Do you have trouble seeing iron sights?

[JmacD]

I’m 36 as of today, and worn glasses for 20+ years… y’all ain’t being encouraging!!! Lol
I already struggle at times with irons on rifles. And if the specs aren’t right on the snout, crosshairs..

 

[JDeere]

Almost 70 and glasses help but not enough for distances. Shot Garands for years at 100 and 200 no issues. Thinned my herd a couple of years ago because I just could not be be consistent and accurate with open sights. Garands aren't made for glass and dots. I had Skinner peeps on my Henry, she now wears a scope. It's hell getting older but better than the alternative...

 

[S.Crockett]

Williams has a good line of aperture sights to mate with fronts sights you can see, like the fire sights.

Lately, I’ve become partial to the receiver-mounted apertures from Skinner Sights based on the two samples I bought from them.

 

[bfoosh006]

These have helped my iron sights shooting. Especially handguns.

https://sspeyewear.com/products/top-focal-assorted-interchangeable-kits?variant=28480526915

 

[bigpower491]

All my rifles are scoped , with the exception of some Mausers and Mosins of course. I'm closing in on 60, and my eyesight has been going downhill for awhile now. I can still use those rifles irons decent, but not as well as 25 yrs ago.
Handguns, I shoot both eyes open focused on the front and can still do fairly decent, but some sights on a couple of them I don't pick up as well as others. Love the hiviz on the GP100 and the King Cobra(although I'm not much for the KCs rear sight) the orange blade on the Redhawk and Super Red, but the all black on the others are a bit more of a challenge.
Yes.....age and wisdom doesn't come without its drawbacks. Yes, I need glasses

 

[someguy2800]

I am 35 and I can’t see a damn thing with iron sights past 30ish yards anymore. Peep sights extend that out to 100 or so.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Peeps still work pretty well for me, especially with tang sights, closer to my eye. Put an 'ivory' front sight on a '92, and that is a help.
XS makes a 'skunk stripe' front sight for ARs, which is easier to pick up. They also make 'same plane' rear sights, which have large/smaller apertures, with no compensation for range.
I've got some optics on AR carbines, but the slick looks of irons still appeal to me.
Moon

 

[Hokkmike]

Peep sight on my lever. Scope on my bolt.
(using a scope on a lever is like dating a bearded lady)

 

[WrongHanded]

It's worth mentioning that even between stock iron sights, quality and design can vary wildly. Which can in turn greatly affect precision.

For example, I could shoot my M1 and M14SA (both with NM front sight posts) more accurately than my Mini-14 with its (comparatively crude and slightly rounded) ramped front sight. I've never considered myself a particularly good shot, but the clean cut high contrast outline of a NM (National Match) front sight allowed me to put 20 rounds into a 12" tall by 9" wide group, centered on the target 300m away, shooting that M14SA from prone with a shooting sling, using a box of American Eagle M1A ammo. Though I seriously doubt I could do it these days.

The Mini-14 however was not inherently inaccurate, and with a scope was/is repeatably capable of 5 shot groups under 2" diameter at 100 yards with relatively cheap ammo. The front sight just simply doesn't have the precise lines and sharp contrast to make focusing on it and finding its center easy. The iron sights on the RRA Standard A2 I once owned, also allowed for better accuracy. But if you look at the profile of both front sight posts, you can see why.

Whilst I've found the type and quality of the rear sight to have less of an affect on precision, it certainly also matters. Particularly if it's an open sight that you still need to look at, versus a peep sight that you look through instead. But then optimal peep diameter changes with lighting conditions. Which is one reason the A2 rear sight (and some other military designs) have a flip up/down option for different aperture diameters.

 

[tws3b2]

76 and I do have some trouble with long guns but not bad. I have more trouble with handguns but have found red fiber optic front helps a lot.

 

[Ignition Override]

Am 67. The only glasses worn are while reading.

Having never owned a scope , the upper edge of a front post can seem a little fuzzy against a very small red bullseye on black background (medium size Shoot N See target) at 50 yards.
I've never put paint on a post, but would like to know what type of paint to use-with a toothpick. Obviously I've seen other peoples' guns with white or whichever brand of orange on the tip of a post.

The rifles: PTR-91, FAL (SAR-4800), almost nib S.A. M1A Standard.

