“Old eyes”

[markiver54]

Some here have scoped rifles, some do not. I know on my two Henry's, the limiting factor is the front bead covering my targets on anything past 25 yards or so. Plus the fact, my eyesight just isn't what it used to be. Glasses help, just not with that front sight. I will put some sort of Skinner on my .45 Colt and different front sight, as I do not want to scope that rifle. But, if push comes to shove, a Weaver Classic V 1-3x20mm will go on. I HAVE to have a clear sight picture.

Tom,
That is the exact scope I put on my BBS 357. I like it!

20190310_113145.jpg (128.53 KiB) Viewed 2544 times

[Rifletom]

Oh, copy that Mark. Have one on my .BB brass .357 also. It's probably gonna happen as I just have difficulty focusing on two sights and a target. Makes me a happy camper instead of cussing everything out. Because that still doesn't work!
Hey, how are you doing? Everything going good?

[markiver54]

Thanks for asking Tom!
Not doing too bad, all things considered. Kinda in medical decision limbo at the moment, if that makes any sense.

[BigAl52]

Just a thought but a red dot is another option. I have used those with some of my guns and like them.

[Rifletom]

Al, what sort of red dot would work on a BB steel? Something to consider.

[BigAl52]

Ton
Bushnell TRS-25 and a Primary Arms Micro. I have both they both work well for the price. The Primary is a little more money.

[Cofisher]

Hey Tom, take a look at the Sig 'Romeo 5' for a compact red dot. I am pleased with mine.

[Cowpokey]

I started noticing my "old eyes" a couple years ago, finally went to the eye doctor in February this year and found out I'm "cockeyed". Near sighted in my left eye and far sighted in my right eye, right eye dominant. I can't focus on iron sights worth a hoot, especially using a handgun. I put a Vortex Venom red dot on my Buckmark Plus UDX before getting glasses, best modification ever for that gun. On rifles/carbines I use scopes, because I can hardly see the rear sight. With my New Vaqueros, the "fixed" sights (trough and front blade) are no problem. With my SGC, the rear peep sight is fine, since I can see a shadow where the outline of that aperture is. We took my daughters new Golden Boy to the range a couple hours ago to get it sighted in, and I can't see the rear sight well enough to make adjustments. My main problem, I have progressive lenses, I have to lift my head so far up to be able to focus on the sights, that I can't hold the gun steady...it also means that everything beyond the sights are blurry with both eyes.

As my dad always says, "A poor excuse is better than no excuse." I have to disagree with him on this subject though...my old eyes screwed me over in the iron sight department. Maybe I'll get some shooting glasses, with a lens for far sighted right eye and a lens for my near sighted left eye...then I can be corrected cockeyed, exactly the opposite of uncorrected.

[North Country Gal]

Good point on the red dot, folks. A red dot can solve a lot of problems without the need to go with a big heavy scope and magnification. I use red dots on a lot of my handguns, often setting one gun up for shooting with iron sights and the same or similar model setup with a red dot. Nice to have the option of a red dot on days when the lighting conditions or my eyes aren't the best for shooting iron sights.

[Mags]

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Same here. That up and down head movement focusing through different parts of the progressive lens to focus on the sights and then focus on the target causes the muzzle to move around with head/cheek weld movement.

... My main problem, I have progressive lenses, I have to lift my head so far up to be able to focus on the sights, that I can't hold the gun steady...it also means that everything beyond the sights are blurry with both eyes.
...

[Mags]

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I've only used a red dot once. My youngest has one on his AR. First impression works well at POA for short distances. I thought shooting at 100yds and beyond the red dot got in the way. Covering too much of the target.

[markiver54]

Scenario: I pick up my rifle with iron sites and look down the barrel. Ok, there's the rear notch. Ok, then I position the front blade where it needs to be for windage, ( center of course if gun is sighted in ). Then I put the top of that front blade level with the top of my rear notch. ( I think ). Ok, now I find my target and focus. Gonna fire soon, I think, but wait, everything I originally lined up is off again. Target is blurry, have i moved? Pick the best time during this sequence and shoot! Sometimes I get lucky. Cannot focus collectively.

[Cowpokey]

I can't even get a cheek weld and have iron sights in focus with my glasses. I thought prescription lenses would "fix" my ability go back to iron sights...I'm better off without glasses at all.

