old guns, new guns, old eyes...need "forward assist"

[cmansguns]

First off..I'm going to be talking about a 1948 K 22 Masterpiece up against a 2019 M&P Compact 2.0 9mm so the subject actually covers most all of my revolvers hence I picked a middle ground forum to post...

So............dang if this getting old stuff isn't a real PITA. 2 years ago I had no trouble shooting any of my guns at 10 yds then up to 50 Feet at the local indoor range.

Now wearing progressive eyeglasses I'm still fairly accurate at the same distances but the front sight (mostly patridge on the revos, blued or stainless) is now hard to discern (it is in focus and OK...just hard to pick up). The Compact 2.0 on the other hand is 3 white dot and jumps right out...I'm definitely better with that gun...to the point I'm seriously considering to the M&P Compact for my EDC over my (for years) Model 637.

I've always liked my guns original, so those I've obtained where the front sight was painted (usually nail polish) neon red, bright white, orange, even had one dabbed green, I would immediately apply some acetone and take the gun back to original.

What say you "older" shooters? Do you paint your sights? Does it help you at the range, or well lit shooting? I'm not talking self defense applications, or middle of the night scenes...just plinking or punching paper.

Monday I had the Compact 2.0 and my 1948 K22 Masterpiece at the range for several boxes through each..The K 22 was 8" pie-plate "grouping" on dirty bird splatter targets at 50 feet, whereas the Compact 2.0 did 3" at 50 ft. all centered decently on the target.

I'll maybe put the fluorescent red back on my nickel Model 36-1 3" and give it a whirl next week.

I'm not about to give up shooting, but it really "helps" to see where you're aiming

 

[Ron IL]

My eyes are getting pretty bad and been having problems. I like white dots the best. My best shooters have white dots. My GP100 is fiber optic front and white outline rear and works good too. Black on black is out. My model 10 I had to paint the front sight white and does good. I've tried other colors and white is my best. I have a Beretta 92X compact black on black that I finally got some white dot sights in it a couple days ago. Boy what a difference. I play with a laser cartridge here at the house and can't miss now. Can't wait to hit the range for a live fire test. My Colt 1911 is a white dot factory sight and always worked good. Black on black is not good for old eyes. I don't need night sights so the white dots work great. The red ramp is a no go for me too.

 

[Rodan]

My problem has mostly been the inability to focus on the front sight. I tried safety glasses with the readers at the bottom, and the top and didn't like either. Progressives didn't work at all for me. I ended up with safety glasses with a full reader lens... 1.5s are perfect for my 6" guns.


[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Elvex-Magnification-Ballistic-Microfiber-WELRX500C-1-5KIT2/dp/B01GZ2ZI3U/ref=sr_1_3?crid=ZBG2PLB70ZA1&dchild=1&keywords=full+reader+safety+glasses+1.5&qid=1630505017&sprefix=full+reader+safe%2Caps%2C209&sr=8-3[/ame]

That's been working really well as a range solution. For my carry guns, I've switched to red dots.

 

[glenwolde]

I had trouble when I first went to bifocals. First I just tried flipping the prescription in the glasses with the "close" on top. These kept me from having to cock my head back. I also got regular "line" bifocals as they offer much better field of view.

Then I ended up getting a pair of dedicated shooting glasses that my optometrist figured out for me. Basically he had me measure the distance from my cheekbone to the front sight (with various guns to get a "range") in my normal shooting stance. Then he prescribed glasses that were bifocal with the top being focused at front sight distance and the bottom my normal close-up. A bit odd as distance wasn't all that clear but they helped a lot.

When I moved to trifocals I found the middle focus was perfect. But I still have some trouble in poor light. I do better outdoors than indoors but circumstances cause me to use indoor ranges mostly (proximity and Texas heat).

One thing that helps is a big white background so I take a range target and staple it backwards to a cardboard backer. Then I staple my black & white targets to that. Most of the guns I shoot a lot have big black Patridge sights. Years ago I put a DX front sight ramp on my 6" Model 66 and just recently got a Dawson DX red fiber optic blade for it. With the DX sight base you can put whatever you want in it. I knew I was going to need it someday. Not sure about the rear sight blade yet....for now the front is enough.

 

[Llance]

I've put International Orange on the front sight of all my guns as it makes them easier to see and align with the rear sight. In a SD case I want to be able to get alignment rapidly then worry about shot placement. I've been told to forget the front sight and concentrate on the target but I know that if you don't have alignment the target doesn't matter. I don't want to scare the crud out of the perp I want him/her down and pleading with me not to finish him/her off. That is if I haven't done that with the first shot. Or the second, or third, or however many are necessary to stop the threat.

"Why did you shoot her 15 times mister homeowner?"
"Cuz this gun only holds 15 rounds."

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

First thing is front sight focus. You know that, so I'll leave it alone.

I like red fingernail polish, but only for real world. For targets, everything depends on ambient light. Front sight can disappear if it is ramped, worse with nail polish. The best target sights are the same they always were, flat black Patridge, preferably undercut.