 

[LoonWulf]

Im 40, but have worn corrective lenses since my early teens. Irons of any type are a crap shoot in comparison to the precision or speed of a scope/optic, a peep sight helps significantly but still pales in comparison to an optic.

if all you want me to do is put bullets in stuff of reasonable size I can usually make that happen in decent conditions....

I actually have a pellet gun with open sights specifically to keep in practice, and simply because I rather enjoy them when nothing is really riding on my ability to hit stuff, and might do an open sight .22 here soon......all of my DO stuff guns have optics tho.

 

[codytrucker]

Am 67. The only glasses worn are while reading.

Having never owned a scope , the upper edge of a front post can seem a little fuzzy against a very small red bullseye on black background (medium size Shoot N See target) at 50 yards.
I've never put paint on a post, but would like to know what type of paint to use-with a toothpick. Obviously I've seen other peoples' guns with white or whichever brand of orange on the tip of a post.

The rifles: PTR-91, FAL (SAR-4800), almost nib S.A. M1A Standard.

I got some blaze orange nail polish from the dollar store , that works pretty good . At 58 I have a hard time with opens , sometimes . Seems my eyes get tired and blurry fast .

 

[doubleh]

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

I agree but one benefit is that if you last long enough to get rid of cataracts your eyesight really improves.

 

[George Dickel]

I'll be 76 in few months and my eyesight is definitely suffering with advanced ageing. All my rifles have either a red dot or scope with the exception of an AR A2 clone I shoot in a service rifle competition. I gave up on my 1903A3 with iron sights and did up an A4 clone with a period style scope. All my pistols have a red dot. Light conditions definitely have an effect on how well I can see iron sights. Like the Marines say, improvise, adapt and overcome. I'm not a former Marine but wise advice.

 

[Ignition Override]

Blaze orange nail polish.

Roger that.

Will use a toothpick—not for toe nails— but post sights.

I never liked the tasteless Bud Lite or other AB beer brands anyway....

 

[3Crows]

do you have trouble seeing the front sight post on apertures? .

Yes. I began wearing glasses in my late 40s. I find open sights including peep sights pretty much useless for anything other than casual plinking. If I actually might want to hit something or shoot with any precision then I need a scope. There have been several similar threads. Some folks just think a scope is wrong on this rifle or that rifle or it is ugly or whatever excuse they can justify. The only justification I need is function and function over form is my rule. If I cannot see to shoot then what is the point. I guess I could hold a scope-less whatever rifle here and pet it and look at it and wish I could actually see the sights or I could put a proper scope on it and actually get some use from the rifle.

 

[wanderinwalker]

I'll be 40 at the end of this trip around the Sun, and have had glasses since the 7th grade. According to my dad, it isn't going to get better from here.

About 6-7 years ago I noticed manufacturers started putting fuzzy front sights on their shorter rifles. When I finally gave in and started putting optics on top of all of my rifles, it was night and day. I could see the targets clearly! I could see my aiming reference nice and sharp! To be honest, after shooting my M4gery the other week, I'm not sure the front sight on an AR carbine is of any use to me any more. And due to my astigmatism, the Aimpoint red dot looks more like a fuzzy starburst than a dot. It's usable for anything that doesn't require high precision or resolving a target from the background, but if the light is mixed shadow to bright, or the target is kind of dusty colored, give me a traditional scope.

So basically, my suggestion is to embrace optical sighting systems if you want to continue shooting without causing yourself undue distress.

 

[Captcurt]

I have had sight problems for 30 years. Two of my handguns have red dots and nearly all of my rifles wear scopes. My problem now is my shotgun. I just had cataract surgery that didn't do much. In fact I can't see well with or without glasses. I had new ones made and the prescription was wrong. I will have to turkey hunt Monday while I'm half blind. Season will be over before I get another pair of new ones.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

I'm quickly heading to 60. Have worn glasses for all of it. Same creeping presbyopia / Cat's / (sp) teridjia / poor vascular supply. What kept me in the "Iron sights". Was moving to a Prism scope (X1). The optic's ocular adj. resolved almost all my clarity issues at iron sight dist. (300 yards and under) Now I have back all the familiar Iron sight qualities. Works for me. With an etched reticle no "blob" effect. Really adapting to the illum. reticle well. I have no plans on hunting at anything further than 250 yards, so it fits well. The little vortex AR spitfire has done me very well. (Mimic iron sight speed / ease)

 

[tdbmd]

I use shooting glasses with the reader mag of +1.25 in the top of the lens, allows you to look down the sights without holding your head up at a odd angle and you can look through the plain lens below for distance

 

[desmobob]

I have trouble with irons. Wearing full-lens 1.00 diopter safety glasses or readers makes it fun again.

