Do you have trouble seeing iron sights?

[Tellinglikeitis]

For those of you 40+, the older, the more I’d like to hear from you, do you have trouble seeing the front sight post on apertures? Assuming a 20” barrel and your choice of a tridium or plain front post.

I assume that it would most likely be fine because presbyopia should only affect at a reading distance and the apertures should help mitigate that as well.

I am deciding if I should dedicate my love towards irons or optics. The carry handle is classic and gorgeous but I cannot see the point of being skilled with irons if, eventually, I won’t be able to use them anymore.

 

[kje54]

I see my iron sights quite well. It's the target downrange that is a little out of focus..............

 

[Tallinar]

Pushing 40 here, with fairly good vision. I don’t wear glasses, except when reading or sitting in front of a computer for work, as of the last couple years.

I can still make irons work, but I have to work at it a bit in a way I didn’t when I was younger, changing my focus back and forth to make sure I’m seeing things right when shooting at 50 yards or more.

I can also say though that I shoot better groups these days with irons than I did when I was younger. I must have more patience and am more mindful of trigger technique.

Aesthetically, I find scopes fairly boring. There’s something about the clean lines of iron sights that is pleasing to the eye. I figure that by the time I start having real trouble with iron sights, I’ll be more inclined to just limit my shooting distances to what I can see, rather than wanting to switch to scopes (my grandfather gave up long distance shooting and was just shooting cowboy action into his late eighties). But I’m also not really invested into long range shooting as it is.

Twenty years from now, if I live that long, Lord-willing, I’m hoping to spend most of my time just shooting rimfire with my grandkids.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Yes i do. 1x readers fixes it for me.

 

[lightman]

This is a common problem for older shooters. It becomes difficult to focus on the rear sight, the front sight and the target. It happens to different shooters at different times but it will eventually happen if you have enough birthdays.

 

[Jonny2guns]

50+ here and I can no longer use iron sights for precision aiming long gun or handgun. If I need precision it's red dot or optic. If it's general bad breath distance the fuzzy irons kinda work. Tried corrective lens, I can see my irons, but not the target.

 

[kje54]

Some here can relate.........

 

[21H40]

I'm fine with seeing the sights, but the target is too out of focus anymore. My favorite rifle has a 2.5x scope that is about the perfect balance for me right now.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Some here can relate.........

I remember that movie.

 

[doubleh]

Not now but I used to for quite a few years.

 

[.45Coltguy]

Got tired of fighting the irons some time ago. Scopes on all rifles. Just the way it is. At least I can see/hit what I'm aiming at now.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

My eyesight began to deteriorate in my late 40s, mainly my ability to focus on near objects in low light (presbyopia). I needed glasses mainly for reading. In bright light my irises would stop down and increase the depth of focus, which made open sights still do-able.

Things have gotten worse with time, and at age 63 I now often have difficulty clearly resolving the crosshairs of some scopes -- sometimes I have to choose whether to focus on the target or the reticle.

I just had an eye exam last week and my right eye is significantly worse than the left. Had to order new reading glasses, and am now on the path toward eventual cataract surgery.

To use open sights in indoor light, I have to use the shooting glasses in my avatar, with a prescription lens and the iris stopped down to it's smallest setting. Aperture sights are less of a problem provided I use a target with lots of contrast -- ideally a black 2" dot on a white background.

Growing old sucks in so many ways, but probably beats the alternative.

 

[ericuda]

Micro red dots made for this esp on 22's, levers and ars for me.

 

[Hugger-4641]

52 here. Have always had astigmatism in my right eye, but after turning 50 have noticed my front sight is more of a clover than a round dot. I'm also right handed and left eye dominant, so I shoot pistols fine with both eyes open, but irons on rifles are starting to give me a little trouble. Even with astigmatism, my vision has always been 20/20 or better so I've never had glasses. But now I'm starting weigh options and consider glasses or corrective surgery. I belive I'm too active for Lasix, so I'm looking at possibly doing RK.

 

[Bob Willman]

I have worn trifocals for a number of years. Top for distance, middle for computer work and bottom for reading. With long guns and cheek welded to the stock, the front sight appears fuzzy when looking through the top part of the lens. My solution was a stick-on bifocal on the top of the right lens - leftys probably on the left lens. While standing at the reading glasses display at the local drug store, at a distance equal to the front sight, I held different diopter glasses in front of my regular glasses until their display was sharp. I ordered stick-on bifocals from Amazon at that diopter level. They are flexible and can be trimmed to size. Applied while wet, they stay in place when dry and can be reused. Stuck on the upper left corner of my right lens, when the rifle is shouldered, my line of sight to the front sight is through the bifocal and the front sight is sharp while rear sight and target slightly fuzzy. For hunting this is fine. For about $20 it is not an expensive solution.

NRA Benefactor Golden Eagle Looking forward to Indianapolis

 

[Charlie98]

Just like my dad, my eyesight started to go downhill at 40; I'm 57 now. Biggest issue I have is light... it's very hard to focus without a reasonable amount of light. I have that problem even with non-firearm things... like reading a motor data plate in the shade, or a menu in a dimly lit restaurant. Thank heavens for the flashlight on my iPhone. Color can be an issue as well... a black rear sight, coupled with a black front, against the black background of a target... completely throws me for a loop these days, where 20 years ago it was no problem.

