My eyes and sixguns ...

[Bill in Oregon]

Took two Ruger sixguns along with some long guns to the range today, a BH in .45 Colt with 4 5/8 barrel and the new .41 BH with 6 1/2. I was mainly just plinking up odds and ends with the .45 Colt, but settled down to try for accuracy with the .41. I first shot some 250-grain WFNs from CPBC over 5.0 grains Trail Boss for a very light load, and these guys loafed down range at 779 -- virtually no recoil -- and showed me my sights were high and left. After bottoming the sights and moving the rear to the right, I put 10 rounds of the same 250-grain WFN over 17.5 grains of H4227 for an average of 1214 fps into the target, and came up with one theory and one conclusion. The conclusion first: My eyes may just be too lousy for shooting sixguns anymore. I have bifocals, but the only way I could see front and rear was too look over the lenses entirely. My theory: Either that bullet and that load of H4227 aren't accurate, or I have become a much worse pistol shot than I used to be, with 10 bullets in about 3 inches at 25 yards.
As I had a rolling block, a Spencer .56-50, an H&R .38-55 and a new Remington Spartan .45-70 double rifle to fool with, that's all the pistol shooting I did. Think I will try one of the 210-grain JSPs and 296 or H110 in the .41.

[bsaride]

I noticed the same thing this weekend. new bifocals too.
I am going to try a diopter mounted to my glasses.
Lyman has one for $20 and Merit has one for $65 (adjustable).
I am going for the Merit as I just got paid a nice check.
Only bought 2 guns last month and maybe one more this month
should get me ready for hunting season, lol.

[AkRay]

It's time for a red dot sight or a low magnification scope. I will probably be there myself before too long.

[Wrangler John]

No problemo. I found my computer glasses work really cool for open pistol sights. They focus at arms length plus and minus a bit. So I had trifocals made up with the computer prescription as the center correction and shoot with it. That also works with dashboard gauges where reading and distance correction don't give clear vision. Even sharper focus of sights can be had with a Merritt Eye Disk. Now if I just learned to shoot - I'd be in hog heaven.

[Sixgun]

No problemo. I found my computer glasses work really cool for open pistol sights. They focus at arms length plus and minus a bit. So I had trifocals made up with the computer prescription as the center correction and shoot with it. That also works with dashboard gauges where reading and distance correction don't give clear vision. Even sharper focus of sights can be had with a Merritt Eye Disk. Now if I just learned to shoot - I'd be in hog heaven.

Learn somethin' new everyday! I am going to talk to my optician about that. At 54, even my bifocals don't help with open pistol sights. Tang sights are still easy to see but even with them, the front sight is gettin' a little fuzzy.-------Sixgun

[northwoods]

Bill,
How about a rundown on the sparten. I have had one on order and was told they were not to be made.
The very best to you and yours.
Bob

[Lefty Dude]

Many of us Cowboy Shooter's have prescription shooting glasses made for our Sport. And we have our shooting eye lens adjusted for our front sight of our Pistol & rifle. The other eye lens is set for distance. This may sound strange bet it works and your eyes & brain catch on real fast. Here is how I determined what my focal length needed to be for my master eye. I took a wooden yard stick and held it to my master eye lens of the glasses. Then held my pistol like in my shooting stance. My better half measured this distance. I also did the same with my rifle. My distances were 30" for pistol & 34" for rifle. Then I drilled a small hole at each measurement point on the edge of the yard stick that would accept a #8 finishing nail. This I took with me to the Eye Center for the Doc. Explained what I do as a shooter and he did his thing and we checked it out right there. I wanted to bring in my Firearms but they said no way. So that is why the Stick & nail. With this arrangement I see both rear & front sight, and the target too.

Unless the Doc is a shooter he will balk at the two different lens. I am lucky my Guy also shoots CAS with me. You do not want a dark tint to your shooting glasses, I have a light rose tint for mine. The dark tint or sun glasses will cause your pupil to enlarge and you will lose some depth of field. Same as with a camera lens smaller the F stop, greater the depth of field.

I am 70 years old and this works for me, I am also getting a cataract in my shooting eye.

Hope this help guy's, it works for me.

[Pisgah]

Don't know if this applies in your case or not, but when I was forced to go to bifocals I learned for the first time why it's really best to shoot with both eyes open. Since I trained myself to do that, I have no problem seeing my sights, and I'm shooting better than ever.

[jeepnik]

Might think about getting a ORH (one ragged hole) rear sight. You'll never get the pretty groups you got as a youngster, but it makes using iron sights for a few more years possible. In addition, I've found they are very fast.

[oldmax]

Bill, I know how you feel, Pushing 70, my pistol skills are deteriorating, Groups getting bigger
. Blurry sights , and not as steady....

Interesting though, I can shoot(Offhand) the M1 Carbine better than when I was young..
I seem to be able too anticipate the shot and squeeze the trigger at the correct time..

Tryed that with the revolver, didn't work to well..

I guess the " shooting getting worse" is better than the alternative..

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

No problemo. I found my computer glasses work really cool for open pistol sights. They focus at arms length plus and minus a bit. So I had trifocals made up with the computer prescription as the center correction and shoot with it. That also works with dashboard gauges where reading and distance correction don't give clear vision. Even sharper focus of sights can be had with a Merritt Eye Disk. Now if I just learned to shoot - I'd be in hog heaven.

Good info. Here's what I found many years ago.
If you are far sighted and you need reading glasses to read try this. Take a #2 standard yellow pencil with you to Walmart. With the #2 pencil held at arms length you want to find the weakest pair that you allow you to read the writing on the pencil. Now buy a pair of full size glasses with plastic lens in that power.
What this does is make your front sight crystal clear with the least amount of blur at target distance. Remember, blurry targets are still a he!! of alot bigger than your front site.

The single lens readers take a bit to get used to, but I think it works better than the Bi-focals, Tri-focals and no lines that make the shooters look like bobble head dolls until they find the right combo to start shooting.

[greenacres]

Bill in Oregon, don't be discouraged. I think most people would be very happy if they could shoot a 3" group at 25 yards with a revolver.

I have gotten to that stage in life where the sights are fuzzy and I can't shoot the tight groups I used to. Also because of serious health problems and chronic pain, now I can only use lightweight guns with little recoil. After complaining about my poor groups recently, the range officer told me that my 3" group at 50 feet is a lot better than most people can shoot. I still keep practicing.