acquire those little peeps, Darkhorse?

[Greg Pennell]

If all you need are reading glasses, there are companies that will grind your power into the upper inside corner of a pair of shooting glasses....no neck strain!  Or, the cheaper solution is one of the stick-on readers from H2Optix...you can place it wherever you need it. I use one for pistol shooting that gives me a crisp front sight picture for the first time in years. I only use the right lens, and shoot with both eyes open.

I’ve also used a set of Olympic-style shooting glasses...one very adjustable lens, and a blinder over the non-shooting eye. I had my optometrist grind the lens to focus on my front sight post (had to have separate lens made for rifle and pistol though).  Those worked well until I had to start using bifocals...then I finally gave up and got LASIK.  I still need the close distance correction, but the lenses with only a reading diopter are MUCH less expensive, and generally available off the shelf.

Greg

[Darkhorse]

Hanshi, I made those sights and new front sights to match them. The photo is a little blurry and don't really show the detail well. I have since learned how to set up my camera for showing better detail and less blur. I just haven't taken anymore photo's, The peeps are also able to be adjusted for elevation.

[Don Steele]

I am confused?  For those that wear prescription glasses, like me I use progressive lenses (that is another mistake).
Do we not use the prescription glasses and just go with the readers?
Or is there no hope for us (me)??
I have tried a few different readers in a store and couldn't see a thing a distance?

Here's what works for me...
I have bad distance vision and have to wear eyeglasses pretty much anytime I'm awake. 40 yrs. ago, I started wearing shooting glasses made by Bud Decot. (www.decot.com) for Skeet and Trap. Bud's gone...but the company still does great work. Their "Hy-Wyd" frames have removable lenses.  As my eyes "Aged" ...it became increasingly difficult to use iron sights to shoot handguns or rifles. I talked to the good folks at Decot who told me they could grind a "strong side" lense to better accommodate iron sights, while leaving my "weak side" lense alone. Keep both eyes open, and your brain will figure it out. WORKS GREAT.

[codger]

 Darkhorse ....I have passed the 3/4 century mark; can still see irons in good light, but enjoy squirrel hunting and need peep sights to shoot in the shade.  I like your little sight ; may have to make one. For now my solution has been  to modify a Williams 10/22 peep, cut off the mount holes and re-drilled the base. Tang bolt and double stick carpet tape hold it secure. Not PC but ; works well.


delete yelp account
My Best Don

[EC121]

Experimenting one day I bent a piece of metal to fit the tang and countersunk the hole to go on my tang bolt.  Then drilled it for a peep sight.  Worked fine.



delete old netlog account

[al56]

They make a bi focal lens that a hydro lens.  A drop of water and you can cut and place the lens when you want on your glasses. After eye surgery I can now see without glasses but can't see the sights or anything up-close.  These work great on sunglasses.
Al

[Darkhorse]

This link gives a little more detail on the simple peep. The front site shown is before I started sighting the rifle in. It is now rounded and looks much better. As for my problems shooting in low light conditions, well that's no  longer a problem. Deliberate practice in both bright sunlight and late afternoon light has made that problem "not a problem anymore."

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=43554.msg425787#msg425787

[thecapgunkid]

Hanshi..."Before I got the cataracts removed I wore bifocals"...

Yup.  Key word turned out to be Cataracts removed.  Aging is still aging, though.

I just sold a rifle where the solution is going with me in any projects I start;  I made a front sight base and drilled it out for an 8X32 tap.  Then I took an 8X32 bolt and cut it where the threads came out the bottom of the base and about a quarter inch above the base.  Countersunk and punched it at the bottom.  Then I took a standard hack saw and carefully widened the notch.  Placed it on the barrel where everything was in focus and installed it so that the front sight filled the groove.

Looks like Poo-Poo but drove nails and sighted quickly.  Thank The Lord I am a low brow when it comes to authenticity of every little detail....

[hanshi]

You and me both, capgun. 

[Iktomi]

 This may seem like a dumb question, but, how are you holding the stick? At arms length?

For those who have eyes that are getting worse, here is a tip.  Go to your local store with a yard stick or meter stick.  Find the section with reading glasses.  Try on glasses until you can see the end of stick clearly.

[bob in the woods]

My .54 rifle fits me extremely well. I don't even bother much with the rear sight, but concentrate on the front. I put the front on the target and the rear sight is fuzzy, but it doesn't matter.  Works for me. 

[m1garand_man]

My eye sight is corrected to 20/20 with contacts which I prefer over glasses for shooting but the big annoyance I'm dealing with is a developing stygmatism. The optometrist tells me the best way to correct it would be glasses since it's it in the margin of error for prk surgery.

It's really annoying in awkward lighting conditions as that's when I struggle most to get a clean sight picture. The worst time are when the lighting is low or comming from directly behind or in front of where I'm shooting from. When this happens I shoot it Ruggles to be able to focus on either sights or the target.

I guess there's really not much I can do.

[LH]

There are companies that grind reading glasses below 1.0 diopter.  I use .25 for rifle and .75 for pistol.  Here's one I've bought from.............https://www.readingglassesetc.com/pages/low-power-reading-glasses.html

[Daryl]

Here is the one I used - I think. I bought both .25 and .5's, then locally ordered in a pair of .75's. The .75's are OK on the trail, but I prefer the .5's for shooting groups.

http://eyefatigue.com/computer-glasses/

[Sharpsman]

My .54 rifle fits me extremely well. I don't even bother much with the rear sight, but concentrate on the front. I put the front on the target and the rear sight is fuzzy, but it doesn't matter.  Works for me.

The rear sight is supposed to be fuzzy! The eye cannot focus at multiple locations at the same time....only one!