These days, because of the acuity issue, open (buckhorn) sights are nearly worthless for me. Peep sights are still my answer for most of those instances, even on my .22's. Every rifle I have that is capable of a peep sight, has it, with the exception of 2 rifles with scopes... and those are for long-distance shooting. I would rather use a peep over a red dot, still. I have noticed, on my AR's that have flip rear apertures... I use the big (open) peep more than the smaller, finer peep, unless I'm in really strong light.

 

[shoobe01]

Very much. I wouldn't hardly shoot anymore if it was the 30s or the 70s and there was little or no option. Very corrected, but such bad vision that things like irons do not work for me anymore.

And in my late 30s, I could do head shots at 600 yd paper from prone ad-hoc supported with an FN FAL with (cleaned up custom) irons. I am all in on options, and RDS on the handguns.

 

[I6turbo]

IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE SEEING IRON SIGHTS CLEARLY, be sure to try reading glasses of various prescriptions to see if they help. (You can buy them at Dollar Tree for $1.25/pair, and they work just like the ones from the optometrist, but the Dollar Tree frames are pretty fragile.) For some people, myself included, a pair of lower-powered reading glasses (about 1.5 +/-) restore my sight so that I can see irons on handguns or rifles very well, and also see the target very well. Without the glasses, I can't see the sights well enough to enjoy shooting iron sight guns.

 

[.38 Special]

I noted the onset of presbyopia about 15 years ago and now need readers for anything closer than about sixteen inches. Handgun sights are still fine, but open rifle sights are a problem. This really only affects me on dangerous game rifles: the "V" is too blurry for really good results. I still am doing well with aperture sights, though I am finding that very small apertures and/or poor light will cause me trouble. "Ghost ring" sights, with their very large apertures, work as well as they ever have for me.

 

[.308 Norma]

For those of you 40+, the older, the more I’d like to hear from you, do you have trouble seeing the front sight post on apertures?

I just turned 75, and no, I don't have trouble seeing front sight posts - at least not since laser cataract surgery a few years back. Because I still need a slight correction (+2) for reading and close-up, and I hate having to search around for a pair of safety glasses every time I want to shoot something, do some handloading, use a power tool or mow the lawn, I wear bifocals with impact resistant polycarbonate lenses all of the time anyway. However, my bifocals have no correction at all in their upper lenses - the only correction they have is the small spots in the lower, inside corners of each lens. The fact is, I'm looking at the computer screen over the tops of my glasses as I type this, but I can look down and read the writing on the mouse pad sitting in front of me if I want to.

 

[WrongHanded]

My eyesight is beginning to causing me some issues with rifle iron sights. Prolonged sessions really expose it. Though it really is more switching between the front sight and the target, or seeing the target well enough whilst my focus is on the front sight.

However, I don't regret learning how to use iron sights. It's challenging but fun. And I like having them as a backup option.

 

[mshootnit]

Pushing 40 here, with fairly good vision. I don’t wear glasses, except when reading or sitting in front of a computer for work, as of the last couple years.

I can still make irons work, but I have to work at it a bit in a way I didn’t when I was younger, changing my focus back and forth to make sure I’m seeing things right when shooting at 50 yards or more.

I can also say though that I shoot better groups these days with irons than I did when I was younger. I must have more patience and am more mindful of trigger technique.

Aesthetically, I find scopes fairly boring. There’s something about the clean lines of iron sights that is pleasing to the eye. I figure that by the time I start having real trouble with iron sights, I’ll be more inclined to just limit my shooting distances to what I can see, rather than wanting to switch to scopes (my grandfather gave up long distance shooting and was just shooting cowboy action into his late eighties). But I’m also not really invested into long range shooting as it is.

Twenty years from now, if I live that long, Lord-willing, I’m hoping to spend most of my time just shooting rimfire with my grandkids.

you are about to hit a brick wall in terms of seeing up close. If it hasnt hit you yet, it soon will.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I am 40 now and I have had astigmatism and strabismus in both eyes since childhood and really have never been able to use irons with what I would call precision.

I was still able to qualify rifle expert in the military but that was when I was much younger.

I have dedicated myself to optics since then and I used optics hunting since I could hunt.

I do practice with open sights still whenever I shoot my A1 carbine or any traditional muzzleloaders.

I shot this group at 60 yds with my .58 Hawken percussion with upgraded Marbles sights.



After 60, my groups open up fast. I’m about minute of human at 100 yds. I am pleased with being able to even shoot 50 yds.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

Yes I have trouble seeing iron sights if they are the same color as the target. I have switched to fiber optics for the most part and they have made a big difference. Try a Hi-Viz AR-15 front sight. It may help you see the front sight better. It comes with multiple color inserts too.

 

[Charlie98]

I have switched to fiber optics for the most part and they have made a big difference.

I put a Williams FireSite front post on my Marlin 1894, to go with the Williams FP rear peep... it's a very good combination. My only real problem with it... is the size of the front sight, it can nearly obscure the target at 200yds and beyond.