I can't see to sights to shoot!

[Hankster]

First off, I wear bi-focals. Took my 92 carbine out to try out the new sights, and I cannot see them! A Lyman bead up from, the Marbles Bullseye on the back.. both are so fuzzy I can't use them. Like looking at a spider web up close thin and fuzzy!! When I drop down to the lower lens, sights are razor sharp, but 25 yd target is a blur...... First time I've went out to shoot in almost a year, since being diagnosed with diabetes, and getting these "new" bi-focals ... and cannot shoot open sights at all. Does anyone here, wear trifocals?? Would the "middle" focus be good enough to balance this... or those "progressive type" lenses?? ..or am I screwed??

[Terry Murbach]

MY VISION IS 20/400. TRIFOCAL LENSES EASILY CORRECT THINGS SO I CAN USE ANY TYPE OF OPEN SIGHT, BUT---BIG BUT !!!---THE SQUARE SIGHTS ARE BY FAR THE EASIEST TO SEE IN CRISP CLARITY. I TAKE MY GUNS TO THE OPTHEMOLOGIST AND SHE MEASURES THINGS FROM MY EYEBALLS TO THE SIGHTS WITH A STEEL TAPE SO THEY HAVE THE CORRECT VOCAL LENGTHS. A PIECE OF CAKE !!!

[Rimfire McNutjob]

If I took my guns to the opthamologist here where I live, I'd probably be wrestled to the ground and cuffed within minutes as the receptionist calls in the local authorities. Part of the benefit of South Dakota living I suppose ... rational people.

[J Miller]

Hankster,

Try shooting with out the glasses. Just a pair of non optical safety glasses. That's what I do with my rifles. Handguns too, except I use a diopter with them.

Rimfire McNutjob,
I discussed special shooting glasses with the last eye doctor I went to. He said we could make an appointment for me to come in after hours with my guns. He'd so the exam and measuring then.

Joe

[Hankster]

Posts got me to thinking, How'd I kill that deer last fall??? Picked up the 94 and looked out the back door.. I can see em and sight. Picked up the 39M Mountie, looked out.. I can see em and sight! 92 Carbine? No go.... the other two are full size 20" barreled models... Williams & or Lyman peeps at the rear... I think the focal range on the Little 92 is just out of my current range... smack in the middle of my "weak zone"... new glasses would be cool, but as I'm out of work, not do-able at the moment. Thanks for the replies and suggestions, was so bummed out when I came in, didn't try the other rifles to see what was up!! So, I put the square notch cheapy rear it came with back on... and Terry, you were right, for me anyway, BIG improvement! Now for the front.... the brass bead isn't cutting it. Perhaps the fiber optic will show better, I'm going to pick one up in the tomorrow or Saturday, and try that on for size!!!

[Pete44ru]

No disrespect, Hankster, but the barrel is too far from the eye for a peep-type sight like the Marble's Bullseye.

Part of the reason is that a peep sight is supposed to be looked THROUGH, w/o actually looking at it - and when it's that far away from the eye, it's impossible to do.

When the ghost ring/aperture is close to the shooter's eye, there's less eyeball focusing to be done - simply look through the peep at the front sight and place it "on target".

.

[colo native]

do aw google on stick on bi-focals...

I use 125 diopter .. works for me..

125 is usually 1/2 of most bi-focals.

I place it on my shooting glasses in the upper left .

works for me...

[Hankster]

Pete.. no problem, I do believe you're right! CN.... I'll take a look, thanks all!

[AJMD429]

It might help to use a 'pinhole' on your glasses (Merit makes them, or many shooters make their own from black electrical tape or plastic or even small metal washers).

If you can't take your actual FIREARMS to your eye doctor, you CAN mount just the sights on something non-threatening like a wooden dowel, making note as to where the rear would be in relationship to your shoulder.

I had my 'lineless bifocals' made to where the 'line' is way higher than normal, so instead of most of the lens being mid-to-distance and only a thin area on the bottom for close-up, it is set up so the thin area up high is for distance, and the majority of the lens is for close-up. That was more for meeting my needs at work, vs. at the range, but seems to help at the range, too.

The "Bullseye" isn't exactly a 'peep' or a 'ghost-ring' sight, but is sort of a hybrid. When I use mine it appears to me as a defined-but-fuzzy outer ring, and a barely perceptible blur that is the inner ring. The inner ring seems to me to mostly help center the front sight in the outer 'ghost' ring, when you have the time to aim more precisely, vs. a 'snap' shot.

ALSO - take as perfect a care of your diabetes as you possibly can. You can replace sights and bifocals, but not eyeballs.

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

It sounds like you are far sighted like me. Almost 20 years ago now, I was competing in some local handgun silhouette matches. That was about when my eye sight started to go. This is what I did to improve my iron sight shooting. Take a #2 standard yellow pencil with you to Walmart. You want to find the weakest pair of cheap reading glasses that allow you to read the writing on the pencil while holding it out at arms length. This will probably be about 100 to 125 power. 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. It has to be clear.

The single lens readers take a bit to get used to. But I think the single 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.