[Mags]

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oh what the h*** just shoot already. Sometimes I get lucky too.

Scenario: I pick up my rifle with iron sites and look down the barrel. Ok, there's the rear notch. Ok, then I position the front blade where it needs to be for windage, ( center of course if gun is sighted in ). Then I put the top of that front blade level with the top of my rear notch. ( I think ). Ok, now I find my target and focus. Gonna fire soon, I think, but wait, everything I originally lined up is off again. Target is blurry, have i moved? Pick the best time during this sequence and shoot! Sometimes I get lucky. Cannot focus collectively.

[Rifletom]

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I've only used a red dot once. My youngest has one on his AR. First impression works well at POA for short distances. I thought shooting at 100yds and beyond the red dot got in the way. Covering too much of the target.

Mags, as I'm not familiar with red dot sights, how is the red dot getting in the way @ 100 yards? If I put one on my .45, I'd probably be shooting 75 yards tops. Thanks.

[Rifletom]

Hey Tom, take a look at the Sig 'Romeo 5' for a compact red dot. I am pleased with mine.

Dang, many options to look at here. Thanks Cofisher. These red dots look interesting.

[North Country Gal]

Some basics on red dots. Do size is measured in MOA. A 2 MOA dot covers a two inch circle at 100 yards, a 4 MOA for overs a 4" circle. At 50 yards, you cut that value in half. A 2 MOA dot covers a 1" circle at 50 yards, a 4 MOA for covers 2".

A smaller dot is not always better. You can lose a small 2 MOA dot, quickly, against a heavy background of brush, for instance. Some bullseye shooters prefer a dot size that is only slightly smaller than the bullseye. It allows a more precise placement of the dot in the bull and the larger dot will have less apparent motion. Action shooters also tend to a larger dot for the sake of quick acquisition.

Although the standard way to use a red dot is to place it directly over the target, if you have a quality dot with a sharp outline, you can use the top of the dot as the aiming point, similar to using your front sight. Using this technique, I have done some accurate work at 100 yards and even beyond with a red dot.

Red dots are like any other sight system, you need to use them for awhile to get the most out of them, but for most shooters, this happens very quickly. Relative to a scope or open sights, they are much easier to use.

Most shooters find they can keep both eyes open when using a red dot and this is something you should do if you can. Makes for a sharper dot and eliminates the eye fatigue you get when closing one eye to shoot.

[Mags]

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When you look through a red dot optic there is a red dot instead of a cross hair. The red dot is holographic and very opaque.

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I've only used a red dot once. My youngest has one on his AR. First impression works well at POA for short distances. I thought shooting at 100yds and beyond the red dot got in the way. Covering too much of the target.

Mags, as I'm not familiar with red dot sights, how is the red dot getting in the way @ 100 yards? If I put one on my .45, I'd probably be shooting 75 yards tops. Thanks.

[Cofisher]

NCG, thank you for reviving your comments on the dot size. I was trying to repost your previous discussion on this. Failed to make it work.

[Mags]

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Are there red dot optics with an adjustable dot size?

Some basics on red dots. Do size is measured in MOA. A 2 MOA dot covers a two inch circle at 100 yards, a 4 MOA for overs a 4" circle. At 50 yards, you cut that value in half. A 2 MOA dot covers a 1" circle at 50 yards, a 4 MOA for covers 2".

A smaller dot is not always better. You can lose a small 2 MOA dot, quickly, against a heavy background of brush, for instance. Some bullseye shooters prefer a dot size that is only slightly smaller than the bullseye. It allows a more precise placement of the dot in the bull and the larger dot will have less apparent motion. Action shooters also tend to a larger dot for the sake of quick acquisition.

Although the standard way to use a red dot is to place it directly over the target, if you have a quality dot with a sharp outline, you can use the top of the dot as the aiming point, similar to using your front sight. Using this technique, I have done some accurate work at 100 yards and even beyond with a red dot.

Red dots are like any other sight system, you need to use them for awhile to get the most out of them, but for most shooters, this happens very quickly. Relative to a scope or open sights, they are much easier to use.

Most shooters find they can keep both eyes open when using a red dot and this is something you should do if you can. Makes for a sharper dot and eliminates the eye fatigue you get when closing one eye to shoot.