Three dots are great for real world, good for target if mounted in Patridge sights.

The classics exist for a reason.

 

[H Richard]

I usually leave my front sights alone, (except stainless which I paint the Int Orange). Black patridge sights I don't have too much trouble with, but for any kind of competition, it's a red dot.

For some (air pistol) shooting I sometimes use a pin hole blocker clipped over my glasses. It increases the depth of focus and I see my target sight on the longer barrels clearly.

 

[Gunaholic]

I had a friend tell me he used to laugh at me for painting my front sight red; and then he turned 40.
But I’m starting to like fiber optic sights too. Some guns are easy to install those and some are not. Then the red paint comes out.

 

[LPD256]

Paint away. You know how to remove it to make it an original gun again.

 

[Old Corp]

Since getting corrective cataract surgery, I do fine with most all shooting related focus issues.

I still sight-paint my 'using guns', ie, my EDC pieces and hunting handguns.
I'll usually de-grease. Then place on a base layer of white nail polish or enamel. Then a hi-viz color ranging from fluorescent orange to yellow, to white dot (if there's an indent in the front post).
Latest trial is a very bright gold I put on a M25-2 I'll be hunting with this Fall.

Being an aging boomer, back metal sights just don't work for like they used to.

 

[FlyFish]

I usually leave my front sights alone, (except stainless which I paint the Int Orange). Black patridge sights I don't have too much trouble with, but for any kind of competition, it's a red dot.

For some (air pistol) shooting I sometimes use a pin hole blocker clipped over my glasses. It increases the depth of focus and I see my target sight on the longer barrels clearly.

I use a pinhole decal on my glasses for just about all my shooting these days: pistol, rifle, iron sights, red dot - just about everything except shotguns, of course.

I've had good luck with these: EyePal | Get back on the Range with EyePal

 

[Rpg]

I find that dots on sights just slow me down.

In my experience, widening the rear sight (with a file) helps most aging eyes much more than paint or dots on the front sight.

 

[Velle]

I paint my sights with fingernail polish. Orange for the rear and luminescent green for the front. It works for me.

 

[DonD]

I have 10 handguns, 8 of the 9 centerfires, 9mm though 500 Mag, have either red painted ramp fronts or fiber optics and I like it that way.

The other two, one 9mm semi auto has the 3 white dot arrangement and a Ruger 22/45 .22LR which has all black sights.

And yes, at 74, I have bifocals and need them. Don

 

[Old Corp]

If a thread ever should have been titled 'OLD GUYS', this is it!

Anyone wanna tell colonoscopy stories?

- J/K! I'm one of us!

 

[ImDrRich]

I'm sporting a pair of progressive glasses today after cataract surgery 5 years ago. It's my close-up vision that's most affected.

When shooting, I found that I couldn't focus on the sites AND the target adequately, but now I can again because of the glasses. Got to admit they take some getting used to.

Anyway, red helps in the front site, but a lime green is even better. I guess it depends on your color vision, too.

 

[jcelect]

Color difference

Your sight choice should be based in logic, especially with older eyes! It is easier to see definite color differences. This forum uses a dark background with white letters(WHY)! Targets are made with a white background and a black center(WHY)! This forum would not be visited very much if they used white letters on a white background! For those of us that use red paint or red dots it is a no-no to use red sticky dots for targets on ANY colored background especially when the target is out to 50yds! Use color differences in your everyday shooters/shooting and leave the "as built" guns in the safe!
My $.02 - jcelect

 

[stu1ritter]

Years and years as a bullseye, metallic sight shooter now aging, I find that fluorescent green paint over a white base just pulls my eye right to the front sight where it belongs. Without the paint my aging eye fights between the front sight and the target which was the same problem I had with a red dot, couldn't keep the eye on either the target or the dot so gave up. Now, even with these 80 year olde eyes I can keep them locked on the front sight with its green paint and my groups (really tight) show it. Of course I'm shooting with two hands also :~(

Stu

 

[Krogen]

My old eye doctor, now retired, was a Bullseye shooter. He offered to prescribe shooting glasses for me if I wanted. His opinion was that perfect focus at the front sight distance was too much of a good thing. It causes the target to be too blurry. Optimal is precise focus a foot or two beyond the front sight. That way the sights are clear enough for precise alignment and the target is fairly clear.

Instead of shooting glasses, he suggested I use my computer glasses. Voila! They work perfectly. I never did go with prescription shooting glasses, just the computer glasses.

Another approach is a flip-down diopter like this one from ShootingSight. If you have to wear glasses and can't just use readers, the diopter lets you focus at the proper distance.

Clip on Flip Lens – ShootingSight

 

[Rodan]

Another approach is a flip-down diopter like this one from ShootingSight. If you have to wear glasses and can't just use readers, the diopter lets you focus at the proper distance.

This is a great idea, and I should have thought of it, because I did something similar when I had my cataract surgery last year. Just buy a cheap set of reader clip-ons from your local drug store, and remove the lens from the non-dominant eye side. Same basic principal for under $20.