[adirondakjack]

They now make inexpensive bifocal SHOOTING glasses. The bifical line is a bit higher, so yes, the front sight on a rifle is viewed through the "reader". You don't need to tip your head back, none of that.The trick is, as Steve says, to get em that are just a hair weaker than your normal reading glass, so they will be crisp at front sight distance and not at comfortable newspaper distance. For me a 1.5 works for that or for "bench work" (table saw, etc), where I read best with 2.0

I use em, actual shooting bifocals, in an "ice" color good for indoors or out, good on almost any kind of day, even at dusk (I use em fishing too, to thread a line through a hook eye, etc).

The other day, tried out a new CAS load for the rifle, and tested POA/POI, shooting at a hunk of 2X4 maybe 6" tall, stood on end at 20 yards. Offhand I was able to centerpunch it easily, then stood up both halves when it split, hit each one.... With no glasses or my "driving" glasses, I'd have been lucky to hit it at all.

I'm gonna offer em for sale at CAS events, and maybe put em on the website. Pretty good stuff for under $20.

[gamekeeper]

It sounds like you are far sighted like me. Almost 20 years ago now, I was competing in some local handgun silhouette matches. That was about when my eye sight started to go. This is what I did to improve my iron sight shooting. Take a #2 standard yellow pencil with you to Walmart. You want to find the weakest pair of cheap reading glasses that allow you to read the writing on the pencil while holding it out at arms length. This will probably be about 100 to 125 power. 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. It has to be clear.

The single lens readers take a bit to get used to. But I think the single 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.

+ 1 It works for me too.

[KirkD]

There are some very good ideas and work-arounds on this thread. What I have found to be a very good method to solve the problem is to buy a small sheet of round, stick-on dots at the office supply store. While they are still on the backing, I take a very fine punch for finishing nails, and punch out a neat, tiny round hole in the center of each peel-and-stick dot. When at the range, or when hunting, I stick one of these dots on the right lens of my glasses, just to the left of my center of vision, and it sharpens everything right up, including the rear sight, the front sight and the target. I also have to concur with Terry ..... the square notch in the rear sight works best for me.

[Griff]

I use lineless bifocals as I shoot a variety of different barrel lengths. I can see the front sights clearly on rifles with barrels from 16" to 30". My two favorite wear tang peep sights, with large disks and .073 holes. I'm loathe to admit, but have to face facts, I ain't the precision shooter with iron sights at 60 that I was at 30, when my vision was 20/15 and glasses were just eye protection and an aid in contrast.

Make an appt with an eye doc, and after confirming that he'll be ok with it, take in yer guns and get fitted. Heck, mine is even mildly "anti-gun", but after a few minutes of discussion, he agreed. And after spending the 45 minutes he took to fit me discussing my competitive history, military & police shooting and even hunting as a recreation, he's even less so. He even grudgingly admitted that his "anti" feelings before were strictly emotional. He said, as far as he knew, he'd never met a gun owner before. Livin' & workin' in Texas I sorta doubt that, but have no doubt that some of us gun owners don't do enough to be a positive example and are secretive about our hobby. Enough preachin'!

Good luck.

[COSteve]

Deleted

[KirkD]

COSteve's post is exactly what I was talking about. Steve has explained it a lot better than I did. I took my shortest gun to the optomitrist and he figured out the best prescription like others mentioned above, but then I tried Steve's method and it works even better, due to its huge depth of field.

[piller]

As another one with Bifocals, I must concur with how COSteve explained and did it. Cheap, simple, effective, easily replaceable, does not damage anything. What more do you need?
When my son was learning to shoot I took a small dot type of sticker purchased in packs of 100 or so at Wal Mart and punched a small hole in them with a leather punch. I would stick these on his shooting glasses and the improvement in his accuracy was immediate. He is right handed and left eye dominant. He shoots right handed and without the dot he will try to tilt his head to use his left eye. With the dot he does much better.

[TBROWN]

Do you older fellas (like me) that have to use reading glasses
but don't need prescription lenses wear your readers when
using optics be it riflescope, spotting scope, or binocs?
I have tried both ways and not sure which is better.
T

[COSteve]

Do you older fellas (like me) that have to use reading glasses
but don't need prescription lenses wear your readers when
using optics be it riflescope, spotting scope, or binocs?
I have tried both ways and not sure which is better.
T

Nope, this method will work with plain, clear glass. You might not be able to see anything at all using the rest of the glasses, but through the small aperture, you'll see just fine. BTW, DON'T wear sunglasses when you shoot. Anything that darkens the lens will cause your iris to enlarge to allow more light in enlarging the aperture in your eye. That's why yellow tinted glasses work well for fine precision sight. They fool your eye into thinking that more light is coming in and so the iris closes down giving you a smaller aperture.

[Mutt]

I use trifocals . Only problem is trying to space 3 lenses in a order to be able to hold my head in a shooting position and not bent over or having to raise my glasses to view out the center lens . The center is for my forward site. The rear one kinda takes care of it's self. I think that maybe a peep site rear would maybe ok. If ever can afford it I'm going to get one for my 92 Rossi . There are several other means I read about

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mutt