 

[hps1]

Almost 70 and glasses help but not enough for distances. Shot Garands for years at 100 and 200 no issues. Thinned my herd a couple of years ago because I just could not be be consistent and accurate with open sights. Garands aren't made for glass and dots. I had Skinner peeps on my Henry, she now wears a scope. It's hell getting older but better than the alternative...

Was issued my first Garand in the mid 50's, shot them in unit competitions for 7 years or so and a year on post AMU. Upon separation, shot personal M1 in civilian service rifle matches until I could no longer see the front sight then retired the Garand and switched to bolt guns which allowed a front aperture sight. With a Merit adjustible rear aperture sight (http://meritcorporation.com/) and the proper sized front aperture sight (shooting bullseye targets), shot the bolt guns in NRA cross the course matches (200-600 yds.) until I finally made high master at age 63, in spite of declining eyesight. Did do a lot of glasses changes toward the end, but where there is a will, there is a way. Wish I had hear of the stick on bifocal lenses back then.

Iron sights w/declining eyesight are fine on targets, but hunting game, not so much. As has been alluded to, aperture sights require good light, not always present in prime hunting time.

A few things I learned over the years.
1) Sight alignment is more critical than sight picture. An error is sight alignment error grows as range increases. Sight picture is what it is.
2) Sharp front sight is most important part of the equation.
3) Adjust rear sight aperture to focus vision on front sight.
4) Smallest front aperture front (which allows sufficient light) will sharpen image of target. A greying out of target calls for larger aperture.
5) Rule changes late in my shooting "career" allowed for a single corrective lens in either the front or rear sight. I chose to place the lens in rear sight, choosing the power based on light availability and to focus on the front sight.

At age 64 arthritis set in and I switched to coyote hunting/scoped rifles, which brings me back to the quote above.

Garands aren't made for glass and dots

. Again, where there is a will, there is a way.

Devised a no-drill base, which replaced the rear sight on my M1. Took three tries, but finally found the right optic and after a number of years of forced retirement managed to get the old girl out of the safe.. A recap of that journey:

First mounted a FFII, which worked, but the red dot was a bit too large and beginning cataracts cause a starburst instead of a round dot. Better than irons, but still not quite target quality. A bit of scrounging in my junk box turned up a Millett red dot sight. Hmm, it would fit and not interfere w/clip loading/ejection
.

Clean red dot helped accuracy, but my 80 YO eyes at the time still needed some help. If only someone made a compact red dot w/a little magnification.

A year or so went by and I discovered the Primary Arms 3x compact scope and the Garand graduated from plinking to some serious paper punching to predator rifle in one fell swoop.

The 125 gr. NBT has the trajectory of a .270 and hammered this coyote @ 175 yds.

Had cataract surgery a couple of years ago and, lo and behold, can see iron sights reasonably well again, but not as well as w/optical assistance. Always chose the scopes for hunting due to superior light gathering ability in poor light.
One more tip, the target size/shape is all important to shooting those tiny groups. Experiment and find the best size/shape of target for your optic.

Regards,
hps

 

[Kano383]

I'm 65. Use reading glasses since my 40's, but have good long-distance vision. My working rifle has a 20" barrel. I've used almost exclusively iron sights for the past 15 years on all my rifles, with stellar outcomes. Have to add that my bacon's health depends on me hitting things in the right spot before they can obliterate me, so I'm 100% results-driven when I evaluate stuff that goes on or in my guns...

What works: "Ghost ring" aperture at the rear, 8 to 10 mils in diameter, and front fiber optic post, 10 mils thick. This is for fast work on backup guns, good to 100-150m. For finer work, a 6 mils front sight is better, and one can reduce the aperture for paper targets.

I can't even make out the sights on standard irons (AK, SKS, or lever guns).

 

[Kingcreek]

65 years old, excellent vision but I use cheap reading glasses for close up.
Shot my M1A yesterday with stock aperture sight no problem.